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Satchmo the Great (1957) Online

Satchmo the Great (1957) Online
1957 Louis Armstrong Edward R. Murrow Leonard Bernstein
Original Title :
Satchmo the Great
Genre :
Movie / Documentary / Biography / Music
Year :
1957
Cast :
Louis Armstrong,Edward R. Murrow,Leonard Bernstein
Writer :
Edward R. Murrow
Type :
Movie
Time :
1h 3min
Rating :
8.2/10

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In this 1957 biography film of the jazz-great Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, he and his band tour the world as American good-will ambassadors bring jazz at its best to the people of the world. ... See full summary

Satchmo the Great (1957) Online

In this 1957 biography film of the jazz-great Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, he and his band tour the world as American good-will ambassadors bring jazz at its best to the people of the world. Within the film, the life of Louis Armstrong is portrayed through the music. One of the outstanding scenes in this "biography/docudrama" shows blind songwriter W. C. Handy, with tears streaming down his face, as Armstrong, backed by Leonard Bernstein leading the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, play Handy's immortal "St. Louis Blues."
Credited cast:
Louis Armstrong Louis Armstrong - Himself
Edward R. Murrow Edward R. Murrow - Himself - Reporter / Host
Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein - Himself - Leonard Bernstein - Orchestra Leader
W.C. Handy W.C. Handy - Himself - Songwriter
Edmund Hall Edmund Hall - Himself - Edmund Hall
James Young James Young - Himself - 'Trummy' Young (as 'Trummy' Young)
Barrett Deems Barrett Deems - Himself - Barrett Deems
Billy Kyle Billy Kyle - Himself - Billy Kyle
Arvell Shaw Arvell Shaw - Himself - Arvell Shaw
Jack Lesberg Jack Lesberg - Himself - Jack Lesberg
New York Philharmonic New York Philharmonic - Themselves - Orchestra
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gene de Poris Gene de Poris - Himself - - Reporter

Originally recorded as an interview on Edward R. Murrow's See It Now (1951) TV interview program, later expanded into a feature-length documentary movie.


User reviews

Breder

Breder

This wonderful documentary, shown on CBS in edited form in the 1950's, was produced by Edward R. Murrow and features Satchmo's trip to West Africa, which he immediately adopted as his ancestral home because of how much he looked like the people there. The response was remarkable, with hundreds of thousands of people showing up and carrying Louis like a king on his throne.

Why this movie is currently unavailable in any format, except for occasional Public TV showings, is beyond my comprehension. It serves to remind us how important a world figure Armstrong was throughout most of the 20th Century, and how he represented the true face of American culture for the rest of the world. CBS, or whomever owns the rights to this documentary, PLEASE RELEASE IT!!!
Ance

Ance

I have been trying for years to obtain a copy of this movie. I have the CD and I consider it the best CD I have ever owned. If CBS owns the movie, please encourage them to release it to the public. Louis Armstrong is idolized by thousands of people all over the world and this documentary should be shared with his fans. I would recommend that the CD be purchased by Louis' fans. It is very enjoyable. However, once you have the CD, you will want the movie. In addition, I also have a greater appreciation for the talents of Edward R. Murrow. Louis' sidemen were the best in the business. I spoke to Barrett Deems years ago and he told me that if Louis asked you to join his band, you dropped everything and went with him.