| The Five Pennies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Melville Shavelson |
| Written by | Robert Smith Jack Rose Melville Shavelson |
| Produced by | Jack Rose |
| Starring | Danny Kaye Barbara Bel Geddes Louis Armstrong Harry Guardino Bob Crosby Bobby Troup |
| Cinematography | Daniel L. Fapp |
| Edited by | Frank P. Keller |
| Music by | Thorton W. Allen Sylvia Fine M.W. Sheafe Leith Stevens |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
|
Running time | 117 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $3 million (est. US/ Canada rentals)[1] |
The Five Pennies is a 1959 American semi-biographical musical film starring Danny Kaye as jazz cornet player and bandleader Loring "Red" Nichols. Other cast members include Barbara Bel Geddes, Louis Armstrong, Harry Guardino, Bob Crosby, Bobby Troup, Susan Gordon, and Tuesday Weld. The film was directed by Melville Shavelson.
The film received four Oscar nominations: Best Musical Scoring (Leith Stevens), Best Original Song (Sylvia Fine—Danny Kaye's wife), Best Cinematography (Daniel L. Fapp), and Best Costumes (Edith Head).
The real Red Nichols recorded all of Kaye's cornet playing for the film soundtrack. The other musicians in Red's band were not asked to provide their musical contributions, and the sound of his band was supplied by session players.[citation needed]