Benny Goodman - Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing
by Oren Jacoby
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Benny GoodmanDirector: Oren Jacoby
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 60 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2000-11-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Sony
Movie Reviews of Benny Goodman - Adventures in the Kingdom of Swing
Movie Review: Beautifully done!
Summary: 5 Stars
If you are a fan of Benny Goodman, this is a required purchase. Yes, there are a number of problems and I will briefly mention them up front. Benny as a human being is not the focus here, and this did irritate me. He was amazingly difficult, cheap, severe with his sidemen and almost impossible to get close to. These problems were exacerbated in later years by his use of prescription drugs which made him "moody," to put it mildly. Benny's personality is not examined here and that is a major flaw.In addition, Benny's amazing classical career is glossed over with scarcely a mention. His later years, from 1960 onwards, are also hustled through and I found this disappointing. Some of his European concerts from the 70's really were swingin' affairs, I have the casette tapes to prove it.
So why with these myriad problems am I still giving this five stars? Simply because the rest of the documentary is stellar. They focus on Benny's swing years, from 1935-1944, and they show some amazing footage, including color footage of Gene, Ziggy, Harry, Teddy and the rest of the boys. I wish they would have spent more time on the seminal 1938 Carnegie Hall concert, but they do cover this event in some detail. The picture quality is exceptional, though the audio is inconsistent.
Still, I give it a high recomendation for all Benny Goodman enthusiasts.
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