The Benny Goodman Story

When a young Benny Goodman (Barry Truex) first starts taking music classes, he becomes very adept at the clarinet and gravitates towards ragtime and jazz. After playing for a few years, an older Benny (Steve Allen) gains the attention of critic John Hammond (Herbert Anderson), who champions the musician. Benny also meets John's sister, Alice (Donna Reed), and, although she initially dislikes jazz, Goodman wins her over. However, Benny's mother (Berta Gersten) does not approve of the match.