The Fabulous Dorseys (1947)
Directed by Alfred E. Green

Film Review

The Fabulous Dorseys surrenders any claim to be a serious biopic right from its first scene, which depicts an obviously phoney account of the Dorsey brothers' childhood.  Things do not improve when, ten minutes on, the adult Dorseys appear on the screen, played, naturally, by themselves.  By no stretch of the imagination could this pass for a serious, or even half-serious, biographic drama.  It is just a somewhat contrived excuse to get the famous Dorseys on screen and showcase their music - great if you love jazz, not so great if you were expecting a biopic.  The only thing remotely true in this film is its depiction of the very public split between the brothers, and in the light of that it seems pretty remarkable that any film producer could lure them to work together on the same set.  The friction between Jimmy and Tommy is more than evident, and Tommy's obvious lack of acting ability makes this a very uncomfortable watch.  Still, the music is the main thing and whilst the film rates pretty low as a biopic it is still worth watching to enjoy the music of a bygone era.

Film Synopsis

In 1916, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey are two boys growing up in Pennsylvania who are reluctant music students, despite the best efforts of their father, a miner who is determined they will not follow in his footsteps.  Pa Dorsey manages to persuade a nightclub owner to hire his improvised band consisting of himself, some friends and his sons, and the boys impress with their ragtime improvisation.  Thirty years on, the Dorseys have a thriving band of their own, although they find it increasingly difficult to work together.  One day, the strain becomes too much and the brothers go their separate ways, much to the chagrin of their aged parents...