Birth of the Blues - Bing Crosby - Ginny Simms - Johnny Mercer - Screen Guild Theater

All-Star Radio Dramas of Classic films!
Birth of the Blues is a 1941 American musical film directed by Victor Schertzinger and starring Bing Crosby, Mary Martin and Brian Donlevy.

The plot loosely follows the origins and breakthrough success of the Original Dixieland Jazz Band in New Orleans. It was well received by critics on its release. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score. However, many of the songs, such as St. Louis Blues by W. C. Handy, were not new.

The Screen Guild Theater is a radio anthology series broadcast from 1939 until 1952 during the Golden Age of Radio. Leading Hollywood stars performed adaptations of popular motion pictures. Originating on CBS Radio, it aired under several different titles including The Gulf Screen Guild Show, The Gulf Screen Guild Theater, The Lady Esther Screen Guild Theater and The Camel Screen Guild Players. Fees that would ordinarily have been paid to the stars and studios were instead donated to the Motion Picture Relief Fund, and were used for the construction and maintenance of the Motion Picture Country House