''The Gene Krupa Story'' (also known as ''Drum Crazy'') is a 1959

biopic A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudr ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

drummer A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums. Most contemporary western bands that play rock, pop, jazz, or R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeeping and embellishing the musical timbre. The drummer's ...

and bandleader

Gene Krupa Eugene Bertram Krupa (January 15, 1909 – October 16, 1973), known as Gene Krupa, was an American jazz drummer, bandleader and composer who performed with energy and showmanship. His drum solo on Benny Goodman's 1937 recording of " Sing, Sing, ...

. The conflict in the film centers on Krupa's rise to success and his corresponding use of

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...

Plot synopsis

The young Gene Krupa brings home a set of drums and puts them in the family room. His mother and three of his brothers stand by as his father makes it clear, as he has many times before, that he abhors the idea of Gene playing

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

drums. He says, "I have been too easy on my baby son," and insists that Gene be "somebody fine...a priest, maybe". Gene is about to graduate high school and does not want to study in a

seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy ...

; he says he doesn't know why, but he has to be a drummer. His father orders him to get rid of the drum set. Gene says he can't and his father reacts by busting the

tom-toms A tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snares, named from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala language. It was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century. Most toms range in size between in diameter, though floor toms can go as la ...

and the balance of the set. Gene says he will find a way to keep getting drums no matter how often his father busts them, that he has an opportunity to play with a group of guys, for money. During rehearsals for some of his initial club performances, Krupa meets a girl named Ethel, who is immediately struck by his drumming. At a swim party, the two have a long conversation about many things. Ethel confides that, after graduation, she wants to go to

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

to study and write music. The two begin to fall in love. When he gets home, Gene finds that his father has died. Feeling obligated, he goes to study for the priesthood, but at the seminary he feels lost and unable to devote his whole self. He imagines “syncopated versions” of

Ave Maria The Hail Mary ( la, Ave Maria) is a traditional Christian prayer addressing Mary, the mother of Jesus. The prayer is based on two biblical passages featured in the Gospel of Luke: the Angel Gabriel's visit to Mary (the Annunciation) and Mary's ...

when he should be listening to hymns in a quiet, penitent reverie; even after a year there, he cannot shake his dreams of becoming a musician. The priest who is his advisor suspects Krupa's interest is waning and reminds him that the priesthood is "a fulfillment, not a penance". He advises Gene to take summer vacation at home to consider if this life-choice is "meant to be". At home, his old pals are playing in a local

speakeasy A speakeasy, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, is an illicit establishment that sells alcoholic beverages, or a retro style bar that replicates aspects of historical speakeasies. Speakeasy bars came into prominence in the United States ...

. Krupa gently rubs the drum set's

crash cymbal A crash cymbal is a type of cymbal that produces a loud, sharp "crash" and is used mainly for occasional accents, as opposed to a ride cymbal. It can be mounted on a stand and played with a drum stick, or by hand in pairs. One or two crash c ...

between his thumb and forefinger; his friend Eddie asks him to sit in with the gang for the summer. Gene struggles with this, still feeling he should be committed to the church. He does quit the seminary, though, and plays with the band. His mother stops in one evening and expresses her disappointment in him. Ethel suggests Krupa's and Eddie's music is better than the dives they play in, that they should go to New York. The three friends make the jump to New York where the guys struggle to find decent jobs. Ethel lands work as a switchboard operator. Gene and Ethel reaffirm they are in love; Eddie, who was at one time planning to marry her, has been aware of Ethel's feelings for a long time. He harbors no ill-will about it. At an upscale party, in a leap of faith, Krupa takes over the drums and performs with the bandleader

Tommy Dorsey Thomas Francis Dorsey Jr. (November 19, 1905 – November 26, 1956) was an American jazz trombonist, composer, conductor and bandleader of the big band era. He was known as the "Sentimental Gentleman of Swing" because of his smooth-toned trombo ...

, his brother Jimmy and

Red Nichols Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols (May 8, 1905 – June 28, 1965) was an American jazz cornetist, composer, and jazz bandleader. Biography Early life and career Nichols was born in Ogden, Utah, United States. His father was a college music profes ...

. Nichols offers him a spot in his pit band for

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

’s new show '' Strike Up the Band''. He and Eddie play on recording sessions and in various high-class clubs. After a performance of “

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, th ...

” with the

Benny Goodman Orchestra Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His con ...

Krupa's career takes off. He becomes maddened with his success; he throws wild parties in his ostentatious home, embarks on a downward spiral of

alcohol abuse Alcohol abuse encompasses a spectrum of unhealthy alcohol drinking behaviors, ranging from binge drinking to alcohol dependence, in extreme cases resulting in health problems for individuals and large scale social problems such as alcohol-rela ...

and

cheating Cheating generally describes various actions designed to subvert rules in order to obtain unfair advantages. This includes acts of bribery, cronyism and nepotism in any situation where individuals are given preference using inappropriate crit ...

on Ethel, and alienates Eddie. Ethel leaves him. A female singer urges marijuana cigarettes on him, as she slurs her words and behaves clearly under-the-influence. Gene achieves greatness leading his own ensemble, but he develops a crippling psychological addiction to marijuana. A few times, while performing, he drops his sticks and his timing is off, which he later does blame on the illegal substance. At the peak of his career, Krupa is busted on dope charges after marijuana cigarettes in envelopes are found in his coat. It becomes evident this is a frame-up, possibly by a jealous co-worker, but he is convicted and sentenced to 90 days in jail. Upon release, Gene speaks with Ken Le May about working in his band, only to be rejected because of the public's perception of Krupa as an addict. He is forced to play in a series of dives and strip joints. Ethel finds him in one of these places and tells him that, through Eddie, she has learned Tommy Dorsey is forming a new band. Dorsey's people have to know how to read music; Gene has never learned that skill and Ethel encourages him to finally do so. He does, under the tutelage of a member of the

New York Philharmonic The New York Philharmonic, officially the Philharmonic-Symphony Society of New York, Inc., globally known as New York Philharmonic Orchestra (NYPO) or New York Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra, is a symphony orchestra based in New York City. It is ...

. Though Dorsey already has a drummer, Eddie gives the bandleader the idea to highlight Krupa in a "special return appearance". The performance starts out great, but hecklers begin jeering him. To the audience's surprise the Tommy Dorsey Band drummer (played by Shelly Manne) picks up the beat when Krupa falters, and covers for his fellow drummer as a sign of support. Gene composes himself and is able to finish a

call-and-response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

two-man drum solo. The audience rewards Krupa with a standing ovation. The film ends as Ethel tries to sneak off, sure Gene will return to his old ways. He catches up with her, and asks where she is going, "without me?" The closing credits come down on a shot of them walking away together, into the night. In real life, the two were first married from 1934 to 1942; they remarried in 1946 and were together until Ethel's death in 1955.

Cast

* Sal Mineo as Gene Krupa * Susan Kohner as Ethel Maguire *

James Darren James William Ercolani (born June 8, 1936) known by his stage name James Darren, is an American television and film actor, television director, and singer. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, he had notable starring and supporting roles in fi ...

as Eddie Sirota * Susan Oliver as Dorissa Dinell *

Yvonne Craig Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16, 1937 – August 17, 2015) was an American actress and ballerina, who was renowned for her role as Batgirl in the 1960s television series '' Batman''. Other notable roles in her career include Dorothy Johnson in the 196 ...

as Gloria Corregio *

Lawrence Dobkin Lawrence Dobkin (September 16, 1919 – October 28, 2002) was an American television director, character actor and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. Dobkin was a prolific performer during the Golden Age of Radio. He narrate ...

as Speaker Willis *

Celia Lovsky Celia Lovsky (born Cäcilia Josefina Lvovsky, February 21, 1897 – October 12, 1979) was an Austrian-American actress. She was born in Vienna,Red Nichols Ernest Loring "Red" Nichols (May 8, 1905 – June 28, 1965) was an American jazz cornetist, composer, and jazz bandleader. Biography Early life and career Nichols was born in Ogden, Utah, United States. His father was a college music profes ...

as Himself *

Bobby Troup Robert William Troup Jr. (October 18, 1918 – February 7, 1999) was an American actor, jazz pianist, singer, and songwriter. He wrote the song " Route 66" and acted in the role of Dr. Joe Early with his wife Julie London in the television prog ...

Anita O'Day Anita Belle Colton (October 18, 1919 – November 23, 2006), known professionally as Anita O'Day, was an American jazz singer and self proclaimed “song stylist” widely admired for her sense of rhythm and dynamics, and her early big band app ...

as Herself * Shelly Manne as Davey Tough *

Buddy Lester Buddy Lester (born William Goldberg, January 16, 1915 – October 4, 2002) was an American actor and comedian who portrayed dozens of character roles in films and television. Although known for his appearances in Jerry Lewis’ comedy films, he w ...

as Himself

Production notes

Krupa himself played the drums on the soundtrack for the film, and for the sequences in which Mineo, as Gene, plays the drums. Considerable liberty was taken with the actual timeline of events in Gene's life; for example, the picturing of

Bix Beiderbecke Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...

arriving at a party in Krupa's New York apartment in approximately 1934, whereas Beiderbecke had died in August 1931. Susan Oliver and Yvonne Craig share a title card in this film. They would each go on to portray green skinned slave girls on Star Trek.

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gene Krupa Story, The 1959 films 1950s biographical drama films 1950s musical drama films American biographical drama films American musical drama films Biographical films about musicians American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures films Films about percussion and percussionists Films directed by Don Weis Films scored by Leith Stevens Jazz films Cultural depictions of jazz musicians Cultural depictions of American men 1959 drama films 1950s English-language films 1950s American films

Plot synopsis

Cast

Production notes

See also

References

External links