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The Helen Morgan Story ()

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Torch singer Helen Morgan rises from sordid beginnings to fame and fortune only to lose it all to alcohol and poor personal choices.
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Stars:
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Photos and Videos

19 photos | 1 video

Cast

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Helen Morgan
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Larry Maddux
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Russell Wade
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Whitey Krause
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Benny Weaver
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Dolly Evans
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Sue
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Florenz Ziegfeld
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Mrs. Wade
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Johnny Haggerty
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Mark Hellinger
Sammy White ...
Sammy White
The De Castro Sisters ...
Singers
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Jimmy McHugh
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Rudy Vallee
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Walter Winchell
Gogi Grant ...
Helen Morgan (singing voice) (voice)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Vendor (scenesDeleted)
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Intern (scenesDeleted)
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Vendor (scenesDeleted)
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Louise Jensen - Secretary (uncredited)
Jean Andren ...
Minor Role (uncredited)
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Showgirl (uncredited)
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Klingman (uncredited)
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Drunk (uncredited)
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Customer (uncredited)
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Bartender (uncredited)
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Guard (uncredited)
Oscar Blank ...
Drunk (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
Geraldine Bogdonovich ...
Young Nurse (uncredited)
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Drunk (uncredited)
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Bartender (uncredited)
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Jimmy - Police Turnkey (uncredited)
Robert Christopher ...
Reporter (uncredited)
Russ Clark ...
Chief (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
Oliver Cross ...
Man at Customs (uncredited)
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Maitre d' (uncredited)
Tony Dante ...
Krause Hood (uncredited)
Cecil Elliott ...
Drunken Woman in Bar (uncredited)
Juney Ellis ...
Waitress (uncredited)
Joe Evans ...
Artist (uncredited)
Cliff Ferre ...
Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
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Woman at Customs on Pier (uncredited)
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Night Club Patron (uncredited)
Alan Foster ...
Bum (uncredited)
Louise Glenn ...
B-Girl (uncredited)
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Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Henchman (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
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Elderly Actor on Train (uncredited)
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Girl Singer at Piano (uncredited)
Gary Judis ...
Usher (uncredited)
Harvey Karels ...
Reporter (uncredited)
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Night Club Patron (uncredited)
Donald Kerr ...
Club Customer (uncredited)
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Stanislausky - Accordion Player (uncredited)
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Train Conductor (uncredited)
Jack Lomas ...
Piano Player (uncredited)
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Pageant Reporter (uncredited)
Kathy Marlowe ...
Miss Herbert (uncredited)
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Director (uncredited)
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Dubois (uncredited)
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Redhead (uncredited)
John McKee ...
Customs Inspector (uncredited)
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Manager (uncredited)
Maurice Millard ...
Man in Knickers (uncredited)
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Minor Role (uncredited)
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Henchman (uncredited)
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Lacey - Backstage Maid (uncredited)
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Bum (uncredited)
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Drunk (uncredited)
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Guitarist (uncredited)
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Night Club Patron (uncredited)
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Boyish Bob Girl (uncredited)
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Surprise Party Guest (uncredited)
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Night Club Patron (uncredited)
Miguel Palenzuela ...
Bellboy (uncredited)
Howard Parker ...
Dancer (uncredited)
Murray Pollack ...
Night Club Patron (uncredited)
George Ramsey ...
Man in Scarf (uncredited)
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Maitre d' (uncredited)
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Cigarette Girl (uncredited)
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Red (uncredited)
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Loring Kirk (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
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Photographer (uncredited)
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Dawn (uncredited)
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Party Guest (uncredited)
Court Shepard ...
Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
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Customs Inspector (uncredited)
Robert Sherman ...
Master of Ceremonies (uncredited)
Sal Sportelli ...
Man With Baby Buggy (uncredited)
Joan Sudlow ...
Patient (uncredited)
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Producer (uncredited)
John Truax ...
Policeman (uncredited)
Gloria Victor ...
Blonde (uncredited)
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Jim Finney (uncredited)
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Tony (uncredited)
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Napoleon - Wade's Butler (uncredited)
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Big Ed Wallace (uncredited)
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Society Woman (uncredited)
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Speakeasy Patron (uncredited)
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Nurse (uncredited)
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Waiter (uncredited)
Allen Wood ...
Stagehand (uncredited)

Directed by

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Michael Curtiz

Written by

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Oscar Saul ... (original screenplay) and
Dean Riesner ... (original screenplay) and
Stephen Longstreet ... (original screenplay) and
Nelson Gidding ... (original screenplay)

Produced by

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Martin Rackin ... producer

Music by

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Ray Heindorf ... (uncredited)

Cinematography by

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Ted D. McCord ... director of photography (as Ted McCord)

Editing by

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Frank Bracht

Editorial Department

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John F. Burnett ... assistant editor (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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John Beckman

Costume Design by

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Howard Shoup

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Paul Helmick ... assistant director

Art Department

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Tyrus Wong ... art department (uncredited)

Sound Department

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Francis J. Scheid ... sound
Dolph Thomas ... sound
George Reid ... sound editor (uncredited)
Finn Ulback ... sound editor (uncredited)

Music Department

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Frank Comstock ... orchestrator
Ray Heindorf ... musical director
Charles Henderson ... vocal arranger
Gus Levene ... orchestrator

Additional Crew

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LeRoy Prinz ... choreographer
Marilyn Reiss ... publicist
Norman Stuart ... dialogue supervisor

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

The 1920s and '30s career of singer Helen Morgan is followed from her early days singing outdoors in a carnival, through her speak-easy and chorus-girl days, to her stardom on Broadway in Ziegfeld's "Show Boat". Her involvement with Larry Maddux, a gin-runner and con-man, and Russell Wade, a prominent, married New York lawyer, and her decline thanks to these failed romances and alcohol are punctuated by performances of many of the songs she made famous. Written by Ron Kerrigan

Plot Keywords
Taglines Her Real Story From Real Life! See more »
Genres
Parents Guide Add content advisory for parents »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Why Was I Born? (United States)
  • The Jazz Age (United States)
  • Both Ends of the Candle (United Kingdom)
  • Pour elle un seul homme (France)
  • Para ella un solo hombre (Spain)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 118 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
Sound Mix
Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia The title role was declined by two actresses who had recently headlined successful biopics of troubled songstresses: Doris Day (Ruth Etting in Love Me or Leave Me (1955)) and Susan Hayward (Lillian Roth in I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955)), neither of whom wanted to (in a sense) "recycle" an earlier role. See more »
Goofs In real life, Helen Morgan married three times. In the film, she never marries. See more »
Movie Connections Featured in The Great Canadian Supercut (2017). See more »
Soundtracks Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man See more »
Quotes Larry Maddux: Do yourself a favor. Hire the kid.
Whitey Krause: I hope your hooch is better than your suggestion, Larry. What's the canary to you.
Larry Maddux: Nuthin'. I'm just a music lover. Besides, I don't go for that sad stuff she sings.
See more »
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