La Vie ardente de Gene Krupa

I recall seeing this as a teenager and thinking it was great. As a 75 year old retired musician who lives music history, it annoyed me.

When a producer allows a song from 1940 (Let There be Love) to be inserted into a scene from the mid20s I call foul. The early scene with Krupa jamming with the Austin High Gang is arranged in the style of a 1960s Las Vegas showband. The scene with Red Nichols is equally absurd with bop-based jazz chorus.

Then comes "Cherokee" (written in 1938) played at a tempo and style at least 20 years in the future. Then comes the cocktail party which looks like a scene from Playboy After Hours. No attempt is made to costume authenticity. The band jamming sounds like Sam Butera on speed.

Later a beautiful version of "Memories of You" appears, but sung in a style si,liar to Julie London. Not until "Back Home in Indiana" does the music come close to stylistically historical accuracy. But then the overdone "everybody has a drum" schtick even ruins that. "Hawaiian War Chant" provides some redemption, but not enough to change my sum total reaction to the film - meh!

As others have mentioned, the film was obviously marketed to teens. Unfortunately anyone who knows anything about Krupa, or the swing era, will likely find it annoying.

If you've ever wanted to be a drummer this is the film for you. Even if the sounds of percussion instruments leave you with a pounding headache, it's still a good film to watch, for the acting and for the general atmosphere the film evokes.

With a straightforward, linear plot, "The Gene Krupa Story" highlights some of the career events of the legendary drummer, from his high school days in Chicago until his comeback from the depths, following an unfortunate incident in San Francisco. Krupa comes across in the film as outgoing, ambitious, single-minded, determined, and unable to handle success.

The story spans roughly a twenty year period from the late 1920s to the late 1940. Sal Mineo has the title role ... and what an acting job! In scenes with dialogue, his performance is intense, subtle, and very convincing. But, when Mineo mimics Krupa's frenetic drum solos, Mineo's performance is electrifying.

Both Susan Kohner as Krupa's love interest, and Susan Oliver as a femme fatale with attitude, further elevate the overall acting level. And the B&W cinematography from Charles Lawton, Jr., combined with smoke filled rooms and jazzy/blues music, is wonderfully suggestive of the beat generation of the 1950s, even though we are supposed to believe that it is an earlier era.

On the downside, the story is only partly factual. Production values are hardly better than average, and the editing is at times sloppy. The film has an inexplicably abrupt ending.

Overall, I recommend this film for the jazzy atmosphere of a bygone era, and especially for the high quality acting. "The Gene Krupa Story" is worth watching, if for no other reason than to marvel at Sal Mineo's ability to bang the drum briskly.

Always enjoy listening to the great talent of Gene Krupa along with Buddy Rich. This is a film dealing with Krupa's childhood which dealt with his becoming a Priest and then a world famous drummer in the 1940's. Sal Mineo, (Gene Krupa),"Rebel Without a Cause",'55, did a great job of trying to imitate Gene on the drums along with Susan Kohner,(Ethel Maguire),"Freud",'62, who was his girlfriend and loyal supporter through out this picture. This film portrays the good and bad times of Gene Krupa and most of his bad times were caused by a frustrating childhood and a great love of his mother and father, who both demanded too much from their son. Great Class film along with great musicians.

My first time hearing GK I was 8 years old. An old grade school friend of mine had a basic lounge kit and we would go to each other's houses after school and weekends. My buddy used to wear GK's records out! I was amazed. What this did for me was get more deeply into music and gained a real appreciation for it. I eventually went on to front a thrash band in the 80's and a Hardcore band until 2017. The movie brings back intense and moving memories for me. Mineo is fantastic at his mimicry. I'm also a sucker for Susan Oliver. I love her in anything but here she really shows her range as an actress. Also, Bobby Troup? Yes! THAT Bobby Troup from MASH and Emergency. I really dig rags to riches stories, particularly music ones. If you're a music fan and better yet, a fan of killer drummers, check this one out. RIP Niel Peart

Sal Mineo, who made a career of played conflicted people, does a magnificent job in the biography of legendary drummer Gene Krupa.

Mineo, as Krupa, gets wonderful support from James Darren and Susan Kohner. 1959 was a remarkable year for Miss Kohner. It was that year where she received a best supporting actress nomination as the troubled daughter of Lana Turner's maid in that great film "Imitation of Life."

Krupa's family wanted him to enter the priesthood. However, Gene's calling was for being a drummer. As is the case with so many talented people, success came quickly and unable to handle it, Krupa descended into a life of drinking and using reefers. At a time, when there were investigations revolving about musicians and drugs, Krupa's career suffered from his conviction and serving time in prison.

While Mineo at age 20, may have been too young for the part, he does a very credible job as the tormented youth. Kohner, as his girlfriend, Ethel, never gave up on him even though he literally walked out on her before his troubles again. As she did in "Imitation of Life," Kohner shows her own emotional conflict. Her early retirement from films deprived Hollywood of an excellent talent.

We also lost a great talent, when Mineo, who would get possibly the best part of his career as Dov Landau,the following year, in "Exodus," was murdered in 1976.

Lawrence Dobkin, who in 1959, was an important player in the television series "The Untouchables," scores well here as a protégé of Krupa.

Celia Lovsky, who was so memorable in many old films, usually portraying elderly women, was wonderful in 2 scenes in portraying Krupa's disappointed but loving mother. Of course, a Jewish woman playing a Catholic mother, might have raised some eyebrows at that time.

This is an excellent film where the social mores of the time derailed Krupa's great talent and career.