Fictionalized drama about the birth of jazz. According to the film, a Bourbon Street gambling house operator introduces it to the American public to win a girl, which is the first of a number of dubious aspects of the film that seem dated. Regardless, the film still has Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday (as a maid!), whose musical numbers more than make up for the movie's shortcomings.

DVD Features:

Region 1 Encoding
Two Musical Shorts: A RHAPSODY IN BLACK AND BLUE and SYMPHONY IN BLACK
An Essay on the Making of NEW ORLEANS as a Project for Orson Welles
Keep Case

Louis Armstrong: American jazz musician
Billie Holiday: American Jazz Singer/Composer
Kid Ory: Jazz Musician
Woody Herman: American Composer
Arturo De Cordova: Mexican Actor
Dorothy Patrick: Actress/"Thunder Pass"
John Alexander: Opera/musical star
Marjorie Lord: American TV Actress
Shelley Winters: Oscar winning actress, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK (1959)

Arthur Lubin: American Director

Jules Levy: American Producer

Herbert J. Biberman: Screenwriter/Director/Hw 10