Louis Armstrong biopic is being made.

[mikelz777]

http://www.jazztimes.com/columns_and_featu...m?article=11589 Edited October 11, 2008 by mikelz777

[Christiern]

Who is Oscar Cohen? I must confess that I never heard of him and I don't find him mentioned in any of the many Armstrong books I have. The press release says that he was Louis' manager. What, then, was Joe Glaser? Guess I'll ask Dan Morgenstern—he knows Louis's work and life through and through.

That said, fine an actor as Whitaker is, I can't see him as Louis. And that title, "What a Wonderful World"—I hope I'm proven wrong, but I fear the worst.

[AllenLowe]

I think Kenny G should play Armstrong - or Gary Coleman -

[Christiern]

Yes, Kenny G should definitely play Gary Coleman. Platform shoes have made great strides since the disco era, as it were.

[Harold_Z]

Yeah...Louis Armstrong and the Short Stars.

This movie has huge cringe factor potential. I hope I'm wrong.

[Christiern]

Whitaker apparently had no problem portraying Bird in a film that distorted the facts and focused on drugs rather than the music.

[Daniel A]

...Oscar Cohen who inherited Associated Booking Corporation which was Louis Armstrong’s booking office when Joe Glaser died.

From here.

Edited October 11, 2008 by Daniel A

[Fer Urbina]

Biopics are like buses... just read in Ricky Riccardi's blog that Quincy Jones and Charles Dutton are working on a 6-episode miniseries for HBO.

http://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2008/09/lo...rongon-hbo.html

and

http://dippermouth.blogspot.com/2008/10/an...trong-film.html

F

[BruceH]

I guess Forest Whitaker will eventually play Coleman Hawkins, Roy Eldridge, Sonny Rollins, Oscar Peterson, Dexter Gordon, Duke Ellington, and Sonny Stitt as well. He's the "go-to" actor to play black jazz musicians. No one else will do.

[Christiern]

Daniel, that links really says nothing. I know Phoebe Jacobs very well. She got me my job with Benny Goodman and she was a very close friend of Louis' last wife, but I cannot forgive her for the lies she told Burns re Lil Armstrong. This interview, the one you link to, is also full of inaccuracies and protective coating. If Cohen inherited the Associated Booking Corp, he is very likely not to be trusted. Joe Glaser was a little gangster who exploited many, many black artists and worked to repress the careers of others.

This does not bode well for the film.