​On February 2, 1956 Universal Pictures released a (semi)biographical movie about the life of clarinetist Benny Goodman. "The Benny Goodman Story" starred Steve Allen as Goodman and also featured Donna Reed, Herbert Anderson and Sammy Davis, Sr. playing the part of Fletcher Henderson. Anderson played the part of producer John Hammond, an important figure in Goodman’s career. Hammond, however, objected to how he was portrayed in the movie and sued Universal for $50,000.

Although many events in Goodman's life were highly stylized for the picture, it is an interesting movie just to see the swing era stars (and some who pre-date the swing era) who portray themselves in the film. Those stars include Ben Pollack, Gene Krupa, Ziggy Elman, Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Martha Tilton, Harry James and “Kid” Ory. Benny Goodman plays the clarinet for the soundtrack while Steve Allen fakes it, but Goodman does not appear in the movie. “The Benny Goodman Story” was intended as a follow-up to Universal’s hit “The Glenn Miller Story” made two years earlier and starring Jimmy Stewart as the trombonist.

Here is a link to the original trailer for the movie:

"THE BENNY GOODMAN STORY TRAILER"