this movie be a rather odd mix of musical and romance and drama and crime with a sniff of film noir to it . it basically one messy heap of different genre and of which none really work out like it be suppose to . this movie be an attempt by mickey rooney to be take more serious a an actor . he a former child star who always use to star in in happy comical and musical production at the start of his career . in this movie he pick a different approach ( although the musical aspect be still present in the movie ) . but his role be actually quite laughable within the movie . i mean mickey rooney a a tough player . he an extremely small boyish look man . he actually be in his 30 already at the time of this movie but he seriously look more like a 16 year old . hear him say babe to woman and hear talk tough to gangster who be about 3 time big than he be just doesn not look and feel right . he simply isn not convince in his role . because the movie mix so many different genre and the story also really feel a a messy one . somewhere in it there be a crime plot and somewhere in it be a romantic plot line and one about live your dream but none of it work out really due to the messy approach and handling of it all . it just isn not an interesting or compelling movie to watch . lászló kardos be also a director who have do only 10 movie in his lifetime and despite the fact that his career span from 1935 till 1957. he must have be a struggle director who have a hard time get work into the industry and instead once in a while be give a less script to work with . his movie be all unknown one and normally also not of too high quality . let also not forget that this be a 50 movie but yet it more feel like a 40 one or perhaps even a one from the 30 . this be of course mostly due to the fact that this movie get shoot in black and white . generally speak black and white movie from the 50 often have a cheap look feeling over it and this movie form no exception . it a rather strange sight see mickey rooney and louis armstrong and his band a themselves perform together in a sequence . it wasn not the only movie armstrong appear in though and he would often pop up in these type of movie and often simply a himself . i guess jazz lover can still somewhat enjoy watch this movie due to it music and since there be quite an amount of it present in this movie . the movie actually receive an oscar nomination for best original song . an awkward little movie and out from mickey rooney . 4/10 .