The Gene Krupa Story

The Gene Krupa Story is a 1959 biopic of American drummer and bandleader Gene Krupa. The conflict in the film centers around Krupa's rise to success and his corresponding use of marijuana. We open first to the theme of the movie, this “savage tempo of the jazz era,” an enigmatic, top-down shot of a white drum set and a mysterious man banging away, his face hidden from the camera. The hi-hat rolls with suspense as the audience can neither see nor ... more

The Gene Krupa Story is a 1959 biopic of American drummer and bandleader Gene Krupa. The conflict in the film centers around Krupa's rise to success and his corresponding use of marijuana. We open first to the theme of the movie, this “savage tempo of the jazz era,” an enigmatic, top-down shot of a white drum set and a mysterious man banging away, his face hidden from the camera. The hi-hat rolls with suspense as the audience can neither see nor hear anything else—the drummer seems to sit in a void, hammering out his music against a black backdrop, sonically and physically isolated from the rest of the world. The music turns dark, brassy and strong with the introduction of the horns and the artists’ hands flail about unhinged from the drummer’s consciousness, beating out a rhythm that sets the pace for our faceless protagonist’s life story. This story, The Gene Krupa Story, was released in1959 after Columbia Pictures “turned to its own recording division in search of a suitable... less