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Gene Krupa(1909-1973)

  • Actor
  • Music Department
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Gene Krupa in Glamour Girl (1948)
Gene married Ethel McGuire in 1934. She was the switchboard operator at the Dixie Hotel where Gene was living while he was working in the pit band of "Girl Crazy." They were divorced in 1942 and remarried in 1946. Ethel died in 1955. Gene then married Patty Bowler in 1959 and they adopted two children, Mary Grace and Michael, who Gene nicknamed "BG." They were divorced in 1968.
BornJanuary 15, 1909
DiedOctober 16, 1973(64)
BornJanuary 15, 1909
DiedOctober 16, 1973(64)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos27

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Known for

Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., James Spader, Paul Bettany, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
Avengers: Age of Ultron
7.3
  • Soundtrack
  • 2015
Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980)
Raging Bull
8.1
  • Soundtrack
  • 1980
Matt Damon, Gretchen Mol, and Edward Norton in Rounders (1998)
Rounders
7.3
  • Soundtrack
  • 1998
Hollywood Ending (2002)
Hollywood Ending
6.5
  • Soundtrack
  • 2002

Credits

IMDbPro

Actor



  • Ed Sullivan in The Ed Sullivan Show (1948)
    The Ed Sullivan Show
    7.9
    TV Series
    • Band Leader
    • 1960
  • Donna Reed and Steve Allen in The Benny Goodman Story (1956)
    The Benny Goodman Story
    6.8
    • Gene Krupa
    • 1956
  • James Stewart, June Allyson, Louis Armstrong, Gene Krupa, and Frances Langford in The Glenn Miller Story (1954)
    The Glenn Miller Story
    7.3
    • Gene Krupa
    • 1954
  • Jimmy Dorsey in Make Believe Ballroom (1949)
    Make Believe Ballroom
    6.7
    • Drummer Gene Krupa
    • 1949
  • Virginia Grey, Gene Krupa, Jack Leonard, Susan Reed, and Gene Krupa and His Orchestra in Glamour Girl (1948)
    Glamour Girl
    6.3
    • Gene Krupa
    • 1948
  • Warren Mills, Noel Neill, June Preisser, and Freddie Stewart in Smart Politics (1948)
    Smart Politics
    7.0
    • Gene Krupa
    • 1948
  • Ralph Edwards, Gene Krupa, Frances Langford, and Phillip Terry in Beat the Band (1947)
    Beat the Band
    6.3
    • Gene Krupa
    • 1947
  • Follow That Music (1947)
    Follow That Music
    7.9
    Short
    • Gene King
    • 1947
  • Joan Davis, Jack Haley, Martha Holliday, Gene Krupa, and Ethel Smith in George White's Scandals (1945)
    George White's Scandals
    5.7
    • Gene Krupa (uncredited)
    • 1945
  • Deanna Durbin in The Shining Future (1944)
    The Shining Future
    6.1
    Short
    • Gene Krupa (uncredited)
    • 1944
  • Charlie Barnet, Connee Boswell, Jackie Cooper, Benny Goodman, Bonita Granville, Harry James, Jack Jenney, Gene Krupa, Adolphe Menjou, Alvino Rey, and Joe Venuti in Syncopation (1942)
    Syncopation
    6.3
    • The All American Dance Band - Gene Krupa
    • 1942
  • Gary Cooper and Barbara Stanwyck in Ball of Fire (1941)
    Ball of Fire
    7.7
    • Gene Krupa - Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
    • 1941
  • Bob Hope, Rufe Davis, Gene Krupa, Una Merkel, and Shirley Ross in Some Like It Hot (1939)
    Some Like It Hot
    6.5
    • Gene Krupa (as Gene Krupa & His Orchestra)
    • 1939
  • Hugh Herbert, Glenda Farrell, Benny Goodman, Ted Healy, Lola Lane, Rosemary Lane, Louella Parsons, and Dick Powell in Hollywood Hotel (1937)
    Hollywood Hotel
    6.4
    • Benny Goodman Drummer (uncredited)
    • 1937
  • Jack Benny, Gracie Allen, Bob Burns, George Burns, Benny Goodman, and Martha Raye in The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936)
    The Big Broadcast of 1937
    6.0
    • Band Drummer
    • 1936

Music Department



  • Donna Reed and Steve Allen in The Benny Goodman Story (1956)
    The Benny Goodman Story
    6.8
    • musician: drums
    • 1956

Soundtrack



  • Tom Hanks, Benicio Del Toro, Mathieu Amalric, Michael Cera, Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Jeffrey Wright, Benedict Cumberbatch, Richard Ayoade, Rupert Friend, Riz Ahmed, and Mia Threapleton in The Phoenician Scheme (2025)
    The Phoenician Scheme
    6.6
    • writer: "Drum Boogie"
    • 2025
  • Tom Hanks and Robin Wright in Here (2024)
    Here
    6.3
    • performer: "Sing Sing Sing"
    • 2024
  • Samuel L. Jackson, Robert Downey Jr., James Spader, Paul Bettany, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
    Avengers: Age of Ultron
    7.3
    • writer: "Full Dress Hop"
    • 2015
  • Hayley Atwell in Agent Carter (2015)
    Agent Carter
    7.8
    TV Series
    • writer: "Drum Boogie"
    • 2015
  • Aaron Staton in L.A. Noire (2011)
    L.A. Noire
    8.6
    Video Game
    • performer: "Sing Sing Sing"
    • 2011
  • Martin Freeman in Nativity! (2009)
    Nativity!
    6.5
    • performer: "Hooray for Hollywood"
    • 2009
  • Lorraine Bracco, James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Steven Van Zandt, Dominic Chianese, Robert Iler, Michael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Aida Turturro in The Sopranos (1999)
    The Sopranos
    9.2
    TV Series
    • performer: "Sing, Sing, Sing (With a Swing)"
    • 2007
  • Keisarikunta (2004)
    Keisarikunta
    5.7
    • performer: "Drumming Man"
    • writer: "Drumming Man", "Drum Boogie"
    • 2004
  • Hollywood Ending (2002)
    Hollywood Ending
    6.5
    • performer: "Hooray for Hollywood"
    • 2002
  • Linda Cardellini, John Francis Daley, James Franco, Samm Levine, Seth Rogen, Martin Starr, and Jason Segel in Freaks and Geeks (1999)
    Freaks and Geeks
    8.7
    TV Series
    • performer: "The Monster" (uncredited)
    • 2000
  • Matt Damon, Gretchen Mol, and Edward Norton in Rounders (1998)
    Rounders
    7.3
    • performer: "Tuxedo Junction"
    • 1998
  • Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern in She's Having a Baby (1988)
    She's Having a Baby
    6.0
    • writer: "Drummin' Man"
    • 1988
  • Todd Bridges, Gary Coleman, and Dana Plato in Diff'rent Strokes (1978)
    Diff'rent Strokes
    6.7
    TV Series
    • performer: "Hooray for Hollywood" (uncredited)
    • 1984
  • Robert De Niro in Raging Bull (1980)
    Raging Bull
    8.1
    • music: "Drum Boogie"
    • performer: "Drum Boogie"
    • 1980
  • Martin Sheen in The Execution of Private Slovik (1974)
    The Execution of Private Slovik
    7.6
    TV Movie
    • writer: "Drum Boogie"
    • 1974

Personal details

  • Alternative names
    • The Gene Krupa Quartet
  • Height
    • 5′ 8″ (1.73 m)
  • Born
    • January 15, 1909
    • Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Died
    • October 16, 1973
    • Yonkers, New York, USA(heart problems complicated by leukemia)
  • Spouses
      Patty BowlerApril 23, 1959 - 1968 (divorced, 2 children)
  • Publicity listings
    • 4 Biographical Movies
    • 2 Print Biographies
    • 2 Portrayals

Did you know

  • Trivia
    He was innovative. It was his idea to create the tunable tom-tom; he went to the Zildjian company and asked for thinner cymbals; he was the first drummer to record using a bass drum; he was one of the first drummers (if not the first) to use a hi-hat as we know it today; and the modern drum kit basically stems from his.
  • Trademarks
      Often performed with Benny Goodman

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