Skip to content
MovieCove
Dixie

Dixie

IT'S BING'S BEST!

194389 minPassedMidcredits score: 48th percentile of all films
Director
A. Edward Sutherland
Starring
Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, Marjorie Reynolds, Billy De Wolfe

A young songwriter leaves his Kentucky home to try to make it in New Orleans. Eventually he winds up in New York, where he sells his songs to a music publisher, but refuses to sell his most treasured composition: "Dixie." The film is based on the life of Daniel Decatur Emmett, who wrote the classic song "Dixie."

Where to watch

Where can I watch Dixie?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Dixie on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Dixie?

Dixie earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Dixie worth watching?

Dixie's Midcredits score is the 48th percentile of all films, from 195 ratings across 3 sources. 50% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

48th percentile

Better received than 48% of films

55th percentile among Comedy38th percentile among 1940s
Acclaim (how much people like it)44th
Approval (how many liked it)52nd

60 /100

44th percentile of all films

51st percentile among Comedy28th percentile among 1940s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

50% liked it

52nd percentile of all films

58th percentile among Comedy46th percentile among 1940s
50% rated it 7–1050% rated it 1–6

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 0 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

13th percentile

195 ratings across platforms

8th percentile among Comedy18th percentile among 1940s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 14% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A highly fictionalized, old-fashioned musical biopic centered on minstrel-show creator Dan Emmett and his most famous song 'Dixie'.

Fans praised

  • Crosby's warm, charismatic performance and strong singing
  • Engaging if fictionalized story with emotional beats
  • Memorable musical numbers including 'Sunday, Monday or Always'

Detractors panned

  • Offensive, dated blackface content and minstrel show framing
  • Lifeless, uninspired musical staging and choreography
  • Weak, cliché-ridden script and fictionalized history

What stands out

Sound and music75

Bing's vocal highlights, 'Sunday Monday or Always' is standout hit

Acting75

Crosby is warm and charismatic, supporting cast solid but uneven

Emotional impactDivisive50

Dixie finale moves some fans, but overall synthetic pathos

Atmosphere45

Minstrel-show world feels antiquated, not immersive for modern viewers

CharactersDivisive45

Romantic quadrangle feels clichéd, no historical depth

Plot and storyDivisive40

Fictionalized and contrived, padded with repetitive fire gags

Pacing40

Drags between musical numbers, final act speeds up through fire

OriginalityDivisive35

Recycles plot from Swing Time and Holiday Inn, formulaic musical biopic

Watch experience

What is Dixie like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Romantic: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in the mood for a love story.

It is funny and leaves you feeling good.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Romantic.

The answer rests on this: Moods
WarmRomanticJoyful
Heaviest: middle
Warm humor
Register
WarmRomantic · 8% of filmsPlayful
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its biographical and romantic story straight but with a lighthearted, affectionate tone.
The rideThe film balances light comedy and romance with a brief but poignant subplot of duty and sacrifice.
StructureThe story is told in a straightforward chronological order, following Dan Emmett's journey from Kentucky to New Orleans to New York.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Feeling good.

Feel-goodHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe uplifting musical numbers and the triumph of the song leave the viewer with a light, positive feeling.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

with Comedy underneath

Why this archetypeThe film depicts the fictionalized rise of composer Daniel Decatur Emmett from struggling songwriter to successful minstrel performer, culminating in the creation of the iconic song 'Dixie'.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfAmbitionSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Ambition · 7% of filmsRomantic love · 15% of filmsDuty · 2% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the drive for artistic and financial success, complicated by romantic loyalty and duty.
StanceThe film celebrates Dan Emmett's ambition and talent, presenting his rise to fame as a heartwarming story.

The world

19th centuryUrbanSmall townIn transitStylized realism
Orchestral classicalFolkForeground music · hybrid · Robert Emmett Dolan
SettingAntebellum America: Kentucky, New Orleans, and New York City, 1840s-1850s
MusicThe film features the hit 'Sunday, Monday, or Always' and the titular 'Dixie'.

Content guide

Is Dixie okay for kids?

Not Rated

Dixie is not rated.

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Dixie have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Dixie?

Cast

Bing Crosby
as Daniel Decatur Emmett
Dorothy Lamour
as Millie Cook
Marjorie Reynolds
as Jean Mason
Billy De Wolfe
as Mr. Bones
Lynne Overman
as Mr. Whitlock
Eddie Foy Jr.
as Mr. Felham
Raymond Walburn
as Mr. Cook
Grant Mitchell
as Mr. Mason
Tom Herbert
as Homer
Olin Howland
as Mr. Deveraux

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Dixie?

Movies like Dixie include Holiday Inn (1942), Road to Bali (1952) and Cover Girl (1944). Of the 11 closest matches, two are films written by Claude Binyon, and most are love-triangle stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 11 share its subject: ambition. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Dixie?

569 other films share the rarest tag below, premise: origin story. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.