Blues in the Night (1941 film)
| Blues in the Night | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Anatole Litvak |
| Produced by | Hal B. Wallis |
| Screenplay by | Robert Rossen |
| Based on | the play Hot Nocturne by Edwin Gilbert Elia Kazan |
| Starring |
Priscilla Lane Betty Field Richard Whorf Lloyd Nolan Jack Carson |
| Music by | Heinz Roemheld |
| Cinematography | Ernest Haller |
| Edited by | Owen Marks |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. |
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Release date
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Running time
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88 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Blues in the Night is a 1941 American musical in the film noir style released by Warner Brothers, directed by Anatole Litvak and starring Priscilla Lane, Richard Whorf, Betty Field, Lloyd Nolan, Elia Kazan, and Jack Carson. The project began filming with the working title Hot Nocturne, but was eventually named after its principal musical number "Blues in the Night", which became a popular hit. The film was nominated for a Best Song Oscar for "Blues in the Night" (Music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Johnny Mercer).
While playing in a bar in St. Louis, jazz pianist Jigger Pine meets aspiring clarinetist Nickie Haroyen who tries to convince him to put together a jazz band. After a drunk patron starts a fight, Nickie and Jigger are thrown in jail with Jigger's drummer and bassist. They hear a prisoner singing a blues song and are inspired to set out for New Orleans where they hope to learn how to perfect an authentic bluesy sound. There they meet fast-talking trumpeter Leo and his wife Character who is a talented singer. Together, the quintet rides the rails, honing their technique in dive bars across the country.
One day while sheltering in a boxcar they meet a mysterious stranger named Del who first robs them and then, impressed by their camaraderie, offers them a job in a New Jersey roadhouse called The Jungle. The group discovers that the roadhouse is actually owned by Del's former partners in crime, aspiring singer Kay, accomplice Sam and her crippled sidekick Brad. Del has escaped from jail to retrieve his share of a robbery the three committed, but when Kay tells him they have spent all the money, he decides to take over The Jungle and transform it into an illegal gambling club. Kay tries to rekindle her past romance with Del, but he rejects her and she turns her attention to Leo. Although the band is happy playing their brand of jazz each night at the club, Character is worried about Leo and Kay. Jigger reveals to Leo that Character is pregnant and he decides to give up Kay. She soon sets her sights on Jigger who is secretly in love with her. When Sam tries to get her to alert the police to Del's whereabouts, she tells Del and Sam is killed by Del's henchmen. Del orders her to leave The Jungle so she convinces Jigger to quit the band and go to New York City to join a commercial, mainstream jazz band.
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