Paris Blues (1961)

Ram Bowen and Eddie Cook are two expatriate jazz musicians living in Paris where, unlike America at the time, Jazz musicians are celebrated and racism is a non-issue. When they meet and ... See full summary »

Director:

Martin Ritt

Writers:

Jack Sher (screenplay), Irene Kamp (screenplay),

Stars:

Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward, Sidney Poitier

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Paul Newman	...	Ram Bowen
Joanne Woodward	...	Lillian Corning
Sidney Poitier	...	Eddie Cook
Louis Armstrong	...	Wild Man Moore
Diahann Carroll	...	Connie Lampson
Barbara Laage	...	Marie Séoul
André Luguet	...	René Bernard
Marie Versini	...	Nicole
Moustache	...	Mustachio
Aaron Bridgers	...	Pianist
Guy Pedersen	...	Bass Player
Serge Reggiani	...	Michel 'Gypsy' Devigne

Storyline

Ram Bowen and Eddie Cook are two expatriate jazz musicians living in Paris where, unlike America at the time, Jazz musicians are celebrated and racism is a non-issue. When they meet and fall in love with two young American girls, Lillian and Connie, who are vacationing in France, Ram and Eddie must decide whether they should move back to America with them, or stay in Paris for the freedom it allows them. Ram, who wants to be a serious composer, finds Paris more exciting than America and is reluctant to give up his music for a relationship, and Eddie wants to stay for the city's more tolerant racial atmosphere.

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Plot Keywords:

musician | jazz | expatriate | composer | love | 

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Taglines:

A Love So Spectacular, So Personally Exciting, You Feel It Happening To You!

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Genres:

Drama | Music | Romance

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 September 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

Agapithikame sto Parisi

Filming Locations:

Studios de Boulogne, Avenue Jean-Baptiste Clément, Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pennebaker Productions, Diane Productions, Jason Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

98 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Marlon Brando's Pennebaker Films co-produced, and Paul Newman was cast after Brando lost interest in the film. Marilyn Monroe was also considered for the Woodward role before she too lost interest.

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Goofs

When Louis Armstrong and his band come into the club, the patrons are clapping to the wrong beat. The clapping on the pre-recorded soundtrack is on the second and fourth beats, while the patrons are seen clapping on the first and third beats.

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Quotes

Lillian Corning: Well, a vacation certainly goes awfully fast, doesn't it, when you're having a good time. I want to do something, though. I'd like to give you a going away present. You may not like it, but I don't care. It's just this: You're never gonna forget me. You're gonna walk down the street of wherever you happen to be, and you're gonna see me, even when you know I'm not there. And nobody in this whole world is ever going to be as right for you as I was. For 12 days, in Paris, in the Autumn. 'Cause ...

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Connections

Featured in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Episode #2.21 (2011)

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Soundtracks

"Autumnal Suite"
(uncredited)
Music by Duke Ellington

User Reviews

See it for Louis!

If you're looking for a film on the level of Godard's "Breathless" , which was made in the same year (1961), forget it. Belmondo and Seberg coolly ride the crest of the New Wave in some other Paris. But there's never a good reason not to see Louis Armstrong, who is wonderful, so if nothing, see it for him. And where else are you going to get Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier hanging out in a jazz cave with hipsters looking like they just flew in from planet square, but in the process looking a lot cooler than the people trying to look cool.

The love scenes are as melodramatic and corny as they can be, bordering on camp, with a lot of hand wringing and flinging about and running, but c'mon! Newman and Woodward and Poitier and gorgeous Diahann Carroll? Rent this with Diva or Charade or both and it can be a Paris street scene night., although Diva and Charade are far superior. You can definitely do a lot worse.