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

Paul Newman was coached in playing the trombone by Billy Byers while the playing for Newman on the soundtrack was done by Murray McEachern. Sidney Poitier's tenor sax playing was done by Paul Gonsalves. The soundtrack was recorded May 1-3, 1961 at Reeves Sound Studios in New York City.

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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

Ram Bowen: You just do anything I say, don't you?
Lillian Corning: Well, I want to stay.
Ram Bowen: You're a nut. Well, I ain't gettin' involved with no nut!

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Connections

Referenced in American Masters: Sidney Poitier: One Bright Light (2000)

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Soundtracks

"Take The 'A' Train"
(uncredited)
Music by Billy Strayhorn

User Reviews

The film's great asset was the fascinating background music…

The story is about two young jazzmen Newman and Poitier who live in Paris…Newman is after a serious musical career… Poitier enjoys the tolerant atmosphere and the freedom from U.S. racial tensions… They work at a Left Bank cub owned by Barbara Laage who is having a casual affair with Newman… Serge Raggiani a gypsy guitarist who is a narcotics addict, and Louis Armstrong a trumpeter, are among their friends… Newman and Poitier meet a couple of American tourists, Joanne Woodward and Diahann Carroll who are visiting Paris on a two-weeks vacations…

A romance develops between Poitier and Carroll… Woodward and Newman also find that a feeling is growing between them… Woodward wants him to return with her to the U. S., but Newman believes that marriage would interfere with his career, and decides to remain…

As in "The Hustler," Newman plays a man whose devotion to making his talent better than second-rate prevents love… But he was natural as the pool player, and convinced us—through his movements, dialog and expressions—of his feelings for the music…

Woodward is more aggressive than Newman… Moved by his music, she displays genuine emotion, but Newman is so defensive, egocentric and selfish that he becomes hostile, stubborn, unpleasant and offensive… Woodward is determined to make something more of it, but he remains uninfluenced—willing to show slight affection but incapable of being sincerely tender… In their final bedroom scene, the two superb1y perform a progression from spontaneous domestic affection, to growing alienation, to his indifferent rejection of her love…

Legend Louis Armstrong shines in one flamboyant jazz interlude…