Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got (1985)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Brigitte Berman

Writer:

Brigitte Berman (written by)

Release Date:

25 October 1985 (Canada)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Plot:

Documentary cataloging the life and music of the band leader and clarinetist, Artie Shaw.

Plot Keywords:

Bandleader | Punctuation In Title | Jazz | Divorce | Musician

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Artie Shaw	...	Himself (also archive footage)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
John Best	...	Himself
Lee Castle	...	Himself
Helen Forrest	...	Herself (also archive footage)
Polly Haynes	...	Herself
Billie Holiday	...	Herself (archive footage)
Evelyn Keyes	...	Herself
Frederick Morton	...	Himself
Mack Pierce	...	Himself
Buddy Rich	...	Himself
Mel Tormé	...	Himself
John Wexley	...	Himself

Runtime:

114 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Bagur, Girona, Cataluña, Spain

Company:

Bridge Film Productions

Trivia:

Artie Shaw agreed to do the film after being interviewed by Brigitte Berman for her previous film about Bix Beiderbecke, Bix (1981), which he felt was an accurate documentary.

Movie Connections:

References Dancing Co-Ed (1939)

Brilliant documentary on the greatest jazz clarinetist of the 20th Century.

I must admit my surprise at being outdone by my fellow Aussie Peter Blight on the first review of this film having recorded it on Pay TV two years ago. I have been a bit slack on my follow up on IMDb.

I totally agree with Peter's comments, I couldn't have expressed my own remarks better. What a great review on his part, deservedly getting top marks accordingly.

I have a special link to Artie Shaw through my late father, who was a professional Clarinet and Saxophone Player of the 1930 - 40's' and personally met Artie himself, when he toured with his U.S. Navy Band in the Pacific theater during World War 2. He arrived in Brisbane in mid October 1943, to entertain U.S. troops at Camp Moorooka Primary School a recreational facility for these G.I.'s at that time

Artie gave my father one of his I.D. Cards in U.S. Navy uniform as a pass to attend this concert, which my father did, and I still have that card in my possession to this day.

Artie Shaw was a genius of the clarinet with a unique style of playing not equaled by his other competitors like Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey and Woody Hermann who I would never criticize,- they were entitled to their interpretations of jazz and also played great during the swing band era.

Artie's story is one of a self confessed, difficult compulsive perfectionist musician who felt he could not achieve his ultimate dream with his beloved clarinet and gave the music business away in 1954 when he said he could not do better. He married eight times,including actresses Lana Turner, Ava Gardner and Evelyn Keyes - quite understandably, a very striking good looking man.

He then turned to writing, including his autobiography," The Trouble with Cinderella", well worth reading, and also his great passion for fishing.

I had the great privilege of acquiring some of his fine clothing from his Estate (which fits me perfectly) plus other great souvenirs.

Vale Artie - you were the greatest, and departed this world aged 94 leaving us a legacy of some of the finest jazz clarinet music of all time along with a great succession of superb Swing Bands and magnificent players- Billy Butterfield, Roy Eldridge, "Hot Lips" Page and Buddy Rich and singers like Billie Holliday, Helen Forrest,and Mel. Torme and his Meltones. I agree that a DVD release on the documentary of this great artist is an absolute necessity.