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Blues in the Night

  • 19411941
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Elia Kazan, Jack Carson, Betty Field, Priscilla Lane, and Richard Whorf in Blues in the Night (1941)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:51
1 Video
12 Photos
  • Crime
  • Drama
  • Film-Noir

"Jigger' Pine forms a band that includes singer Ginger 'Character' Powell, wife of the trumpeter Leo Powell, and Nickie Haroyen and Peppi. All of them dedicate themselves to work as a unit a... Read all"Jigger' Pine forms a band that includes singer Ginger 'Character' Powell, wife of the trumpeter Leo Powell, and Nickie Haroyen and Peppi. All of them dedicate themselves to work as a unit and to play 'blues' music. The dedication isn't paying off in money and, while riding the r... Read all"Jigger' Pine forms a band that includes singer Ginger 'Character' Powell, wife of the trumpeter Leo Powell, and Nickie Haroyen and Peppi. All of them dedicate themselves to work as a unit and to play 'blues' music. The dedication isn't paying off in money and, while riding the rails in a boxcar, they meet and befriend a gangster named Del Davis. He offers them a job ... Read all

IMDb RATING
6.7/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Anatole Litvak
  • Writers
    • Edwin Gilbert(from a play by)
    • Robert Rossen(screen play)
    • Elia Kazan(play "Hot Nocturne")
  • Stars
    • Priscilla Lane
    • Betty Field
    • Richard Whorf
Top credits
  • Director
    • Anatole Litvak
  • Writers
    • Edwin Gilbert(from a play by)
    • Robert Rossen(screen play)
    • Elia Kazan(play "Hot Nocturne")
  • Stars
    • Priscilla Lane
    • Betty Field
    • Richard Whorf
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 33User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 1 Oscar
      • 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Blues in the Night
    Trailer 2:51
    Blues in the Night

    Photos12

    Betty Field, Priscilla Lane, and Richard Whorf in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Jack Carson, Betty Field, Priscilla Lane, and Richard Whorf in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Elia Kazan, Jack Carson, Billy Halop, Priscilla Lane, Jimmie Lunceford, Matt McHugh, Peter Whitney, and Richard Whorf in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Betty Field in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Betty Field in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Elia Kazan, Billy Halop, Peter Whitney, and Richard Whorf in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Priscilla Lane in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Jack Carson, Priscilla Lane, and Richard Whorf in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Betty Field in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Betty Field and Priscilla Lane in Blues in the Night (1941)
    Betty Field, Priscilla Lane, and Richard Whorf in Blues in the Night (1941)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Priscilla Lane
    Priscilla Lane
    • Characteras Character
    Betty Field
    Betty Field
    • Kay Grantas Kay Grant
    Richard Whorf
    Richard Whorf
    • Jigger Pineas Jigger Pine
    Lloyd Nolan
    Lloyd Nolan
    • Del Davisas Del Davis
    Jack Carson
    Jack Carson
    • Leo Powellas Leo Powell
    Wallace Ford
    Wallace Ford
    • Brad Amesas Brad Ames
    Elia Kazan
    Elia Kazan
    • Nickie Haroyanas Nickie Haroyan
    Peter Whitney
    Peter Whitney
    • Pete Bossettas Pete Bossett
    Billy Halop
    Billy Halop
    • Peppias Peppi
    Howard Da Silva
    Howard Da Silva
    • Sam Paryasas Sam Paryas
    Joyce Compton
    Joyce Compton
    • Blondeas Blonde
    Herbert Heywood
    • Brakemanas Brakeman
    George Lloyd
    George Lloyd
    • Joeas Joe
    Charles C. Wilson
    Charles C. Wilson
    • Barneyas Barney
    • (as Charles Wilson)
    Matt McHugh
    Matt McHugh
    • Drunkas Drunk
    Jimmie Lunceford and His Orchestra
    • A Barnstorming Bandas A Barnstorming Band
    • (as Jimmy Lunceford and His Band)
    Will Osborne's Orchestra
    • Guy Heiser's Bandas Guy Heiser's Band
    • (as Will Osborne and His Band)
    Jean Ames
    Jean Ames
    • Jitterbugas Jitterbug
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Anatole Litvak
    • Writers
      • Edwin Gilbert(from a play by)
      • Robert Rossen(screen play)
      • Elia Kazan(play "Hot Nocturne") (uncredited)
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    "Jigger' Pine forms a band that includes singer Ginger 'Character' Powell, wife of the trumpeter Leo Powell, and Nickie Haroyen and Peppi. All of them dedicate themselves to work as a unit and to play 'blues' music. The dedication isn't paying off in money and, while riding the rails in a boxcar, they meet and befriend a gangster named Del Davis. He offers them a job at a New Jersey roadhouse, where Powell falls in love with Kay Grant, a former 'real-good friend' of Davis. But when Powell learns that 'Character' is about to have a baby, he returns to her. "Jigger" tries to make Kay the band's singer and, when this fails, runs off with her. She leaves him with nothing to show for him except a nervous breakdown.Back at the roadhouse, after his recovery, Kay shows up, has a quarrel with Davis, shoots and kills him and plans to take back up with "Jigger", who knows better but just can't help himself. While she is waiting in a car for him, along comes cripple Brad Ames, who she put in that condition, and he gets in and drives the car over a cliff, leaving no survivors in the two-passenger crash. The band is back together at the end, still using boxcars as their transportation, but happy playing the blues. —Les Adams <longhorn1939@suddenlink.net>
    • strained husband wife relationship
    • hobo jungle
    • song
    • singing
    • song in title
    • 118 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • SWEET HOT and LOW-DOWN! (original print media ad - mostly caps)
    • Genres
      • Crime
      • Drama
      • Film-Noir
      • Music
      • Musical
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Anthony Quinn was offered the role of Jigger Pine. He thought the script was terrible, but needed work. He made some notes about how the script could be improved and scheduled a meeting with Jack L. Warner. At the meeting, Warner asked Quinn what he thought of the script. Quinn started to answer by saying "Well, Jack..." At this point, Warner stopped him. He told Quinn that he didn't like the little he'd said already and told him to forget it.
    • Goofs
      When Jigger and his pals are in St. Louis at the beginning of the film, a fight breaks out in the bar they are playing at the bartender calls the cops. The police car shown responding is clearly marked from the New York Police Deptartment, 18th Precinct.
    • Quotes

      Character: [to Kay] I'd slap you in the mouth if I thought it would do you any good.

    • Connections
      Featured in TCM Guest Programmer: Matt Groening (2007)
    • Soundtracks
      Blues in the Night
      (1941)

      Music by Harold Arlen

      Lyrics by Johnny Mercer

      Played during the opening credits

      Sung by William Gillespie (uncredited) in jail

      Played and sung during a montage

      Reprised often by Richard Whorf (uncredited) at the piano (dubbed by Stan Wrightsman) (uncredited)

      Used often as background music

    User reviews33

    Review
    Top review
    7/10
    interesting Anatole Litvak noir
    "Blues in the Night" from 1941 is an intense noir directed by Anatole Litvak. The stars are Richard Whorf, Lloyd Nolan, Howard da Silva, Priscilla Lane, Betty Field, Jack Carson, Elia Kazan, and Wallace Ford.

    "Jigger' Lane (Whorf), an excellent pianist, puts a band together consisting of Leo (Carson) who plays the trumpet, his wife "Character" (Lane), a singer, and two other musicians, Nickie, and Peppi. These are all musicians dedicated to performing the real New Orleans blues.

    They travel by sneaking into boxcars. On one of their trips they meet Del Davis, (Nolan) a gangster. Del has a job for him in New Jersey at a club he owns.

    That's where the trouble begins. Powell falls for a good-time girl, Kay Grant (Field), though he drops her when he finds out Character is pregnant.

    "Jigger" decides to make Kay the replacement singer since Character is told she can't work. They wind up taking off together. By the time the rest of the band locates him, Jigger's in rough shape and has to enter a mental hospital.

    "Blues in the Night" is a turgid drama with a highly dramatic ending. The performances are all good. Field pulls out all the stops as Kay, and Lloyd Nolan is an effective tough guy. Howard da Silva and Wallace Ford are on hand giving sympathetic performances.

    The brilliant director and controversial figure Elia Kazan only has seven acting credits listed. Here he's an enthusiastic band member .

    The music, with the exception of an awful number at a club where Jigger plays the piano, is fantastic, with some great trumpet playing, though the musician is uncredited.

    The song "The Man That Got Away" was written for this film. Harold Arlen didn't like the Johnny Mercer lyrics; some time later, he gave the song to Ira Gershwin to add the lyrics.
    helpful•3
    0
    • blanche-2
    • Aug 6, 2020

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 15, 1941 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Hot Nocturne
    • Filming locations
      • Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Warner Bros.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

    Related news

    L.A. Now Casting: Lead Roles for Equity Talent in ‘Blues in the Night’
    Dec 12backstage.com
    Stage Tube: On This Day for 5/25/16- Leslie Uggams
    May 25BroadwayWorld.com

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