Blues in the Night - Anatole Litvak

 Blues in the Night - a classic black and white musical that I kept hearing about. I'm not even sure how it ended up on my radar, except for the title which is also the main song you hear through out the film. Directed by Anatole Litvak, the cast contains Priscilla Lane, who you may know from Hitchcock's Sabateur, or the film Arsenic and Old Lace. It also has the famed Elia Kazan as a young clarinet player, and the very tall, amazing Howard da Silva. 

So, what is the film about. It is about a jazz band that wants to make it big on their own terms. It starts as a trio, and during one gig they cause a commotion and a fight breaks out. Because of that, they are taken to jail. In their one night there, they run into a bass player who decides to go with them. Here is the one issue that I have with the film. The one night they spend in jail they are talking about playing music that really means something, that they can really feel. In the cell across from them are a group of black men. One of them sings "Blues in the Night" and the white guys take that and make it their tune. Once they get out, they decide to hop the rails and travel using empty train cars. One night, a strangers gets helped into the car they are in, and then robs them. However the band did not turn him in figuring that he needed the money more than they did. This is how they meet Del. Del tells them about a club named The Jungle that they can go to and will get a guaranteed gig there. They do, and eventually realize that Del is a gangster. Troubles ensue, and what starts as a musical slowly morphs into a film noir, with a decent but not happy ending. I found the film to be good, but not great. Plus, how many times can you hear one song and not get tired of it? Still, take a chance - especially to see some of the performers in here.