Topic: Movies w/ Blues or Blues related content

[Doc White]

I don't know if this has been done before but has anyone got a list of blues musicians in movies. I don't mean in movies about blues but things like Brownie McGhee in Angel Heart or Cab Calloway (I know, not strictly speaking a blues musician) in the Betty Boop cartoons.
Cheers,
Doc

[eric]

Well there was Furry Lewis in W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings.

[Pan]

See this thread for more: http://weeniecampbell.com/yabbse/index.php?topic=907.0

Cheers

Pan

[Rivers]

Thanks Pan for finding the thread, I've merged them.

[Johnm]

Hi all,
I saw the new movie, "Le Havre", directed by the Finnish filmmaker Aki Kaurasmaki, last night, and as usual for his movies, it had a little Country Blues moment.  A young illegal and unintentional immigrant to France from Gabon, Idrissa, who was trying to get to London to be with his mother there, is in the home of the old shoe-shine guy, Marcel Marx, who is trying to get him across to London.  Idrissa sees a record sitting on an old record player and sets the tone arm on it . . . and you hear Blind Willie McTell doing "Statesboro Blues", while Idrissa stands transfixed. 
I've liked every movie I've seen that was directed by Karasmaki.  This one has a great look, very painterly, and his sense of humor is completely distinctive, with a great flat affect, deadpan feel.  I don't know whether to say the sense of humor is Finnish or Kaurasmaki's alone, but it's very distinctive, and makes watching his movies a treat for me.  Other films by him include "The Man Without A Past", "Ariel", and "Leningrad Cowboys".
All best,
Johnm

[Doc White]

I was thinking of blues guys appearing in movies like this rather than as incidental music or documentary style

[mike s]

While I went through this thread pretty quickly (forgive me if already mentioned) I didn't notice Chris Thomas King being mentioned for his excellent version of "Hard Time Killing Floor Blues" in Oh Brother Where Art Thou.  I also didn't notice any mention of the Samuel L. Jackson movie "Black Snake Moan" (I think it was called) where he actually played some blues tunes and according to an interview I read - he didn't even play before the movie was made.  Talent is talent I guess because he sounded pretty good to my old dead ears! 

[Johnm]

It's probably mentioned earlier in the thread, but Sonny Terry had a brief speaking and playing role in "The Color Purple".
All best,
Johnm

[Doc White]

According to IMDB, Brownie McGhee appeared in Angel Heart, The Jerk, Family Ties, Matlock and uncredited in a 1957 film called A Face in the Crowd.

[Bunker Hill]

According to IMDB, Brownie McGhee appeared in Angel Heart, The Jerk, Family Ties, Matlock and uncredited in a 1957 film called A Face in the Crowd.

FWIW the following is from Chris Smith's That's The Stuff: The Recordings of Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry Stick McGhee & J. C. Burris (Housay Press 1999, 184pp)

ANDY GRIFFITH
Andy Griffith, v; Brownie McGhee, g; unknown, g-1; unknown, b; unknown, d.
prob Los Angeles, CA, late 1956 or early 1957

Free Man In The Morning -1    Capitol F3706; W872 [LP]
Just A Closer Walk With Thee   Capitol W872 [LP]

From the soundtrack of the feature film 'A Face In The Crowd', dir Elia Kazan.
Reverse of Capitol P3706 is by Andy Griffith.
Brownie McGhee's participation on these titles has been determined aurally. On 'Free Man In The Morning', he appears to play only during the introductory, acoustic section.

Make of it what one will, as they say.

[jpeters609]

"A Face In The Crowd" is a great movie, by the way, particularly during this American election season. It has a level of cynicism that outstrips our current mindset (and if you only know Andy Griffith from "The Andy Griffith Show" or "Matlock," you'll enjoy his excellent playing against type.)

[Stuart]

I believe that Andy Griffith and Brownie McGhee became friends when they both lived in NYC--prior to filming "A Face In The Crowd." When I met Brownie back in the early 1970's, he talked about their friendship and said that Andy Griffith had given him the D-18 (the one with the top crack) as a gift.

I second the recommendation re: "A Face In The Crowd."

[Chezztone]

W.W. and the Dixie Dance Kings is available for watching, in its entirety, on YouTube:
(Maybe y'all already knew that; I'm often the last to know.) I wish it were hi-def, but at least we can watch it. It has never been released on DVD, so it's not on Netflix or at your local video store or anything.
Of course you can skip to the Furry Lewis scenes (about two-thirds of the way in). But I recommend you watch the whole movie. It's an interesting and entertaining Southern story, with a country-Western band at its center. Kind of an earlier, Southern-C&W-based Blues Brothers. The band's lead guitarist is Jerry Reed, and you get to see a lot of his playing if you're into that sort of thing. There are a lot of stereotypes in the story of course. But when Furry Lewis (as "Uncle Furry") enters the movie, he is depicted as a kind of embodiment of music and culture, almost a holy man -- which of course is what he was. In the scene where Lewis and Reed jam, it's Lewis who takes the lead (on bottleneck) while Reed comps behind. The movie is surprisingly and satisfyingly respectful to Lewis.
And there's that great story, don't remember where I read it, from the filming of this movie: it seems Lewis was nipping at a half-pint of whiskey, and an assistant director of some other functionary told him that wasn't allowed on the set, and took the bottle away. Star Burt Reynolds heard about that, and the next day called a meeting of all cast and crew and told them something like, "In case y'all haven't met this gentleman, this is Mister Furry Lewis. And Mr. Lewis will do anything he damn well pleases while he's on this movie set." And then Reynolds presented Lewis with a half-gallon of whiskey. Keep that story in mind as you watch the movie, it makes Reynolds and the whole movie more enjoyable.

[Gumbo]

Blood of Jesus, early 1940s, by independent black director Spencer Williams, is a weird and beautiful film. Lots of terrific downhome religious music. Some jazz. Only a little bit of blues but it's interesting stuff. The great jook-joint scene, and the crossroads scenes, make it a must-see for CB fans. Enjoy. Cheers, SC

[Malcolm_Pommie_Platt]

What about the movie Paris, Texas? Incredibly beautiful soundtrack by Ry Cooder. Kinda reminds be of BWJ's "Dark was the Night" in many parts of the soundtrack, eerie & haunting.
It's on Youtube for those wanting a listen: