Blues In The Night (1941)

A group of unemployed St. Louis jazz musicians head out for New Orleans to perfect an authentic blues sound. However, while riding the rails, an encounter in a boxcar with a thug (Lloyd Nolan) escaped from prison will alter their lives considerably. Based on the play HOT NOCTURNE by Edwin Gilbert and directed by Anatole Litvak (ANASTASIA). The closest thing to a film noir musical as has ever been made. It's a rather bizarre hybrid being neither good noir or a good musical. Elia Kazan (used as an actor here) was the driving force behind the play and if he had directed it, it might have had some punch. As it is, it's a string of cliches, a Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland "let's put on a show" for grown ups. The erratic screenplay makes no sense. Examples: Richard Whorf as a jazz composer has no time for anything but music when suddenly out of the blue he declares his love for Betty Field as a psychotic slut when he didn't have any time for her earlier!  Jack Carson is a prick then suddenly his wife ((Priscilla Lane) gets pregnant and suddenly he's Mr. Nice Guy! It's saving grace are the songs by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer including the title song which was Oscar nominated for best song and is now a classic jazz tune. With Wallace Ford and Howard Da Silva.