How the lifestory arcs of singers and musicians is often quite similar. It features covers of classic songs from chess records singers as performed by the films actors including beyonce as etta james, eamonn walker as howlin wolf and jeffrey wright as muddy waters. The movie focuses upon how chess promoted its artists muddy waters jeffrey. Cadillac records is an account of the chess story that depends more on music than history, which is perhaps as it should be. Mid90s 2018 fullhd movie cast mid90s 2018 fullhd movie english subtitle mid90s 2018 fullhd movie release date. To portray legendary blues singer etta james in cadillac records. Adrien brody, jeffrey wright, beyonce knowles, gabrielle union. Why did the producers choose to call it cadillac records. Cadillac records 2008 cast and crew in 1947 chicago, polish emigrant and bar owner leonard chess adrien brody hires a blues combo that includes guitarist muddy waters jeffrey wright and.
Cadillac records gets nothing right, especially the facts. Its unfair to blame all of cadillac records failings on beyonce, given the draggy pace of the script and the movies general unwillingness to deviate from general music biz stereotypes. These characters from the movie cadillac records are displayed from top to bottom according to their prevalence in the film, so you can find the lead characters at the top of the list. What cadillac records may lack in originality, it more than makes up for in strong. Cadillac records 2008 soundtrack complete list of songs. The film is not thank goodness another dutiful musical. According to phil chess, who currently lives in tucson, arizona. Chronicles the rise of chess records and its recording artists. Chess was one of americas leading blues, jazz and soul labels from the 1950s70s. Wolf, bo diddley, sonny boy williamson, little walter, chuck berry, and willie dixon in their midcentury prime, the chess roster teems with characters. Cadillac records chronicles the rise of leonard chess adrien brody. Bluesmen work their musical mojo for chess records the. Check out this behind the scenes look at bad boys for life read more.
Cadillac records is loosely based upon the story of chicagos chess records. The historical accuracy andor any artistic license taken with the true story. Directed by tv veteran darnell martin, the musical drama cadillac records documents the compelling truelife story of the chicago record label that helped the world discover such legendary artists as muddy waters, howlin wolf, little walter, and chuck berry. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s chicago, cadillac records follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of americas musical. That should make cadillac records off limits for musical historians and, more important, for lazy students who would turn the movies history into papers. Cadillac records cast and crew cast photos and info. Dec 08, 2008 chess won the battle and wolf moved to chicago to cut records with dixon and compete with waters on the legendary maxwell street blues scene. Also sign me up for fanmail to get updates on all things movies. Cadillac records is a 2008 american biographical drama film written and directed by darnell martin. Rent cadillac records 2008 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Dec 04, 2008 all 47 songs from the cadillac records 2008 movie soundtrack, with scene descriptions. The recreations of some of the most noteworthy blues and early rock tunes from the 50s and 60s feature highenergy performances that do the originals proud. What cadillac records may lack in originality, it more than makes up for in.
The release of cadillac records and the existence of the stillunreleased who do you love underscores the oversight thats kept filmmakers away from chicagos chess records for so long. Bluesmen work their musical mojo for chess records the new. As a story, cadillac records is as melodramatic as every other ragstoriches, behind the music tale of tortured musicians. Cadillac records is a well made and compelling story. Leonard chess, a white man, starts a record label with black musicians during a time when black music had yet to become popular. Chess records and the birth of rock and roll part three. With adrien brody, jeffrey wright, beyonce, columbus short. Cadillac records is not the story of chess records, the blues label started in chicago in 1950 by brothers leonard and phil chess that featured among its stable of artists. As a biopic, then, the films pretty decent, and the music is great. Cadillac records, while not a musical in the traditional sense, is close to 50% musical content and 50% drama.
Cadillac records 2008 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. Cadillac records characters cast list of characters from. Cadillac records follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of americas musical legends. All 47 songs from the cadillac records 2008 movie soundtrack, with scene descriptions. While the film appears to take liberties with the real story of chess records, the struggles of its various musicians seem to be, more or less, true to life. I understand that some liberties might be taken with a story. Cadillac records is an account of the chess story that depends more on music. Cadillac records cast and crew cast photos and info fandango. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential chicagobased recordcompany executive leonard chess, and a few of the musicians who recorded for chess records the film stars adrien brody as leonard chess, cedric the entertainer.
The film is a fascinating record of the evolution of a black musical style, and the tangled motives of the white men who had an instinct for it. Cadillac records is a 2008 american biographical drama film written and directed by darnell. Cadillac records is not a terrible movie but in the chain of rags to riches films dreamgirls, ray, walk the line, etc. Music from the motion picture is a soundtrack album for the film cadillac records. Oct, 2018 these characters from the movie cadillac records are displayed from top to bottom according to their prevalence in the film, so you can find the lead characters at the top of the list. Final line ups of the cast also grew to include rapper mos def as chuck berry. But despite director darnell martins creative liberties in real life, chess had a brother named phil, and the chess lineup included other key players who are completely missing from the film, most notably bo diddley, a collection of standout performances transforms a. The movie gets its name from the fact that the record company used to buy its top artists cadillacs. Any one of the seven main characters featured in writerdirector darnell martins 2008 bluesbiopic cadillac records could have garnered their own film. Cadillac records comes from sony music film, so its no surprise that the project is more a soundtrack in search of a movie than a film about the pre. Policeman little walter beating genevas teenage son. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s chicago, the film.
Chess won the battle and wolf moved to chicago to cut records with dixon and compete with waters on the legendary maxwell street blues scene. Cadillac records is hollywoods version of the chess records story. I made this becuz i luv the movie cadillac records. History vs the movie cadillac records an audio podcast duration. Cadillac records is one of two new movies dramatizing the story of chess records, the beloved chicago label that recorded blues legends such as. Mar 18, 2009 i made this becuz i luv the movie cadillac records. The official soundtrack features rerecordings of songs from.
Meet the cast and learn more about the stars of cadillac records with exclusive news. Leonard chess is a workingclass polishamerican with a dream of opening up a music club one day. In a scene that is twentyeight minutes into the movie, one of the characters is seen running up to check out a new cadillac that had been given to him by the owner of chess records. The fact that its true to life and viewers recognize many of the songs and artists makes the movie intriguing. The film is entitled cadillac records yet chronicles the story of chess records. Since musical biopics combine two of my favorite movie genres, ive seen all the likely candidates you can name, from the glenn miller story 1954, lady sings the blues 1972, and whats love got to do with it 1993, to ray 2004, walk the line. Who by the way never had any kind of love affair and neither did they speak. Cadillac records takes gross liberties with chess tale. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing cadillac records near you. History vs the movie cadillac records an audio podcast by based on a. Any one of the seven main characters featured in writerdirector darnell martins 2008 blues biopic cadillac records could have garnered their own film. Given the number of characters and the time covered, martin does an.
Cadillac records 2008 mistakes, quotes, trivia, questions. Rent cadillac records 2008 starring adrien brody and jeffrey wright on dvd and bluray. The author visits the rollicking set and charts the blurred lines between myth, movie, and truth. Leonard chess is a workingclass polishamerican with. Listen to and download the music, ost, score, list of songs and trailers. Cadillac records is an account of the chess story that depends more. These are the real people and the characters in the movie. Consequently, many of the companys less colorful and less controversial characters, including some cultural icons, ended. Founded in 1950 by leonard chess adrien brody, chess records quickly gained a reputation as home to some of the most talented and. Cadillac records 2008 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Leonard gets involved in payola paying deejays to play his labels records. Cadillac records speculates that later in his career, he may have fallen in love with his new discovery etta james pop superstar beyonce knowles. A commonality among these characters is their penchant for extramarital sex, but.
This movie sidesteps the existence of phil chess, now living in arizona. Home to artists like muddy waters, howlin wolf, bo diddley, sonny boy williamson, little walter, chuck berry, and willie dixon in their midcentury prime, the chess roster teems with characters whose lives. Cadillac records, staying true to the tunes an exuberant fictionalization of the chess records story, darnell martins movie constructs a wobbly history. The recreations of some of the most noteworthy blues and early rock tunes from the 50s and 60s feature. Cadillac records chronicles the rise of chess records and its recording artists. Dec 05, 2008 cadillac records, staying true to the tunes an exuberant fictionalization of the chess records story, darnell martins movie constructs a wobbly history.
Cadillac records is about the rise and fall of chess records. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s chicago, cadillac records follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of americas musical legends, including muddy waters, leonard chess, little walter and howlin wolf, etta james and chuck berry. What role did cadillacs, homes and other material items play in the film. Its artist roster included etta james, muddy waters, chuck berry, howlin wolf, buddy guy, willie dixon, and dozens of others.
Cadillac records is one of two new movies dramatizing the story of. Chess, a caucasian man with dollar signs in his eyes, promotes his africanamerican performers starting with. Like this movie, beyonces performance is overblown and lacks any character or soul. From main characters to cameos and minor roles, these characters are the reason why the movie is loved by film buffs around the world. The film later includes other famous artists such as chuck berry, etta james, and little walter. The characters, while not fully developed, are engaging to watch. The film mainly focuses on the characters muddy waters and the leonard chess. The entire second half of the movie is dedicated to etta james and leonard chess. Adrien brody as leonard chess and beyonce knowles as etta james. Beautiful movie, great cast, wonderful music, perfect to watch. Nov 24, 2008 cadillac records is one of two new movies dramatizing the story of chess records, the beloved chicago label that recorded blues legends such as muddy waters and howlin wolf, while helping give. The film stars adrien brody as leonard chess, cedric the entertainer as.
Rated r for sexuality, ethnic slurs and pervasive profanity. If so, romance didnt blind him to her gifts, and in a movie where the actors do most of their own singing, her performances are inspired and persuasive. The notion and history of race records meaning albums recorded by black artists. Cadillac records is based on the rise of chess records, a chicago music label that catapulted blues and crossover musicians muddy waters jeffrey wright, chuck berry, and etta james beyonce knowles to name a few to stardom under founder leonard chess adrien brody. Adrian brody, jeffrey wright, cedric the entertainer, mos def, and beyonce knowles star in cadillac records, a film following the turbulent. Watching cadillac records, its apparent that problems with the sex and drugs part predates the rock n roll part. The film explores the musical era from the early 1940s to the late 1960s, chronicling the life of the influential chicagobased recordcompany executive leonard chess, and a few of the musicians who recorded for chess records. It was founded by two jewish immigrants from poland leonard and phil chess. A super appears at the bottom of the screen which reads 1952 in order to set the chronological time. Cadillac records 2008 r 1h 48m dramas in 1950s chicago, bar owner leonard chess launches a record label, signing future musical icons whose turbulent lives clash with their careers. Wrights film alone, and his work is enriched by the skill and verve of a prodigious ensemble.