Remembering Sidney Poitier
Eddie Cook (Sidney Poitier) and Ram Bowen (Paul Newman) are two expatriate jazz musicians living in Paris where, unlike America at the time, jazz musicians are celebrated and racism is a non-issue. When they meet and fall in love with two young American girls (Joanne Woodward, Diahann Carroll) who are vacationing in France, Ram and Eddie must decide whether they should move back to America with them, or stay in Paris for the freedom it allows them. A virtual love letter to both jazz and the city of Paris, Martin Ritt’s sensitive depictions of romance and friendship between Black and white characters across the Atlantic, offers a tender, moving rebuke to the specter of American racism. With its Oscar-nominated Duke Ellington score, excellent cast, and a breathtaking “Battle Royal” with Louis Armstrong, PARIS BLUES is a must-see film for any jazz lover.
Released: 1961
Run time: 98
