Ken R
John Cassavetes was better in front of a camera than behind. By basically giving up acting he probably cheated us of several classic performances. This, his first effort as producer, writer, director, for a major production company (Paramount) should have convinced everyone he was wrong for the tasks. While some of the themes he attempted were well-intended, they were rarely stated clearly or succinctly enough to be fully convincing. John's writing was mostly formless, meandering, and often unfocused – sometimes it rambled on till the vital energy of a scene was totally crushed, leaving only a shallow framework to limp forward till it collapsed. In attempting to gain an avant-garde style he constantly pushed each scene beyond its strengths, till some of the performers and most of the audience had lost interest. If ever there was a movie-maker who desperately needed someone else to call "cut" it was him.
Bobby Darin and Stella Stevens as jazz musician and would-be singer are quite believable within their characters' limited personas - they strive to extend interest but are at the mercy of a somewhat contrived script. Darin went on to far better things in his tragically short life, while beautiful Stevens was mostly typecast in the Monroe vain. Veteran cinematographer Lionel Linden captures it all beautifully in gorgeous B/W - with some well known jazz muso's playing the score by respected David Raksin.
These limited interest productions seem to attract attention from people who believe that ‘less is more' or would-be moviemakers who hide behind minimalism as an ‘art' form. Cassavetes went on to making films with his drinking buddies – most of these productions looked like they were sponsored by Alcohol and Cigarette companies. Everybody constantly drank and smoked, they also tended to feature pack shots and labels blatantly facing camera wherever possible (John, sadly was an alcoholic and chain smoker and these addictions eventually contributed to his death, way too early)
If you can last the distance you might just be eligible to become a new fan. The Olive label is to be commended for making it available in such a fine-quality DVD transfer.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
07/17/21
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Audience Member
Good B&W film. Well directed, well played. Integrity, individuality, and intensity win the day. Bobby is really good. Stella is stunning. Saxophone player is the hero. Why? WATCH IT! Find this out, and, if you know why John Wakefield is called "GHOST," please tell me. Thank you.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/09/23
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Audience Member
Bobby Darin and Stella Stevens had talent. Who knew?!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/19/23
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Audience Member
Embora fosse apenas a segunda longa de John Cassavetes e a sua estreia num contexto Hollywood, "Too Late Blues" destaca precocemente as virtudes de um realizador que sempre fez por colocar o trabalho de actores acima de quase tudo. O cuidado com que Cassavetes desenvolve os seus personagens resulta depois numa relação de proximidade entre nós e os protagonistas daquele cenário jazzy da Califórnia altamente hip do final dos anos 50. "Too Late Blues" não conta uma história extraordinária e nem precisa disso sequer: as suas situações e as emoções que provocam são verosímeis ao ponto de ansiarmos por saber o que se vai passar com aquelas pessoas por vezes tão mal resolvidas como qualquer outro comum. De resto, John "Ghost" Wakefield, o pianista e líder da banda no centro de "Too Late Blues", é uma projecção fortíssima daquele símbolo muito Cassavetes do homem que tenta preservar a sua visão artística apesar dos riscos que isso representa na sua estabilidade emocional. Por tudo isso "Too Late Blues" merece o seu lugar entre os intocáveis de John Cassavetes.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
02/24/23
Full Review
walter m
For Ghost Wakefield(Bobby Darin), the music is everything. For his bandmates, a little cash would be nice from time to time, so they could at least settle their bar tab, much less take care of any responsibilities that come with getting married and/or older. At least, they can all pretty much agree on how much a drag a music industry party is. That is, until Ghost meets Jessica Polanski(Stella Stevens), a beautiful singer who is being tormented by their agent, Benny(Everett Chambers). Together, Ghost and Jessica make a break for it to his favorite watering hole.
As strange as it might seem to some that John Cassavetes would use an all-white band as part of a statement to disprove stereotypes about jazz musicians(admittedly, there are lots of non-white faces in the early scenes), it should not seem as unusual that he is just as interested in the thorny issue of artistic integrity.(Why the musicians in the film never pass the hat is beyond me.) With his second film as director, he has already crafted a manifesto which will serve as a guideline for the rest of his career where he later works with somebody in real life named Polanski but I'm getting ahead of myself here. Even at this early point, he also has a good deal to say artistically, as he is the only person who would not turn the scene in the park into a train wreck.(When they say it is for the birds, they mean it literally). While the performances are lacking the intensity of his later films, at least Bobby Darin and Stella Stevens still do fine work here.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
I am a HUGE Bobby Darin fan and have wanted to see this movie for many years WHAT a disappointment. I have NEVER liked anything John Cassavettes has done and this is no exception. The story line was disjointed to say the least the acting was overdone and awful. The dialogue was nonsensical and meaningless as if it was being edited and the editor forgot to connect it back. It seemed ridiculous to have a musical talent like Bobby Darin in a movie about jazz musicians and he didn't sing or play a note (DARIN was a VERY talented musician as well as his magnificent voice he played several instruments. The Only thing that made it possible for me to sit through this awful pice of rubbish was seeing Bobby Darin perform.
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
02/26/23
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