February 28, 1962
TOO LATE BLUES, a gritty drama about jazz musicians, the second film from John Cassavetes, opens in New York. Cassavetes had made his mark with his directorial debut, Shadows, a neorealist improvisational drama of the independent film movement, the so-called New American cinema, in 1960. Its art-house success prompted a multi-picture deal with Paramount.
However, the downbeat Too Late Blues does not jive with audiences, and the film falls flat at the box office. Although veteran David Raksin (Laura) composed the background score, the film’s highlights are the jazz sets by the onscreen combo “fronting” for jazz greats Benny Carter, Shelly Manne, and Jimmy Rowles, who played offscreen on the soundtrack.
