The Blues Brothers: an epic friendship, the rise of improv, and the making of an American film classic
(Book)
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"The story of the epic friendship between John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the golden era of improv, and the making of a comedic film classic that helped shape our popular culture. "They're not going to catch us," Dan Aykroyd, as Elwood Blues, tells his brother Jake, played by John Belushi. "We're on a mission from God." So opens the musical action comedy The Blues Brothers, which hit theaters on June 20, 1980. Their scripted mission was to save a local Chicago orphanage. But Aykroyd, who conceived and wrote much of the film, had a greater mission: to honor the then-seemingly forgotten tradition of rhythm and blues, some of whose greatest artists-Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles-made the film as unforgettable as its wild car chases. Much delayed and vastly over budget, beset by mercurial and oft drugged-out stars, The Blues Brothers opened to outraged reviews. However, in the 44 years since, it has been acknowledged a classic: it has been inducted into the National Film Registry for its cultural significance, even declared a "Catholic classic" by the Church itself, and re-aired thousands of times on television to huge worldwide audiences. It is, undeniably, one of the most significant films of the 20th century. The story behind any classic is rich; the saga behind The Blues Brothers, as Daniel de Visé reveals, is epic, encompassing the colorful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by Harvard's Lampoon and Chicago's Second City; the birth and anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live, where the Blues Brothers were born as an act amidst turmoil and rivalry; and, of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made, scene by memorable scene. Based on original research and dozens of interviews probing the memories of principals from director John Landis and producer Bob Weiss to Aykroyd himself, The Blues Brothers illuminates an American masterpiece while vividly portraying the creative geniuses behind modern comedy"--
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Citations
De Visé, D. (2024). The Blues Brothers: an epic friendship, the rise of improv, and the making of an American film classic. First edition. Atlantic Monthly Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)De Visé, Daniel. 2024. The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic. Atlantic Monthly Press.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)De Visé, Daniel, The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024.
MLA Citation (style guide)De Visé, Daniel. The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic. First edition. Atlantic Monthly Press, 2024.
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Record Information
| Last Sierra Extract Time | Jul 07, 2025 05:02:31 AM |
|---|---|
| Last File Modification Time | Jul 07, 2025 05:02:49 AM |
| Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Jul 07, 2025 05:02:36 AM |
MARC Record
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| 100 | 1 | |a De Visé, Daniel, |e author. |0 http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/n2013052547 | |
| 245 | 1 | 4 | |a The Blues Brothers : |b an epic friendship, the rise of improv, and the making of an American film classic / |c Daniel de Visé. |
| 250 | |a First edition. | ||
| 264 | 1 | |a New York : |b Atlantic Monthly Press, |c 2024. | |
| 300 | |a xiii, 386 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : |b illustrations ; |c 24 cm | ||
| 336 | |a text |b txt |2 rdacontent | ||
| 337 | |a unmediated |b n |2 rdamedia | ||
| 338 | |a volume |b nc |2 rdacarrier | ||
| 504 | |a Includes bibliographical references (345-375) and index. | ||
| 520 | |a "The story of the epic friendship between John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the golden era of improv, and the making of a comedic film classic that helped shape our popular culture. "They're not going to catch us," Dan Aykroyd, as Elwood Blues, tells his brother Jake, played by John Belushi. "We're on a mission from God." So opens the musical action comedy The Blues Brothers, which hit theaters on June 20, 1980. Their scripted mission was to save a local Chicago orphanage. But Aykroyd, who conceived and wrote much of the film, had a greater mission: to honor the then-seemingly forgotten tradition of rhythm and blues, some of whose greatest artists-Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles-made the film as unforgettable as its wild car chases. Much delayed and vastly over budget, beset by mercurial and oft drugged-out stars, The Blues Brothers opened to outraged reviews. However, in the 44 years since, it has been acknowledged a classic: it has been inducted into the National Film Registry for its cultural significance, even declared a "Catholic classic" by the Church itself, and re-aired thousands of times on television to huge worldwide audiences. It is, undeniably, one of the most significant films of the 20th century. The story behind any classic is rich; the saga behind The Blues Brothers, as Daniel de Visé reveals, is epic, encompassing the colorful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by Harvard's Lampoon and Chicago's Second City; the birth and anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of Saturday Night Live, where the Blues Brothers were born as an act amidst turmoil and rivalry; and, of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made, scene by memorable scene. Based on original research and dozens of interviews probing the memories of principals from director John Landis and producer Bob Weiss to Aykroyd himself, The Blues Brothers illuminates an American masterpiece while vividly portraying the creative geniuses behind modern comedy"-- |c Provided by publisher. | ||
| 600 | 1 | 0 | |a Belushi, John |x Friends and associates. |
| 600 | 1 | 0 | |a Aykroyd, Dan |x Friends and associates. |
| 630 | 0 | 0 | |a Blues Brothers (Motion picture) |0 http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no2001087355 |
| 650 | 0 | |a Comedians |z United States. |0 http://id.loc.gov/authorities/subjects/sh94002959 | |
| 650 | 0 | |a Comedy |x Social aspects |z United States. | |
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