film american musical crime comedy film directed stars jake blues characters developed blues brothers musical sketch nbc variety series saturday night live film screenplay written features musical numbers rhythm blues soul blues singers film set chicago illinois filmed features non musical supporting performances story tale redemption convict jake brother set mission god save catholic raised reunite band organize performance earn needed pay property tax bill way targeted destructive mystery woman country western band pursued police universal_studios won bidding war film hoping advantage popularity wake saturday night live animal house musical success soon found unable control production costs start filming delayed new film took months deliver long unconventional script rewrite production began final budget location chicago drug use caused lengthy costly delays destructive car chases depicted onscreen final film expensive comedies produced concerns film fail limited initial half film magnitude normally received released united_states june received generally positive reviews earned million opening weekend went gross million theaters worldwide release home video cult classic spawning sequel years later critical commercial failure plot released prison serving years armed robbery picked brother new battered police car replacing old jake demonstrates capabilities jumping open brothers visit roman catholic raised learn sister mary closed property taxes collected sermon reverend james triple rock baptist church jake form broke jake prison raise money pay tax bill night pulled running red light state attempt arrest driving suspended license parking tickets moving violations high speed chase square mall brothers escape morning police arrive lives mysterious woman bomb building leaves jake unharmed saves arrested jake begin tracking members band drummer rhythm guitarist colonel bassist keyboardist murphy performing lounge band deserted quickly agree rejoin fabulous expensive restaurant turns brothers refuse leave restaurant way meet final band members guitarist matt guitar murphy brothers find road blocked demonstration bridge runs bridge murphy run soul food restaurant ignore advice murphy wife rejoin band reunited group obtain instruments equipment ray usual takes jake attempts book gig mystery woman blows phone booth band gig bob local win crowd run bar higher pay country band actually booked gig good boys realizing need big raise necessary brothers persuade old agent book palace hotel ballroom north chicago mount atop drive greater chicago promoting concert police nazis good boys whereabouts ballroom packed blues fans police officers good boys jake perform songs sneak tax deadline rapidly approaching record company executive offers cash advance recording contract pay taxes ray shows brothers slip building unnoticed escape service tunnel confronted mystery woman jake fiancée volley rifle bullets leaves unharmed jake offers series ridiculous believes allowing brothers escape jake race chicago pursued high speeds dozens police cars good boys series maneuvers including gravity escape illinois nazis richard center rush inside adjacent building hundreds law officers type hot pursuit office brothers pay tax bill stamped paid arrested mob law officers prison band plays rock inmates cast production origins characters jake blues created performances saturday night live blues brothers idea fictional story character sketches blood brothers jake developed collaboration credited story consultant film related liner notes band debut album blues brothers grew learned blues named curtis sealed brotherhood cutting middle fingers steel string said come guitar star result musical success role national point managed triple feat star week grossing film rated television singing number album year decided film bidding war intense universal_studios narrowly beat paramount_pictures project directed aboard director project budget script issue universal head thought film million filmmakers wanted million impossible settle specific screenplay review declined help wrote written screenplay admitted documentary stories making read unable find writing partner consequently descriptive volume explained characters origins band members recruited final draft pages times longer standard screenplay written standard screenplay format like free verse impact joke thick script bound cover turned producer given task editing script usable screenplay took weeks premise underlying plot somewhat unrealistic unlikely church owned pay property tax bill illinois rest world property owned religious groups profit organizations tax exempt script written legislative proposal tax property consideration filming principal photography began july film budget settled month things ran smoothly set saw supposedly final million budget reportedly joked think spent month production began falling schedule delay set went familiar chicago field people recognized slipped cocaine drug heavily hoping use blue collar joe wants story said eventually hired away star result late nights drug alcohol use miss unit calls beginning production day trailer sleep hours production time night found crashing nearby house helped food cocaine prevalent set like film productions era far partner claims section budget actually set aside purchases drug night shooting stars private bar built set crew friends girlfriend time says bar staff doubled dealers drug patrons desired original budget quickly surpassed los_angeles grew increasingly frustrated regularly confronting executive charge production universal person costs studio executive came chicago saw production set special facility cars chase sequences filming supposed concluded middle september continued late october set drug use worsened fisher later struggled cocaine addiction says told away drug hired clear places visited camera point found described mountain cocaine table trailer led confrontation admitted addiction feared eventually kill wife talk antics production returned los_angeles filming ran smoothly came time shoot final sequence hollywood fell borrowed seriously injured knee making unlikely scene required sing dance persuaded city surgeon postpone weekend plans long stop sufficiently knee scene filmed intended locations film shot location chicago july october including illinois car crashes route cooperation mayor credited putting chicago map venue filmmaking nearly movies filmed chicago chicago stars movie wrote tribute told chicago_sun-times article written mark film 25th anniversary dvd release traffic stop illinois shopping mall car chase filmed real albeit abandoned square mall harvey illinois bridge jump filmed actual street bridge southeast chicago main entrance field sign reading save lives drive safely prevent fires makes brief appearance illinois nazis visit falsely registers location home address driver license illinois driver license number valid number birth date embedded jake final confrontation girlfriend filmed replica section abandoned chicago freight tunnel system chase scenes included lower drive lake street jake push fuel blues mobile highway service station named located right roosevelt road miles west high school station detonated late night filming scene deleted lloyd long gone adjacent west wind slightly east character waited survives date final car chase scene production actually dropped ford representing driven illinois nazis helicopter altitude feet gain special certificate concerned car prove aerodynamic high altitude drop pose threat nearby buildings shot leading car drop illinois nazis drive freeway ramp shot milwaukee wisconsin near bridge interstate lake freeway north planned completed lane freeway contained unfinished ramp nazis drove milwaukee visible background notably band performs climactic concert time filming country club later named chicago neighborhood located interior concert scenes filmed hollywood filming downtown chicago conducted sundays summer downtown public costs filming largest scene city history totaled million permission given offered donate charity filming allowed driven lobby special temporarily substituted normal glass building speeding car caused damages granite stones bronze air building interior shots elevator staircase office recreated film set filming revealed dvd commentary brown sang songs live set couldn accurately lip pre recorded audio tracks charles franklin sang despite similar difficulties lip film thirteen different cars bought auction depict retired mount prospect illinois dodge patrol car vehicles outfitted studio particular driving speed jumps depending scene large car chases filmmakers purchased police cars destroyed completion filming stunt drivers hired crew kept hour body shop repair cars scene finally arrive richard center mechanic took months rig car fall apart time film release held world record cars destroyed film surpassed sequel casting soul stars cast speaking parts support musical numbers built caused friction universal later production costs far exceeded original budget charles hits recent years studio wanted director replace add performances younger acts car wash disco stars use film notable musicians cast include performed boom boom scene members band notable musical accomplishments architects sound guitar heard start song soul man half horn players played saturday night live band played bar backed veteran blues guitarist band developed saturday night live pianist act cast film contractual obligations unable participate actor musician father president hired role fisher freeman gibson candy cast non musical supporting roles film notable number cameo appearances established celebrities entertainment industry figures including booking agent lady jaguar gas station steven_spielberg cook county clerk state mall chase restaurant scene cameo prisoner jump table final scene choir performer plays officer scene brothers crash frog toy spotted right brothers crash customer played stunt coordinator asks miss doll character voiced character portrayed named curtis homage curtis portland oregon blues musician inspired oregon filming extras scene blockade building including state city police officers horses mounted police tanks helicopters fire engines post production difficulties continued principal photography completed cut film lasted half hours early screening demanded shortened minutes cut film final budget million million modern dollars million original budget prospects successful release look good left end previous season reducing fame taken hit commercial critical failure end year day editing invited office speak head theatres chain dominated film exhibition told book film theaters white neighborhoods want black patrons going film white viewers unlikely film featuring older black musical stars ultimately got half nationwide initial release typical big budget studio film era success box office reception box office opened june release theaters took ranking second week empire strikes 10th entire year years retained following television home video film total grossed domestically foreign box offices total genre ninth highest grossing musical tenth highest comedy road movies ranks second wayne world coincidentally place greater chicago metropolitan area outlying suburb aurora illinois films adapted saturday night live sketches director claimed american film gross money overseas united_states popularity film boosted experiencing renewed popularity thanks rise movement thousands sold mid-1970s sales rose partly film bringing model verge withdrawal critical reception received generally positive reviews critics rotten_tomatoes film certified fresh rating based reviews average rating site critical consensus reads good ultimately rescued cast charm director grace soul stirring musical numbers won golden reel award best sound editing sound effects 14th magazine list greatest comedy films time number funniest movies roger_ebert chicago_sun-times gave film stars praising energetic musical numbers said car chases incredible finally noted come hard boiled city guys total world view sublime simplicity fits perfectly movie parts room midst surprising grace humor review washington_post criticized plot car chases crack ups filmed avid streets chicago comic virtually time magazine wrote blues brothers demolition symphony works cold efficiency synthesizer gone new_york_times criticized film viewers details jake affinity african american culture took director task distracting editing mentioning scene head shot dances counter documentary stories making acknowledges criticism recalls dismay felt seeing completed film writing empire considered urban automobile rhythm blues better music film years noted pack heroes think cruising electric piano mention hottest band observed picture revived careers virtually musicians appeared concluded sounds great looks good 30th anniversary daily newspaper vatican city state wrote film filled positive symbolism moral references related catholicism went stating blues brothers memorable film judging facts catholic cult film status staple late night cinema slowly audience participation regular screenings cinema melbourne australia acknowledged support cinema fans phone cinema 10th anniversary screening later invited regular attendees cameo appearances fans act members crowd performance ghost riders sky august 25th anniversary celebration held los_angeles attendees included universal_studios executive film editor cast members featured press conference panel discussion joined satellite screening original theatrical version film panel discussion broadcast direct cinemas country popularity film spread overseas film inspiration japanese companies led creation manga anime franchise contain heavy references film american_film_institute afi years years songs think nominated afi years movie quotes mission god nominated release home media film screened preview audience producer demanded director cut minutes film minutes released theaters minutes released vhs laserdisc released year released vhs laserdisc released pack vhs box set film original length restored minutes collector edition dvd special edition vhs release dvd laserdisc versions included minute documentary called stories making blues brothers produced directed produced animal house collector edition dvd year included interviews members producer editor involved film included production photographs theatrical trailer production notes cast filmmaker 25th anniversary dvd release included theatrical cut extended version film released blu ray july basic contents 25th anniversary dvd march interview ain cool news mentioned approved blu ray remastered transfer soundtrack blues brothers original soundtrack recording later released blues brothers music soundtrack released june second album toured year promote film billboard hit peaking number album debut live album blues later year released second live album america featured track making love songs soundtrack album noticeably different audio mix film prominent saxophone horn line heard film shake tail feather present female backing vocals everybody needs somebody love band backup singers film number regular members including drummer perform soundtrack album film according documentary stories making blues brothers filmed musical performances franklin brown took effort artist accustomed lip performances film franklin required takes brown simply performance live initially wanted disco variation signature tune having song styles past insisted song faithful original big band version caught lead vocals blues brothers band lead vocals shake tail feather jake backing vocals everybody needs somebody love lead vocals harmonica vocals old landmark james cleveland choir additional choir vocals credited film think backing vocals jake theme jake cab sweet home chicago lead vocals dedicated musician closing credits film verses sung crew songs film film score includes god music instrumental choir composed previously worked national songs film include somebody loan composed performed music playing radio jake escorted prison cell shake composed performed music playing curtis basement jake visit hold composed performed tracks paying track player jake pulled police chased resisting arrest turn loose composed instrumental performed band theme song plays smashing mall introduced palace hotel ballroom incorporating time tight let good times roll composed performed plays record player corner core performed plays investigate old home performed magic tones way composed plays magic tones scene reel reel tape instrumental band takes set break discuss rejoining die composed performed uncredited group background music restaurant scene boom boom composed performed street slim vocals guitar tampa pete harmonica electric piano drums guitar jones bass plays scene short version theatrical cut length extended cut mama composed performed plays film twice jake tries phone band bob heart composed performed heard jake enter bob stand man composed performed cut film performed plays scenes jake promote concert ride composed performed plays jake pursued nazis ends abruptly head nazi car falls middle road girl composed performed uncredited group background music brothers elevator office sequel sequel similar traits original including large car chase scenes musical numbers returned direct film reprised role joining year old new franklin brown celebrities returning film musical performances dozens artists packed star band called returning cast members film considered box office failure generating little million sales critics reactions poor
The Blues Brothers (film)