When I say ‘film noir jazz’ what do you think? A slow, moody kind of jazz, usually with a trumpet solo? I thought you’d say that.
The truth is, jazz had nothing to do with classic 1940s noir. Jazz was sometimes featured as ambience music, for example from a jukebox or in a club. It was never the soundtrack of a film.
The scores for these films were usually modernistic orchestral music, like the well-known score of Double Indemnity.
Where does the idea comes, then, that jazz is associated with film noir?
It looks like jazz started to appear in film noir (or more precisely, nourish films) in the 1950s, some say in the movie (which may or may not be considered noir) A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), from Tennessee William’s play.
Some other trace the beginning of this tradition with a 1958 French film, Elevator to the Gallows (Frantic) which feature a main theme by Miles Davis.
Wherever it came from, jazz association with neo noir is not surprising. The unpredictability, dissonance, experimentation of jazz is particularly apt at commenting these stories of disconnection and confusion.
FILMS CITED
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) by Elia Kazan
Former schoolteacher Blanche DuBois (Vivien Leigh) leaves small-town Mississippi and moves in with her sister, Stella Kowalski (Kim Hunter), and her husband, Stanley (Marlon Brando), in New Orleans. Blanche’s flirtatious Southern-belle presence causes problems for Stella and Stanley, who already have a volatile relationship, leading to even greater conflict in the Kowalski household. (Google synopsis)
Elevator to the Gallows (1958) by Louis Malle
Florence (Jeanne Moreau) is married to the wealthy arms dealer Simon Carala (Jean Wall), but is carrying on a torrid affair with one of her husband’s employees, Julien (Maurice Ronet). Julien daringly climbs into Simon’s office on a rope, kills him and leaves unnoticed. However, Julien accidentally leaves the rope at the crime scene and realizes he must retrieve it. On his way out, he becomes stuck in the building’s elevator. But he soon finds that his bad luck is just beginning.(Google synopsis)
RESOURCES
All About Jazz – Crimejazz: the sound of noir
Bright Empire – Family Ties
36 Comments
Birgit
I never thought of Film Noir being connected with Jazz but more with the 1950’s rugged dramas that may have led to the kitchen sink dramas of the 1960’s. I spoke about Double Indemnity for D and love that film. I have not seen the French film but would love to!
jazzfeathers
I have never heard of the ‘kitchen sink drama’ genre. What a fascinating genre name! 🙂
Shawna Atteberry
I never connected jazz with noir either. It’s been years since I’ve seen Double Indemnity. I might need to hunt it down online.
jazzfeathers
I haven’t seen the film yet, but I read the book a few years back. Didn’t like it as much as other hard boiled novel of the time. But then, I understand the film is kind of different. For example, I like the ending a lot better.
Cheryl
Miklós Rózsa!!! I KNOW this composer. He wrote one of my favorite scores of all time: Ben Hur! I actually have the album. 😀 That was very interesting, btw. Unexpected. Would have thought it fit right in there.
Calen~
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jazzfeathers
I understand Miklós Rózsa compesed a few film noir scores.
The Double Indemnity soudtrack is so suggestive and upsetting. Really like it.
Sophie Duncan
It would have been a marriage made in heaven, even if it’s mostly a misconception 🙂
Sophie
Sophie’s Thoughts & Fumbles – Dragon Diaries
jazzfeathers
Well, there must be a reason why in our mind they go together so well 😉
Pamela
I think it has a lot to do with people picturing dark, smoky clubs with Jazz being played whilst slightly dodgy deals go down that makes people associate it with Film Noir. Good choice of movies.
Pamela @ Highlands Days of Fun
jazzfeathers
You might be onto something here 😉
Debs
I guess this misconception partly stems from the fact that the genre was applied later. I wondered if the Jeanne Moreau film with it’s Miles Davis theme fitted with the timescale of when the film noir label was coined in France (I’ll have to go back & look at your earlier post shortly). But it would’ve been a marriage made in heaven. Not the easy listening jazz I’m showcasing, but the complex, experimental instrumentals that Miles Davis and his ilk were rightly famed for.
Bunny and the Bloke
jazzfeathers
Well, Debs, as a matter of facts, jazz being associated with film noir and the codification of film noir happened in the exact same time (mid-1950s), again in France. So you’re probably onto something here 😉
Preethi Venugopala
Seems like a marriage made in heaven. They suit each other perfectly. 🙂
jazzfeathers
That’s true 🙂
Megan Morgan
Hmmm, I never thought about it. I guess it’s the time period and type of music? Fascinating!
jazzfeathers
And Debs suggested in a comment above, it might have been a lucky coincidence 😉
CD Gallant-King
Yeah, I always associated Jazz with Noir as well, but you’re right, it’s more of a background in a club kind of ambient music, which, to be fair, is not an uncommon scene.
jazzfeathers
True. Clubs feature fairly often in film noir.
Margot Kinberg
There really is such a deep connection between jazz and noir. Is it because both push certain limits? Is it because both touch on darker things? Whatever the reason, this is a fascinating post, for which thanks, and it’s a very interesting connection.
jazzfeathers
There are many theme connection between jazz and noir, this is for sure. And there is also a certain similarity of execution, if you allow me the expression.
I think, whatever the circumstances, there’s a reason why noir and jazz ended up together 😉
Shilpa Garg
Another interesting post, Sarah. As I mentioned earlier, Film Noir is a virgin topic for me, so I am soaking in all the info and insights. Thanks for sharing 🙂
jazzfeathers
Thanks for reading 😉
Carrie-Anne
I also never connected film noir to jazz. Then again, I haven’t seen too many 1950s films.
jazzfeathers
Well, I think that, while the connection between jazz and noir was born in the 1950s, it is more something that we perceive now.
Think to any tv show where a noirish element is introduced and you’ll hear that solo trumpet 😉
Andrea Lundgren
That’s funny that jazz is associated so much with film noir but doesn’t appear in the movies. I think you’re right, it must be a mood and feeling thing, since it clearly isn’t actually part of the movie experiences that much.
jazzfeathers
Well, researching this topic, I’ve discovered there are a lot of funny things about noir 😉
Jacqui
I knew Jazz had to be coming. It’s the best radio station in my car (that is not filled with commercials) so I listen to a lot of it. Excellent for driving.
jazzfeathers
And here it goes 😉
Nick Wilford
It’s funny. I guess it’s something that so many people associated together that it became part of the public consciousness, even if it wasn’t really based on any evidence.
jazzfeathers
Exactly that.
But then, as many have pointed out, jazz and noir do go along pretty well 🙂
Aditi Kaushiva
One automatically makes this connect, no? Film noir and jazz music just fit. Never gave it much thought. Such an interesting topic!
jazzfeathers
It’s ture, eh? We are so accustomed to hear a jazz theme on a noir story that we jsut take it for granted. That’s why I found it weird when I discovered that actually jazz wasn’t connected to classic noir.
Barbara In Caneyhead
Maybe it is in part due to Bogart’s line about “all the gin joints”. Seems there is sometimes a sexy saxophone wailing in the background when the fem-fatal enters the scene. Or is this just a collective view of noir we have due to cheesy take offs and long running jokes and parodies?
jazzfeathers
I suspect it’s a bit of both. We do connect jazz to noir, which comes not from classic noir, but from later neo noir (there is this kind of connection in those younger films). But in classic noir the femme fatal often appears on screen while singing a torch song. May not be really jazz, but there is a definite connection to music.
Sara C. Snider
It does go together well, even if it didn’t really happen. The collective consciousness of people are like, “Make it so!” 😉
jazzfeathers
LOL! True. In fact, neo noir did it 😉