The Blues Brothers

Also known as Blues Brothers, Murph and the Magic Tones

1980 film directed by John Landis

AI overview

"The Blues Brothers" is a 1980 comedy film directed by John Landis that follows two brothers on a mission to reunite a blues band and save an orphanage. The film is notable for blending comedy with live musical performances and became a significant box office success that helped popularize blues music to mainstream audiences.

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Film · TMDB

7.7

Jake Blues, just released from prison, puts his old band back together to save the Catholic home where he and his brother Elwood were raised.

Released: 1980-06-16133 minDir: John LandisMusic, Comedy, CrimeBudget: $27.0MBox office: $115MPart of: The Blues Brothers Collection

▶ Watch trailerStream on: TCM

Cast

John Belushi as 'Joliet' Jake Blues
Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues
James Brown as Cleophus James
Cab Calloway as Curtis
Ray Charles as Ray
Aretha Franklin as Mrs. Murphy

Themes

prison

Article

The Blues Brothers is a 1980 American musical action comedy film directed by John Landis. It stars John Belushi as "Joliet" Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as his brother Elwood, characters developed from the recurring musical sketch "The Blues Brothers" on NBC's variety series Saturday Night Live. The script is set in and around Chicago, Illinois, where it was filmed, and the screenplay is by Aykroyd and Landis. It features musical numbers by singers James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. It features non-musical supporting performances by Carrie Fisher and Henry Gibson.

The story is a tale of redemption for paroled convict Jake and his brother Elwood, who set out on "a mission from God" to prevent the foreclosure of the Roman Catholic orphanage in which they were raised. To do so, they must reunite their rhythm and blues (R&B) band and organize a performance to earn the $5,000 needed to pay the orphanage's property tax bill. Along the way, they are targeted by a homicidal "mystery woman", neo-Nazis and a country and western band—all while being relentlessly pursued by the police.