The first noir film to delve into the jazz world, Blues in the Night details the rise and inevitable fall of a St. Louis band. They land their big break when they get booked at a New Jersey nightclub, but the band’s leader, played by Richard Whorf, falls under the spell of the club’s femme fatale owner. It doesn’t take long for the other members to sour, setting off a chain reaction of jealousy, betrayal, and, eventually, murder. The supporting cast is superb, made up of familiar noir faces like Jack Carson, Howard Da Silva and Lloyd Nolan, while the screenplay by Robert Rossen makes good on the lyrics of the tragic, Oscar®-nominated title song. Future director Elia Kazan has his biggest movie role as the band’s clarinetist.