Round Midnight is a devastating chronicle of addiction inspired by the lives of jazz legends Lester Young and Bud Powell. The film blends the struggles of these real men into a composite musician who ditches 1950s New York for a clean start at the Blue Note club in France. The change of scenery works, but things take a turn for the tragic when the musician returns home and finds himself sucked back into the same lurid environment that forged his substance abuse. Round Midnight is the rare film noir that casts a musician in a leading role, and “Long Tall” Dexter Gordon delivers a performance as textured and intimate as his tenor sax solos. Featuring a cameo by Martin Scorsese and a soundtrack by co-star Herbie Hancock.
Music Box Theatre screens films of all genres and from every era of cinema, both new releases and repertory. These films may sometimes contain upsetting, outdated, or offensive material. While we aim to introduce many of our screenings, we do not always provide warnings about potentially triggering content within the films we screen. We encourage our patrons to research the film before they attend using trailers, reviews, or content information found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com.
Also Part Of NOIR CITY: Chicago 2026
