Blues in the Night (1941)

It’s not often you can call a band of musicians “itinerant” but “Jigger” (Richard Whorf) and his recently assembled ensemble are rehearsing from the luxury of a railroad car as they traverse the country en route to their next gig. Along the way, they rescue “Del” (Lloyd Nolan) whom, after a bit of a rocky start involving some beer, a cheese sandwich and a revolver, they all befriend. He knows of a bar they can get a residency in, and so soon they are finally making some readies. That’s just as well because the chanteuse “Character” (Priscilla Lane) is about to have a bairn. That doesn’t stop her trumpet playing husband “Powell” (Jack Carson) taking a shine to “Kay” (Betty Field) - unaware that she and “Del” have an history that they can’t quite agree is over. Anyway, that soon fizzles out as next “Jigger” tries to get her to lead the band, absconds with her and then returns to the fold a quivering wreck! Still with me? She and “Del” proceed to have a bit of a set-to that ends pretty tragically but wait, that’s not the end of the road, or the railway line… There are a few decent toe-tappers with the title track from Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer standing out amidst a series of bluesy, barn-dance, style performances. Anchorman Nolan isn’t at his most menacing and the love triangles verge on the comedy wife-swapping at times, but there is an hint of peril now and again and the whole film steams along with competent efforts from all, topped off by a sterling solo effort from the boozed-up Matt McHugh and two ladies who might give alley-cats a run for their money. It wasn’t what I was expecting from the title, and I quite enjoyed this clash of genres.