Blues Brothers (1980)

Editor's Note In roles made famous by their famed SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE skit, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi star as Ellwood and Jake Blues in this extremely entertaining and successful comedy. Upon Jake's release from prison, the brothers are reunited and visit the orphanage they grew up in--only to discover that it is in danger of being shut down by the county for failure to pay taxes. With a little help from James Brown as a revival preacher, the Blues Brothers are divinely inspired to raise the $5,000 that the orphanage needs to stay open. On their mission from God, they must reunite their old band and raise the money by playing various gigs around town. The wild adventures of the band include dodging evil neo-Nazis, playing in a rowdy redneck bar, and narrowly escaping the crazed Carrie Fisher as Jake's ex-fiancée, who is out to see him dead. Finally, the boys have to get to a gig at the Palace Hotel Ballroom and deliver the $5,000 to the county assessor's office--leading to one of the most wild and hysterical car-chase smash-ups in film history. John Landis has spiced this wonderful romp with fabulous rhythm-and-blues numbers from such greats as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Cab Calloway, and Ray Charles.

	Kathleen Freeman
	James Brown
	Cab Calloway
	Dan Aykroyd
	Henry Gibson
	John Belushi
	Carrie Fisher
	Ray Charles
	John Lee Hooker - Cameo
	John Landis - Screenwriter
	Charles Napier - Cameo
	Pee-Wee Herman - Cameo
	Chaka Khan - Cameo
	Twiggy - Cameo
	John Candy - Cameo
	Aretha Franklin - Cameo
	Robert K. Weiss - Producer
	Frank Oz - Cameo
	John Landis - Cameo
	Elmer Bernstein - Composer
	Steven Spielberg - Cameo
	Judy Jacklin - Cameo
	Dan Aykroyd - Screenwriter
	John Landis - Director

In this classic comedy-musical, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi star as Jake and Elwood Blues, white rhythm-and-blues musicians who are on a mission from God: to raise $5,000 for the orphanage where they grew up before it is closed for failure to pay back taxes. In order to succeed, they must resurrect their band, the Blues Brothers, and stay one step ahead of their enemies: Jake's ex-fiancée, the police, a bunch of Illinois Nazis, and a country-western band, not to mention the Chicago police. This much-loved comedy features tremendous song-and-dance numbers by such famous musicians as James Brown, Aretha Franklin, and Ray Charles.

"We're on a mission from God."----Ellwood (Dan Aykroyd)

Total Film
"John Belushi's '70s hangover has yet to kick in and his funny act with Dan Aykroyd is complemented by James Brown, Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin." 02/01/2004 p.121

Mojo
"[T]he movie is rightly hailed for its classic cameos from Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin and James Brown..." 12/01/2004 p.58

New York Times
"BLUES BROTHERS may be among the last original movie musicals to incorporate song and dance performances into its plot, rather than grafting them on as concert material." 08/30/2005 p.E5

Premiere
"[I]t was their utter devotion to the Blues Brothers as characters that make it happen from scene to scene." 10/01/2005 p.134