IMDb > Cadillac Records (2008)
Cadillac Records
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Cadillac Records (2008) More at IMDbPro »

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Cadillac Records (2008) -- In this tale of sex, violence, race, and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, Cadillac Records follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James
Cadillac Records (2008) -- Clip: Meet Etta
Cadillac Records (2008) -- Cadillac Records Theatrical Trailer
Cadillac Records (2008) -- Trailer for the film based on true events of the history of Chess Records
Cadillac Records (2008) -- Chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   3,587 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 27% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Darnell Martin
Writer (WGA):
Darnell Martin (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Cadillac Records on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
5 December 2008 (USA) more
Tagline:
If you take the ride, you must pay the price. more
Plot:
Chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 4 wins & 14 nominations more
User Comments:
GREAT Music, Flashy Nostalgia, Fascinating Cultural History more (67 total)

Cast

  (Credited cast)

Adrien Brody ... Leonard Chess

Jeffrey Wright ... Muddy Waters

Gabrielle Union ... Geneva Wade

Columbus Short ... Little Walter

Cedric the Entertainer ... Willie Dixon

Emmanuelle Chriqui ... Revetta Chess

Eamonn Walker ... Howlin' Wolf

Mos Def ... Chuck Berry

Beyoncé Knowles ... Etta James
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joshua Alscher ... Mick Jagger

Tim Bellow ... Man in the Caddy

Tony Bentley ... Lomax

Lawrence P. Beron ... Overseer

Tammy Blanchard ... Isabelle Allen

Eric Bogosian ... Alan Freed

Marc Bonan ... Keith Richards
Wayne Cobham ... Piano - Ettas Recording Recording Group

Ryan Curtis ... Picnic Boyfriend

Veronika Dash ... Blonde

Eshaya Draper ... Charles Waters - 7 Years Old

John Farrer ... Violinist - Ettas Recording group

Shiloh Fernandez ... Phil Chess

Jill Flint ... Shirley Feder

Doug W. Goldman ... Trumpet - Ettas Recording group

Gano Grills ... Slick Pimp

Suzette Gunn ... Minnie

Evan Hart ... Young lover

Osas Ighodaro ... Vicky - Maid

Kevin Jackson ... Mysterious Black Man

Albert Jones ... Hubert Sumlin

Nate Jones ... Etta's Recording Group

Rayan Lawrence ... Harmonica Player
Chyna Layne ... Juanita

Malikha Mallette ... Little Walter's girlfriend
Kevin Mambo ... Jimmy Rogers

Aaron Munoz ... Manager

Anthony Del Negro ... Bandstand Dancer

Natasha Ononogbo ... Muddy Waters' Girlfriend
Ginnie Randall ... Muddy Waters Grandmother

Norman Reedus ... Chess
Jake Robards ... Robert

Jay O. Sanders ... Mr. Feder

Stephen Seidel ... Officer Brown

Derrick Simmons ... Dice Player

Valence Thomas ... James Cotton

Dwan Dink Young ... Drums - Ettas Recording group
more
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Cadillac Rock (Greece) (DVD title) [el]
more
MPAA:
Rated R for pervasive language and some sexuality.
Runtime:
109 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby Digital
Filming Locations:
Louisiana, USA more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Arranger Riley Hampton, who orchestrated all of Etta's Chess hits, including "At Last" is not mentioned anywhere in the film. more
Goofs:
Anachronisms: In the film, Leonard Chess opens Chess Studios in 1954 or 1955. It actually opened in 1957. Before that, Chess recorded exclusively at Universal Recording. more
Quotes:
[from trailer]
Leonard Chess: That's a record!
more
Movie Connections:
Featured in The 66th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2009) (TV) more
Soundtrack:
I'm a Man more

FAQ

What other legendary R&R and R&B recording artists are featured in the movie?
Was Leonard Chess ripping off the artists he supported?
A Note Regarding Spoilers
more
19 out of 23 people found the following comment useful.
GREAT Music, Flashy Nostalgia, Fascinating Cultural History, 21 December 2008
8/10
Author: Danusha_Goska

"Cadillac Records" is a fun, fast, flashy introduction to the world of Chess Records. In the 1950s, Leonard Chess, a Polish-born Jew in Chicago, along with his brother Phil (not seen in this film) produced "race" records by African American blues and rock and roll legends like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry and Etta James.

These artists' work had huge impact on popular music; the Rolling Stones are shown on a pilgrimage to Chess Studio. Their music is great and is played all but non-stop on the soundtrack, which is a very good thing. Flashy glimpses into the glamorous styles of the 1950s and 60s include loving looks at the many Cadillacs Chess gives as gifts to his star performers.

Jeffrey Wright is quietly compelling as Muddy Waters. Mos Def is a charming Chuck Berry; he really communicates the charisma that Berry exuded to his adoring female fans. Eamonn Walker is terrific, and appropriately intimidating, as Howlin' Wolf. Walker electrifies the screen with his every morsel of screen time; I wish that after they'd finished "Cadillac Records," they had just kept the sets up and kept the cameras running and began a biography of Howlin' Wolf with Walker in the lead. Beyonce Knowles is very beautiful and pays worthy tribute to Etta James, the singer she plays.

"Cadillac Records" feels a bit rushed, and not as deep and probing as it could have been. Perhaps much backstory was cut out? A shame, because Adrien Brody, a brilliant and compelling actor, is not given enough to do.

So much more could and should have been said about Chess the man and his motivations, and the complex relationship he had with his singers. There is the story that Chess put Muddy Waters to work painting his ceiling. Some accused him of paternalism; curious viewers are advised to pick up Nadine Cohodas' book "Spinning Blues into Gold: The Chess Brothers and the Legendary Chess Records." Also, "Cadillac Records" can't avoid the clichés inherent in music biopics: the innocent character is introduced to drugs for the first time, and is ruined by them; the self destructiveness of brilliant people, the exhilarating, brutal, rags-to-riches-to-obscurity trajectory of show biz careers. For all that, "Cadillac Records" is fun and it makes you want to learn more about an important cultural moment in American history.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (67 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Cadillac Records (2008)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Blown away by Beyonce... holydanny
shouldnt a white portray ETTA JAMES? limhaysen
Should Etta James get her own biopic? Cherrybelly
No Phil Chess or Bo Diddley? BrianDefferding
did Len torch his own place? lilyyyy
'At Last' at inauguration was movie plug tacobeanette
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