'Round Midnight (1986)

Director:

Bertrand Tavernier

Writers:

David Rayfiel (screenplay) and
Bertrand Tavernier (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

3 October 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Music

Tagline:

The music and the magic come together...

Plot:

In 'Round Midnight, real-life jazz legend Dexter Gordon brilliantly portrays the fictional tenor sax player Dale Turner...

Plot Keywords:

Musician | Jazz | Paris France | New York City | Time In Title

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 8 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Dexter Gordon	...	Dale Turner
François Cluzet	...	Francis Borler
Gabrielle Haker	...	Berangere
Sandra Reaves-Phillips	...	Buttercup
Lonette McKee	...	Darcey Leigh
Christine Pascal	...	Sylvie
Herbie Hancock	...	Eddie Wayne
Bobby Hutcherson	...	Ace
Pierre Trabaud	...	Francis's Father
Frédérique Meininger	...	Francis's Mother
Hart Leroy Bibbs	...	Hershell
Liliane Rovère	...	Madame Queen
Ged Marlon	...	Beau
Benoît Régent	...	Psychiatrist
Victoria Gabrielle Platt	...	Chan Turner
Arthur French	...	Booker
John Berry	...	Ben
Martin Scorsese	...	Goodley
Philippe Noiret	...	Redon
Alain Sarde	...	Terzian
Eddy Mitchell	...	L'ivrogne au bar du Blue Note
Billy Higgins	...	Drums (Blue Note, Davout Studio)
Eric Lelann	...	Trumpet (Blue Note)
John McLaughlin	...	Guitar (Blue Note)
Pierre Michelot	...	Bass (Blue Note)
Wayne Shorter	...	Tenor Saxophone (Blue Note), Soprano Saxophone (Davout Studio, Lyon)
Ron Carter	...	Bass (Davout Studio, New York)
Palle Mikkelborg	...	Trumpet (Davout Studio)
Mads Vinding	...	Bass (Davout Studio, Lyon)
Cheikh Fall	...	Percussion (Lyon)
Michel Pérez	...	Guitar (Lyon)
Tony Williams	...	Drums (Lyon, New York)
Freddie Hubbard	...	Trumpet (New York)
Cedar Walton	...	Piano (New York)
Charles Belonzi
Arno Chevrier
Marpessa Djian
Guy Louret
Patrick Massieu
Philippe Moreau
Jacques Poitrenaud
Luc Sarot
Jimmy Slyde
Pascal Tedes
Pascale Vignal
Noël Simsolo
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Martine Guillaud
Marc-Édouard Nabe	...	Extra (uncredited)

Directed by
Bertrand Tavernier

Writing credits
David Rayfiel		(screenplay) and
Bertrand Tavernier		(screenplay)
Colo Tavernier		(French translation)

Produced by
Irwin Winkler	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbie Hancock

Cinematography by
Bruno de Keyzer

Film Editing by
Armand Psenny

Casting by
Amanda Mackey Johnson		(as Amanda Mackey)

Production Design by
Alexandre Trauner

Art Direction by
Pierre Duquesne

Costume Design by
Jacqueline Moreau

Makeup Department
Alain Bernard	....	hair stylist
Paul Le Marinel	....	makeup artist (as Paul Lemarinel)

Production Management
Monty Diamond	....	production manager: New York
Karl Lefay	....	assistant unit manager
Albert Prévost	....	unit manager (as Albert Prevost)
Philippe Saint-Blancat	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Philippe Bérenger	....	second assistant director (as Philippe Berenger)
Frédéric Bourboulon	....	first assistant director (as Frederic Bourboulon)
Véronique Bourboulon	....	second assistant director (as Veronique Bourboulon)
Paula Brody	....	second assistant director: New York
Mel Howard	....	first assistant director: New York

Art Department
René Albouze	....	property master (as Rene Albouze)
Renaud Barbier	....	assistant property master
Georges Bouillette	....	construction coordinator
Joshua Harrison	....	art director: New York (as Josh Harrison)
Didier Naert	....	assistant art director
Jean-Pierre Nossereau	....	property buyer
Philippe Turlure	....	set designer

Sound Department
Jean-Michel Chauvet	....	boom operator
Sophie Cornu	....	sound editor
Michel Desrois	....	sound
Jean Duguet	....	sound effects
Marielle Fernandez	....	apprentice sound editor
William Flageollet	....	sound
Jean-Pierre Lelong	....	sound effects
Bernard Leroux	....	sound re-recordist
Mario Melchiorri	....	sound effects
Minh-Tam Nguyen	....	apprentice sound editor (as Minh Tam Nguyen)
Sylvie Pontoizeau	....	dialogue editor
Claude Villand	....	sound re-recordist

Camera and Electrical Department
Yves Angelo	....	second camera operator
Gérard Bougeant	....	grip (as Gerard Bougeant)
Myra-Lee Cohen	....	second assistant camera: New York
Stefan Czapsky	....	gaffer: New York (as Stephan Czapsky)
Laurent Fleutot	....	second assistant camera
Charlie Freess	....	key grip (as Charles Freess)
Jean-Yves Freess	....	grip
William Gally	....	electrician
Etienne George	....	still photographer
Denis Hann	....	key grip: New York
Martin Jezequel	....	electrician
Michel LeFrançois	....	gaffer (as Michel Lefrançois)
Francis Pierson	....	electrician (as Francis Pirson)
Dominique Pinto	....	first assistant camera
Larry Steinberg	....	grip: New York
Jacques Stricanne	....	grip
Michel Védié	....	electrician
Adam Winkler	....	additional still photographer
James Donahue	....	electrician: New York (uncredited)
Allen Stillman	....	generator operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Monique Dury	....	wardrobe assistant
William Loger	....	wardrobe consultant: New York (as Billy Lodger)

Music Department
William Flageollet	....	music recordist
Dexter Gordon	....	associate music consultant
Herbie Hancock	....	conductor
Herbie Hancock	....	music arranger
Tony Meilandt	....	music coordinator
Henri Renaud	....	music consultant

Other crew
Jane Bartelme	....	production office coordinator: New York
Claudine Bonnet	....	accountant
Philippe Brun	....	operator
Nicole Cavillon	....	assistant accountant
Aline Corneille	....	production secretary
Janet Crosby	....	assistant to producers
Lydia Dean Pilcher	....	location manager: New York (as Lydia Pilcher)
Catherine Guillot	....	production assistant
Mathieu Howlett	....	production assistant
Valerie Johnson	....	assistant to producers
Michel Kostromine	....	production assistant
Gary Marcus	....	set coordinator: New York
Eddy Moine	....	production assistant
Diane Schneier	....	assistant: Amanda Mackey
Claudine Taulère	....	continuity (as Claudine Taulere)
Thierry Verrier	....	production assistant

Thanks
Michael Cuscuna	....	special thanks
Alain Leroux	....	special thanks (as Doctor Alain Leroux)
Bruce Lundvall	....	special thanks
Bud Powell	....	dedicatee
Lester Young	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• Little Bear
• PECF

Distributors

• Warner Bros. (1986) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (1987) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2001) (Argentina) (VHS) (re-edited)
• Space Shower TV (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Warner Bros. Pictures
• Warner Bros. (2001) (Argentina) (all media) (re-release)
• Warner Home Video (2001) (Japan) (DVD)

Also Known As:

Autour de minuit (France)

Runtime:

133 min

Country:

USA | France

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | Argentina:Atp | Finland:S | Norway:12 | UK:15 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Lyon, Rhône, Rhône-Alpes, France

Company:

Little Bear

Trivia:

The character of Francis Borler is based on real-life person Francis Paudras who died in 1997. The character of Dale Turner played by actual jazz musician Dexter Gordon is based on a combination of real-life jazzmen Bud Powell and Lester Young. The real-life friendship between Paudras and Bud Powell has been the subject of several books.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The recording studio is wildly anachronistic. The sort of console in the control room didn't exist until at least the mid 70's. They were much smaller and simpler in 1959, when stereo was in it infancy.

Quotes:

Eddie Wayne: If you had seen Hershell and Dale play together, Francis, it's something that you could never forget. They were so new and so different and yet so close. Maybe it was all those memories that made Dale leave for Paris that Friday morning. Maybe what he saw in Hershell's eyes was too frightening and too familiar.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The 44th Annual Golden Globe Awards (1987) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Chan's Song

The Joy of Life in the Miracle of Creating/ Performing Music

This movie is about an aging, venerable jazz musician and composer, but it could be about any artist, particularly a musician, be he a classical, country western or blues artist. But the real star of the movie is the performing of the music--how it makes ineffable beauty, brings people together, touches the individual soul, creates love. The story shows how jazz and, in particular, this jazz musician (a composite of real jazz musicians and composers) inspires a young Frenchman whose life has been changed by this jazz artist's music. The plot is simple and transparent, but digs deep into the soul of a viewer who yields himself up to the movie, whether he likes jazz or not. I highly recommend this movie that shows the ups and downs of life in several aspects, but is really a tribute not merely to jazz musicians, but actually to the beauty of life that is found in personal experience and, more importantly, in inspiring works of art. The director Bertrand Tavernier is French and has made many movies, on a wide variety of subjects. This film is almost all in English, but his French films are well worth watching, even if you have issues with subtitles. This film made me cry and other of his films have similarly moved me. I hope readers will see this film and perhaps venture to watch some other films by director Tavernier. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever."