Popular Culture Review Vol. 1, December 1989 | Page 52

JAZZ IN POPULAR CULTURE:
A FILM ASSIST BY CLINT
EASTWOOD
According to David Meeker’s Jazz in the Movies, there are
more than two thousand films that feature jazz musicians, or have
some sort of jazz background, connection, or storyline. (1) But
even the most ardent fan would be hard pressed to name a dozen
such films. Despite this apparent affinity— both artforms are about
the same age, both endured the same struggles, and both received
significant support from Europe— there was until recently, rela
tively little achievement in the jazz and Hollywood meeting.
The exceptions are the documentary films, o f which there are
many, and the more recent trend of simply video taping live
performances. But for the purposes o f this discussion, I will
confine examples to the fictional or semi-fictional jazz film.
For jazz to receive such a boost from the unexpected and, at
first glance, surprising personna of actor-director-producer Clint
Eastwood, whose Dirty Harry screen image has become a popular
culture icon, was a surprise to both fans and the jazz establishment.
This pale rider with a fistful o f dollars, box office clout, and an
immense dedication and love for jazz— a well kept secret, although
“Play Misty For Me” was a strong clue— has produced and directed
the Elm biography of the legendary bebop saxophonist Charlie
Parker. Putting aside the Dirty Harry personna, forsaking a .44
Magnum for a saxophone, car crashes and shootouts for bebop
solos and jam sessions on New York’s 52nd Street, Eastwood
moved to the forefront of jazz film making with Bird.“
“It is,” [Bird] as one jazz critic and Eastwood himself said,
“the first film about jazz by somebody who likes jazz” (2). To fully
appreciate the impact and excellence of Bird, a brief review of

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