# The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic - Hardcover

by **Daniel de Visé** (Author)

**The story of the epic friendship between John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, the golden era of improv, and the making of a comedic film classic that helped shape our popular culture**

"They're not going to catch us," Dan Aykroyd, as Elwood Blues, tells his brother Jake, played by John Belushi. "We're on a mission from God." So opens the musical action comedy _The Blues Brothers_, which hit theaters on June 20, 1980. Their scripted mission was to save a local Chicago orphanage. But Aykroyd, who conceived and wrote much of the film, had a greater mission: to honor the then-seemingly forgotten tradition of rhythm and blues, some of whose greatest artists--Aretha Franklin, James Brown, John Lee Hooker, Cab Calloway, Ray Charles--made the film as unforgettable as its wild car chases. Much delayed and vastly over budget, beset by mercurial and oft drugged-out stars, _The Blues Brothers_ opened to outraged reviews. However, in the 44 years since, it has been acknowledged a classic: it has been inducted into the National Film Registry for its cultural significance, even declared a "Catholic classic" by the Church itself, and re-aired thousands of times on television to huge worldwide audiences. It is, undeniably, one of the most significant films of the twentieth century.

The story behind any classic is rich; the saga behind _The Blues Brothers_, as Daniel de Visé reveals, is epic, encompassing the colorful childhoods of Belushi and Aykroyd; the comedic revolution sparked by Harvard's _Lampoon_ and Chicago's Second City; the birth and anecdote-rich, drug-filled early years of _Saturday Night Live_, where the Blues Brothers were born as an act amidst turmoil and rivalry; and, of course, the indelible behind-the-scenes narrative of how the film was made, scene by memorable scene. Based on original research and dozens of interviews probing the memories of principals from director John Landis and producer Bob Weiss to Aykroyd himself, _The Blues Brothers_ illuminates an American masterpiece while vividly portraying the creative geniuses behind modern comedy.

  

### Author Biography

**DANIEL DE VISÉ** is the author of _King of the Blues: The Rise and Reign of B.B. King_, _The Comeback: Greg LeMond, The True King of American Cycling, and a Legendary Tour de France_, _Andy and Don: The Making of a Friendship and a Classic American TV Show_, and coauthor of _I Forgot to Remember: A Memoir of Amnesia_. He shared a 2001 Pulitzer Prize for his journalism and has worked at the _Washington Post_ and _Miami Herald_, among other newspapers. He lives in Maryland.

**Number of Pages:** 400

**Dimensions:** 1.8 x 9.1 x 6.1 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** March 19, 2024

## Details

- **Price:** 28.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 28.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic - Hardcover

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