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Red and the Chicago 7

 Tuesday: A Man Called Adam (1966)

        Adam is a struggling black cornetist. He is talented jazz musician. His short temper, alcoholism, and venue pickiness lead to him not getting many gigs. He meets a civil rights activist named Claudia who's grandfather is a famous jazz musician. Despite their personality differences they fall in love. He starts to become better and his career takes off. But after a encounter with racist cops Adam goes on a downwards spiral. His career and relationships go down hill. Claudia tries to help despite him rejecting her. I thought this movie was ok. It was nice to see Sammy Davis Jr. in a lead role. I've mostly seen him in ensemble movies with the rat pack.

Thursday: The Five Pennies (1959)

       A man named Loring "Red" Nichols moves to New York to become a famous jazz musician. He gets hired to play with a band who plays in a hotel. One night he meets a chorus girl named Willa. At first she thinks he is a hick and he thinks she is a floozie show girl. After spending more time together they find out there were wrong. They quickly fall in love and get married. Red struggles with the structure of his band and the lack of freedom. He quits. After that he struggles to find a gig. He ends up working on themed radio shows. Then he gets a band together to go on a college tour. They get noticed and the band takes off. They tour for several years. Willa gets pregnant. They decided to raise their daughter on the road. After 5 or so years it becomes clear that this won't work so they send her to boarding school. Then she gets polio. Red gives up everything to be with her and get her better. Years later he makes a comeback. I liked this movie a lot. Another Danny Kaye (Red) movie. This is based on a true story. Also several of the members of his band went on to be very famous, like Glenn Miller.

Saturday: The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

          This is another movie based on a true story. During the Vietnam war hundreds of protesters gathered in Chicago to protest the war at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. What started as a peaceful protest ended in a riot, mostly due to excessive police force. The seven leaders of the various groups are arrested and put on trail. From the start it is clear that something is not right about this trail. The judge is incompetent and clearly biased. Bobby Seale, the leader of the Black Panthers, is there without representation because they refused to push the trail until his lawyer recovered from an illness. He was also not associated with the others in any way. The jury is tampered with and evidence is hidden. It's a giant mess. The seven's lawyer does his best to defend them despite it all. This is a really good movie. It has a good cast. It was interesting to hear Eddie Redmayne with an American accent. The subject matter hits close to home with the current protests. Police brutality and an incompetent government. 

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