Trailer
Plot summary
Leonard Chess, a Polish Jewish immigrant, runs a bar in Chicago. In 1947 he hires a band that plays electric blues, among them Muddy Waters on guitar and Little Walter on harmonica, and local Black audiences respond to the music while the major labels show no interest. Leonard books studio sessions for Muddy, and as the records get radio play and climb the rhythm-and-blues charts, he builds a record company around him and the other South Side musicians and founds Chess Records. He rewards successful artists with Cadillacs, and the label comes to stand for opportunity, loyalty and conflict. Geneva Wade stays with Muddy through his infidelity and the strain of touring as his success reshapes their life.
Cast
- Tim Bellowas Man in the Caddy (as Timothy Bellow)
Show all 20 cast
Did you know?!Facts and trivia about Cadillac Records (2008)
Can contain spoilers, watch the movie first.
- The month after the film was released, Beyoncé performed "At Last" at the inauguration ball of Barack Obama, as he and wife Michelle danced together for the first time as President and First Lady.
- Matt Dillon was originally slated to play the role of Chess, but it was ultimately given to Adrien Brody due to scheduling conflicts with Dillon.
- The role of Etta James was written with Beyoncé in mind, according to director Martin, and early cast announcements paired her with Columbus Short as Little Walter and Jeffrey Wright as Muddy Waters.
- The soundtrack spent 48 weeks at number one of the Top Blues Albums and was nominated for three 2010 Grammy Awards, including Beyoncé's "Once in a Lifetime" and her "At Last" for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance.
- When the film left cinemas in January 2009 it had yet to recoup its $12 million budget, ending its run with a worldwide box office gross of $8,880,045.
