DVD Review – A Man Called Adam

A MAN CALLED ADAM (STUDIOCANAL: Certificate 12: Running time 104 mins approx.)

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

Originally released in 1966, this film tells the story of Adam Johnson, a talented African-American jazz musician who is tormented with ill health, alcoholism, racism, explosive temper and deep-seated guilt over the loss of his wife and child some years before. Fate brings him together with jazz legend Willie Ferguson and his granddaughter Claudia, a straight-talking civil rights activist, who he makes a crude sexual pass at before realising he is actually in love with her. He resolves to tame his wild lifestyle and settle down but it isn’t as easy as he thinks – can he actually escape his demons or will they end up killing him?

Starring Sammy Davis Jr. as Adam, this film has to be viewed through the era it was actually made. The dialogue is stilted, the action is slow-moving and the acting is at times quite questionable but the social commentary is intact and is, at times, extremely moving. One can imagine if this was to be remade today how much further the film-maker would be allowed to take things. However, as I have already stated, you have to view this as a film made in the 60s and, as such, it is truly evocative.

The film is packed with names: Cicely Tyson, playing Claudia; Louis Armstrong, playing Willie Ferguson; Ossie Davis, Frank Sinatra Jr, Peter Lawford, Mel Torme. Morgan Freeman even shows up as a background artist! The score includes two numbers specially written for the film by Benny Carter: ‘Whisper to One’, sung by Sammy Davis Jr. and ‘All That Jazz’ (not the Kander and Ebb one) sung by Mel Torme. Of course, Louis Armstrong isn’t left out and his rendition of ‘Back O’ Town Blues’ is what you would expect – absolutely delicious. Although Davis Jr. plays a well-known trumpeter (cornetist) he doesn’t actually play the instrument and that is left to Nat Adderley to dub – and what a spectacular job he makes of it.

The film is ‘of its time’ but, as an example of black film history, it is of great importance and for jazz lovers out there, it is a poignant look at the 60s jazz era.

Nick Wakeham