


The film is called Cadillac Records because Leonard Chess began his career in the music industry by selling records out of the trunk of his Cadillac, although the real name of the company is Chess Records. His brother Phil also helped him. The movie shows the growth of the company from a small label to an industry powerhouse. We see Leonard and Phil try and get their artists’ careers moving by booking them in small Chicago clubs. The film shows the tensions between the artists as well as they work in the small recording studio and try to come up with music that will sell.
Much of the film shows the challenges that Chess and his musicians faced getting the label started and selling records. This time period was full of a lot of overt racism in the country and many of the musicians had trouble getting gigs or treated with respect. The musicians themselves are not perfect and they get into a lot of trouble with drinking, drugs, and affairs.
In between all the drama, Cadillac Records features a lot of popular, classic music and it is full of musical performances. Many of the actors portraying the musicians are singers in their own right and they can sing many of these classic songs. Beyonce Knowles plays Etta James and she sings the love song “At Last” in the film. The film also shows the birth of the genre of rock and roll. We see Chuck Berry portrayed by Mos Def, begin to fuse country music with blues which gave way to artists like Elvis Presley. The music is very upbeat but the overall tone of the film is one that is serious and gritty. Leonard Chess launched his company during a turbulent time in American history and the film does not shy away from portraying it.
Cadillac Records is an Drama, History, Music movie that was released in 2008 and has a run time of 1 hr 49 min. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0 and a MetaScore of 65.
Where do I stream Cadillac Records online? Cadillac Records is available to watch free on Pluto TV, IMDb TV and stream, download, buy on demand at Amazon Prime, Hulu, Apple TV+, FuboTV, The Roku Channel, Starz, Amazon, Vudu, Google Play, iTunes, YouTube VOD online. Some platforms allow you to rent Cadillac Records for a limited time or purchase the movie and download it to your device.
After being hospitalized Wednesday for difficulty breathing, legendary singer Etta James is fighting for her life. Doctors have revealed that James has been battling a string of health issues and terminal illness for several years.
The curtain is about to close on the life of a music legend. R&B singer Etta James, best known for her 1961 classic song "At Last," has been confirmed to be terminally ill in Riverside, CA. In recent years, James has suffered from a combination of dementia, kidney failure, hepatitis C and incurable leukemia.