1985, 115 minutes
Directed by Brigitte Berman
SHOWCHELLA
1986 ACADEMY AWARD FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
Newly Restored - Not Streaming Anywhere
Unseen since the 1980s, Artie Shaw: Time is All You've Got catches up with the iconic Shaw at age 72 to look back at his five-decade career as a bandleader and "King of the Clarinet,” one of the most popular stars of the 1930s and '40s Swing era.
“Beware of what you wish for… you may be so unfortunate as to get it.” Raw with an intense personality, Shaw is honest here, with an uncompromising vision of what a composer and musician should strive for. While he reached huge success with his swing band, he was also uncomfortable with the expectations of being a celebrity and society's implied rules on music. Rather than play the same pop hits endlessly he pushed musical expectations, combining classical and jazz forms. Shaw also helped to break the color barrier by hiring legendary African American musicians like Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page and Roy Eldridge for his bands. A compelling look at a giant in music history that might illuminate our understanding of that industry today.