A Man Called Adam

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

755

YOUR RATING

Sammy Davis Jr. in A Man Called Adam (1966)

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Watch A Man Called Adam: You're Scary

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Drama Music

A famous jazz trumpeter finds himself unable to cope with the problems of everyday life.A famous jazz trumpeter finds himself unable to cope with the problems of everyday life.A famous jazz trumpeter finds himself unable to cope with the problems of everyday life.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.6/10

755

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Videos2

Clip 2:00

Watch A Man Called Adam: You're Scary

Clip 3:50

Watch A Man Called Adam: Louis Armstrong (UK)

Photos48

+ 42

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Influenced

Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
About an hour into the movie you may notice Morgan Freeman as one of the party guest; his second appearance in a feature film.

Goofs
Although the Sammy Davis character is referred to as a trumpet player the only instrument he plays in the film is a cornet.

Quotes
Claudia Ferguson: [after their confrontation with two racist policemen] That's right. Two jerks came up here to do their job to find you, me and a white boy, which they weren't too thrilled about anyway, and you have to give them some lip. Save your heroism for something important.
Adam Johnson: It was important. Don't you know that, Claudia? Take a piece of you here, a piece of you there, so there's nothing left... except yessah, boss!

Connections
Featured in The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: Episode #20.174 (2012)

Soundtracks
All That Jazz
Music and Lyrics by Benny Carter and Al Stillman
Played over the credits by trumpeter Nathaniel Adderly
Sung at a party by Mel Tormé
Reprised by Mel Tormé at the end of the film

User reviews12

Review

Featured review

7/10

Flawed, but a fantastic cast makes this worthwhile

The good:

The great performance from Sammy Davis, who has such screen presence and exudes cool. Cicely Tyson (RIP!) is good in this too.

The jazz soundtrack, with performances from Louis Armstrong and Mel Torme, who were both a treat to see.

The spotlight on racism in society and in the police force, and in a minor key, allusions to the tension between passive nonviolence and fighting back in reaction to it.

The bad:

Davis's character is unlikeable. He's been traumatized but is a complete jerk to everyone around him, and I think we're meant to have the same reaction as the other characters, which is to forgive him because he's so talented.

The plot is melodramatic and lacks creative focus. It's too bad it kept going back to Davis imploding instead of other more interesting things.

The ugly:

The treatment of Tyson's character. I hated how she succumbed to Davis after he forces himself on her, failing the first time and succeeding the second (just keep assaulting 'em fellas, and they'll give in). She forgives his bad behavior like a saint, and in one nausea-inducing moment, blames herself for having softened him too much by telling him to behave better. Ugh.