The Legend of Jimmy Blue Eyes (1964)

If you’ve heard The Charlie Daniels Band’s “Devil Went Down to Georgia” then you will be familiar with the plot. A none-too-perfect man and accomplished trumpeter “Jimmy” (Garland Thompson) is challenged to a contest by the devil himself (Donald Elson). Of course, nobody expects that “Jimmy” has a snowball’s chance in his foe’s fiery dominion, but in this smoky joint he accepts the wager - so let battle commence. The narration is delivered poetically, and some of that rhyming mixes menace, fantasy and even optimism quite powerfully as the jazz underscore sets up our duel. The whole production has a seediness to it, not in a tawdry way - more in an hot and sweaty, threatening fashion and the trumpet work from Teddy Buckner and his All Stars is soulful (or perhaps not?) stuff. It is, perhaps, five minutes longer than it needs to be, but the photography gets up close and personal and I did enjoy it.