Biography
An attempt to translate one of Jack Kerouac’s novels to the screen arrived before its time. Its 1960 release found Hollywood still shackled by inflexible rules about what could be shown of sexual life, a knot that Ranald MacDougall’s direction never managed to loosen. Jazz listeners, however, have reason to linger: the soundtrack features strong work from André Previn, serving as musical director, and from Dave Bailey, Chico Hamilton, Art Farmer, Art Pepper, Bob Enevoldsen, Russ Freeman, Red Mitchell, Shelly Manne, Bill Perkins, and Gerry Mulligan, who also takes an acting role.