MovieChat Forums > Cadillac Records (2008) Discussion > Questions about Brody's Character (spoil...

Questions about Brody's Character (spoilers)

posted 16 years ago by viamber
15 replies | jump to latest

So.....why did Beyoncé sprawl herself over the bed when she was first brought to Chess's (Brody's) room to audition? Was it expected that any woman who wanted to sign with Chess Records would have to have sex with him? That was confusing, especially with her dialogue.

Secondly, WAS Chess cheating his performers out of their money? Both Muddy Waters and Little Walter seemed to imply this as did Howlin' Wolf, but I wasn't sure.

Thanks!

[–] GoodGracious 16 years ago

He was always giving Muddy waters money.. and buying them all cars.. He said at the end where do they think all the money was going.. It was going into their cars.. I dont think he was cheating them outta money.. They jes werent handling their money right..

As far a Beyonce I didn't see her as a hooker.. She was jes a smart mouth and she was there to audition.. But they kinda tricked us at first.. Made yah think.. When she said she didnt feel like doing it.. She went into the bathroom and started singing.. So.. Thats my take am i wrong?

[–] dano40-1 16 years ago

Chess records behaved like all the other record companies at the time, and many (me) believe that to this day the artist gets the short end of the stick when comes to royalties. Ask TLC 176 Million grossed, payed 15 million gross among three people before tax, which means 2.5 million after tax each for three people ouch!! If a record company wants you and you have talent do not sign!!! You will get ripped off.

[–] BeecanSangg 16 years ago

I don't think Chess cheated them out of money as well... BUT he should of had them on a payroll (issue them checks) and how they handled their money they handled it.

But Chess was new to the business as well, he was trying to do what was right and he really respected them...

The whole Beyonce introduction was a little deceitful, I thought she was a hooker as well.

[–] Huckleberry99 16 years ago

Well the writers and performers sued and WON for back royalties. What does that tell you? Like another poster said, the rec buz was shady then and shady now. But it was much easier to take advantage of artists back then.

[–] BeecanSangg 16 years ago

Just because they WON back royalties doesn't mean that they were not burden with that plantation mentality. Hell they were too busy screwing, drinking and druggie out to even handle their business like they should have. It was due to the residual of that plantation mentality and hell Chess...didn't inflict that on them. So I don't think he was to blame.

[–] [email protected] 16 years ago

Yeah, I thought she was brought to the room too as a hooker. Who wouldn't have thought. They set that one up pretty good.

Yeah, those kats just didn't know how to handle their loot. Chess wasn't trying to screw them, I don't think. Well, at least in the movie version anyway. Who knows what really happened. Chess alluded to Muddy Waters that the cadillacs weren't free when Muddy brought up the pay issue.

[–] atlstl88 16 years ago

The whole way Chess went about his business managing was wrong. I don't think he was out to truly hurt the artists, but he surely didn't help. He took the figure of boss/father in more ways than just personal. He was the father, his artists were the children (except Howlin' lol). A lot of African-American's at that time didn't have two pennies to rub, so handing them something big could make for a disaster, but he could've easily given them the ropes as to how to manage the money. Instead, he used it at his discretion and "took care" of everything. Obviously Chess would get a cut of royalties, but he was switching out artists royalties with others. Muddy shouldn't be getting some of Chuck's royalties, he should be getting his own. Let them buy their own Cadillac's, homes, and whatever else. That's the problem, he didn't treat them like adults when it came to that. If they blew it on their own, then that's their problem. It's demeaning to a man, to have another man buy a home for him and his wife. Whether they used the money on drugs, alcohol, and women; they should've had their full amount of money that THEY earned.

Chess was neither just bad or good; but he still used that "plantation master" mentality. He wanted to run EVERYTHING, and that's never good.

[–] BeecanSangg 16 years ago

That is right, Chess was neither good or bad. He was just human.

[–] coolcleangreen 16 years ago

i agree with your post. the thing i got from the movie was pretty much the same:

while Chess wasn't a bad man, and thought he was being a good guy by giving his talent "perks," it was wholly demeaning to disregard Muddy's inquiry into his royalties. The "master/father" mentality was clear. I was screaming at the screen for Muddy to refuse to sign the contract. Noooo! But I am a law student, so I would. the era of the movie was a whole other animal. when Muddy asked about his royalties he should have been treated like a man with a family to take care of instead of a kid asking for allowance (which was how most whites viewed blacks, like children). *beep* infuriating.

however, Wolf had it right. the artists must take charge of their own work and their own benefits. it shows the mistake Muddy made and confessed to in Chess' house. he gave Chess too much power and faith.

---
"the whole world's on fire, isn't it?"

[–] incrowd 16 years ago

One thing to remember about this movie is that it's a work of fiction based upon real events - - or rather, sometimes diverging accounts of real events.

Probably there were occasionally questionable financial dealings between Leonard Chess and the Chess roster of artists, but yeah, they were all human and such things were par for the course. One thing to notice is how many of those artists stayed with the Chess label for long periods of time, or even returned to the label after periods recording elsewhere.

As to the film's devious intro of Etta James where we're made to wonder if she's a hooker for Leonard Chess - - Seems like this might be a 'riff' on the 'real' story about Etta James being discovered by R&B bandleader / record producer Johnny Otis in Los Angeles in the mid-1950s. The story goes that a teenaged Etta James followed Otis back to his hotel room and demanded a singing audition. The result was her first hit record, 'Dance With Me Henry'. Etta had a string of successful, bluesier west-coast recordings in the '50s well before she signed with Chess in 1960.

If you investigate a little, there's a TON of pretty important information that was drastically changed or completely left out of 'Cadillac Records'.

Not a bad movie, but it would be nice for the 'real' story to be told some day...

[–] BeecanSangg 16 years ago

^^^Thanks for the information. I think this movie did just want it intended to do and that is rely a recording label's foundation and not the schematics...and I think it did a good job at doing the basics.

[–] [email protected] 16 years ago

I think for the REAL story to be told teh film would have to be a lot longer than 2 hours. Maybe part 1 and then the sequel in a year or so. The whole true story would take a lot longer than the time alloted in this film.

[–] Kariann1 16 years ago

Not mentioning that there were two brothers running the company was deceitful. Why leave out this huge factor? You are right, there were so many important acts not mentioned. Bo Diddley signed in 1955. This link is a good one for further information:

http://www.history-of-rock.com/chess_records.htm

[–] jewelrymn 16 years ago

Ok 1 thing that nobody mentioned
Was Adrien Brody the best performance in the movie or is it just me?
He was perfect in every sense of the way!
Man was he intense, the way he conveys emotions on screen is amazing!
Every cigarette he smoked, every gaze, every shrug...I could totally feel the intensity!

He was learning the ropes to the business as well, he came from nothing but had an ambition to be rich and own a Cadillac someday! The artists actually, didn't even dream that big! Most of them just wanted to get out of the plantation (Muddy Waters), get some self esteem (Etta James) or just plain street cred (LITTLE Walter)! So in a way they are related, and he related to them!

About whether he was honest, I would think money corrupts, they encouraged that kind of behavior anyways! Notice when Chuck Bary was in jail, and Adrien Brody said to cut part of his royalty because he wouldn't even notice! He did help them, because he felt like he owed them for his fortune!

He also did have a thing for Etta, you can see it on his face whenever she sang a new song! Ahh Adrien's face's soooooo expressive, the best actor there is, for emotional roles, I couldn't see him as James Bond even though he's got that suave about him.

[–] oxblood 16 years ago

I thought she was originally brought in as a prostitute when I saw that scene. I think that was just the way James' acted having probably been used to using her body to get what she wanted whether as a tease or in actual sexual favors.

As stated before, I'd say Chess was probably cheating some of his performers but probably alot less than other label owners at the time. Obviously, he skimmed royalties from some artists to give to others to give them income and keep them on-board but he probably also skimmed to put more in his own pocket than he earned. It was a natural practice back then among record labels and still goes on today. Movies always sugarcoat everything anyway.