Watch at Home 04.25.2025

Artie Shaw: Time Is All You've Got

Directed by Brigitte Berman
Film Movement Classics
1985
115 Minutes
Canada
English
Documentary, Music, Biography
Not Rated

Outspoken, manipulative, independent thinking and oftentimes controversial, Artie Shaw (1910-2004) was one of the most popular stars of the Swing Era, who famously broke the color barrier by hiring the legendary Billie Holiday, Hot Lips Page and Roy Eldridge for his bands. His complex love-hate relationship with his own celebrity caused him to walk away from performing almost as many times as he walked away from his marriages.

Winner of the 1986 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, ARTIE SHAW: TIME IS ALL YOU’VE GOT portrays the restless life and five-decade career of the gifted clarinetist/bandleader known as the “King of the Clarinet.” Anchored by an incisive interview recorded when he was 72 years old, this entertaining portrait is much more than a jazz film; it is the insightful story of a brilliant and complex individual.

4K picture restoration by Patrick Duchesne, Frank Biasi, and Jim Fleming at Picture Shop (Toronto). Sound restoration by Daniel Pellerin. 4K and soundtrack restoration generously donated by Donald Hicks (coordinated by Bradly Torreano) and Telefilm Canada, in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival. 4K picture and sound restoration supervised by Producer/Director Brigitte Berman.

Director & Cast

  • Director: Brigitte Berman
  • Starring: Artie Shaw
  • Starring: Helen Forrest
  • Starring: Mel Tormé
  • Starring: Evelyn Keyes

Trailer

Photos

Reviews

  • "The film remains a brilliant portrait of a difficult man, an artist who was never happy with himself or anyone else."
    Judy Wolfe, POV Magazine
  • "Critic's Pick! An all-star roster of interviewees, including the luminaries Mel Tormé and Buddy Rich, contributes to an unfailingly entertaining saga."
    Glenn Kenny, The New York Times
  • "Director Brigitte Berman’s insightful and often playful documentary offers an in-depth look into the complex and contradictory personality of Artie Shaw, providing a vibrant yet realistic depiction of a man whose talent frequently clashed with his aversion to fame."
    Chris Jones, Overly Honest Reviews
  • "The film gives us ample chances to experience all these aspects of the man, from his virtuosity and incredible tone on the clarinet, to a compulsion for perfection that fueled his success, and, sometimes, drove everybody crazy, including himself."
    KPFK Film Club