# What is the origin of this movie cliche? (jazz, city, night, walking) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 9, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519 "2007-09-09T02:55:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dilton\_Doiley\_Philosopher\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f1d935/32.png) [@Dilton\_Doiley\_Philosopher\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dilton_Doiley_Philosopher_King)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519/1 "2007-09-09T02:55:51Z")
In movies and cartoons, you will sometimes see a down-on-his-luck fella who is walking the streets at night in the big city, with a jazz soundtrack playing and neon lights flashing/floating all around him. Signs like “No Vacancy”, “Girls Girls Girls”, “Wine and Spirits”… where did this scene first originate, and in what different movies, shows or cartoons has it been used? ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519/2 "2007-09-09T03:39:59Z")
There’s a variation of this in the silent movie _Sunrise_ (1927), in which a rural couple walks through the big city, while various emblems of urban life appear around them in a multi-image shot. It’s daytime, though. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519/3 "2007-09-09T04:15:01Z")
According to Wikipedia the “drunk walking down a street with neon signs tempting him” meme orginated with [The Lost Weekend](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Weekend). ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519/4 "2007-09-09T04:31:08Z")
This is only loosely related, but the paintings of Otto Dix and several other post-WWI artists often depict a crippled, destitute veteran hobbling down the street, surrounded by neon signs, jazz clubs, prostitutes, and all the debauchery of Weimar-era germany. ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519/5 "2007-09-09T04:57:58Z")
That scene exists in roughly 87% of all films noirs. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519/6 "2007-09-09T05:13:24Z")
Just a normal night in Bangkok. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2007, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-origin-of-this-movie-cliche-jazz-city-night-walking/418519/7 "2007-09-09T05:30:17Z")
[QUOTE=Siam Sam] Just a normal night in Bangkok. [/QUOTE] “One night in Bangkok makes a hard man humble Not much between despair and ecstasy One night in Bangkok and the tough guys tumble Can’t be too careful with your company I can feel the devil walking next to me.”