’Round Midnight

In the 1950s New York jazz scene, Dale Turner is a skilled saxophonist who makes a living in small clubs while grappling with alcohol. After speaking with a fellow musician whose health is failing, he decides to seek a fresh start in Paris, hoping to find steadier ground by playing at the Le Blue Note club until luck shifts in his favor.

In Paris, he is befriended by Francis Borler, a down-on-his-luck French graphic designer who creates film posters and shares a cramped life with his daughter. Francis idolizes the musician and does everything possible to help him escape the cycle of drinking. As the two men grow closer, Dale moves in with Francis and his daughter, gradually stabilizing and learning to get by without alcohol. He then decides to return home to New York to reconnect with old friends and his own daughter.

Francis accompanies Dale back to New York, and the local music scene seems ready to welcome the prodigal artist back. To strengthen the bond with his daughter, he writes a song in her honor and arranges for her to attend its debut at a club. Yet during the premiere, he confuses her age and tells the audience she has just turned 15; she is actually 14, and she gently notes this to Francis, who sits nearby.

Later, at a diner, an old drug dealer recognizes him and hints that his supply remains available. Francis makes several attempts to intervene, trying to shield him from the danger and to stay one step ahead of the temptations that haunt him. After Francis leaves and returns to Paris with his daughter, he receives a telegram from Dale’s music manager reporting that the musician has died in a local hospital.

Last Updated: October 09, 2025 at 14:39