The Blues Brothers is the 1980 musical comedy directed by John Landis and based on characters created for the late night comedy sketch series Saturday Night Live. The film stars John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd (who reprised their roles from SNL) as Jake and Elwood Blues, musician brothers who are determined to get their band back together in order to raise funds to prevent the orphanage they grew up in from being demolished. As what was customary in John Landis films of the time, there are numerous cameos from several well known directors and actors including Steven Spielberg, Carrie Fisher and Frank Oz. The film's cast also included appearances by several prominent musical performers including Ray Charles, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Aykroyd would return as Elwood in the 1998 sequel Blues Brothers 2000.
The following weapons were used in the film The Blues Brothers:
When the Blues Brothers and their band go to Ray's Music Exchange, Ray (Ray Charles) draws a Walther PPK and fires at a kid who is about to steal a guitar.
One Illinois State trooper is armed with a Smith & Wesson Model 10 during the climax of the film when the police chase the Blues Brothers into the Cook County Accessor's office.
Trooper Mount carries with him a Winchester Model 1300 when they arrive at the Blues Brother's concert to arrest them. Several prison guards are seen using them at the end of the film.
Jake's Ex-fiance (Carrie Fisher) uses an M16 when trying to kill Jake and Elwood after their concert. It has a birdcage flashider, but no forward assist, making it a Colt SP1. Also, while they are normally seen carrying original M16s, two US Army soldiers switch from M16s to SP1s in a continuity error when they are firing through a door when searching for the Blues Brothers.
Incorrectly referred to as the "M79 Flamethrower", Jake's Ex-fiance (Carrie Fisher) uses an M1 Flamethrower to try to kill Jake and Elwood when they are in a phonebooth.
Jake's Ex-fiance (Carrie Fisher) uses a prop rocket launcher seemingly based loosely on the M202 FLASH to try to kill Jake and Elwood when they are outside their apartment building.
When she is at her beauty salon, Jake's Ex-fiance (Carrie Fisher) has two weapon manuals on her desk: "M79 Flame-Thrower" and "Anti-Personnel Mines". It's difficult to see the other text on the manuals, but from the logos, it looks like Government files. I wonder how she got those...
Error creating thumbnail: File missingJake's Ex-fiance with her two weapon manuals on her desk. Also, notice the pictures of her and Jake on her desk. Incidentally, FM 6-121 is actually "Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures for Field Artillery Target Acquisition."
Use of Unnecessary Violence
This humorous line proved very controversial within the Chicago Police Department. Due to this line, the Chicago Police Department banned use of its name and insignia in films and television shows until the 2000s. Several movies, such as The Negotiator, used names like "Metro Police" because the name "Chicago Police" could not be used.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingA dispatcher (Ralph Foody) tells police officers "Use of unnecessary violence in the apprehension of the Blues Brothers has been approved", a line that caused the Chicago Police Department to ban it's name and insignia from films for 20 years.
Police Car Wreckage
About 60 police cars were used in the film. Most of these cars were humorously wrecked throughout the film. Here are some shots of it.
