Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser
Charlotte Zwerin · 1988
Charlotte Zwerin’s 1988 documentary assembles rediscovered 1967 footage of Thelonious Monk in performance, rehearsal, and daily life, supplemented by interviews with collaborators and family. Produced by Clint Eastwood’s Malpaso Productions, it avoids narration and chronology in favour of sustained, intimate observation — capturing Monk’s physicality, discipline, and reserve with unprecedented fidelity. Selected for the National Film Registry in 2017, it remains the definitive visual record of the pianist at work.