Why did anyone think this would make a good movie?

You don't have to be high and mighty to appreciate jazz, America's first original culture offered to the world. You don't like the genere I get it. The rest of your critic is lame and superficial.

I personally found it a decent film. It tackled lots of things that would have been pretty rare for Hollywood films in those days. And don't forget, in 1961, the US still had segregated facilities throughout the South and racial strife in Northern US cities, there was no widely available contraception for women and sexually liberated women were considered a major threat, being divorced was considered very controversial, drug abuse was a problem but the kinds of treatment programs we have today didn't really exist, and so on.

Also, jazz was on the verge of ceding its once dominant role as the US's popular music to rock and roll. So the movie takes on nearly all these topics, as well more basic ones like the challenges people in love face, and does so quite well. I think the women actors are better than the men, but that's my take. The jazz scenes, especially the one when Louis Armstrong shows up at the jazz cave where Sidney Poitier and Paul Newman are playing was thrilling and very well done.

Thank you for your troll...attempt.

Appreciation of Jazz music requires a sense of culture. Johnboy1221 hasn't experienced culture. It probably runs in his family. Don't criticize him for that, I feel sorry for him.

It is a good movie. Not a great one, but definitely a good one. I agree with previous viewers that the female leads are a bit better than the male leads. And the story touches on many issues of the day without becoming heavy-handed, providing a fascinating time capsule. The jazz alone makes it worth watching, unless you don't like jazz, which sadly seems to be the case with the OP.

Whether or not it's a good movie has nothing to do with jazz. The reverse snobbery of the OP is funny. Actually boasting because he doesn't like jazz, as if that makes him a cooler person.