The Last Waltz

film by Scorsese [1978]

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June 30, 2026

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The Last Waltz is a 1978 concert film directed by Martin Scorsese that documents the final performance of the Canadian-American rock group The Band on Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976. The film is celebrated for its exceptional performance footage and features guest appearances by numerous musical luminaries, including Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and Neil Young. The Band, known for their pioneering blend of country, folk, blues, and rock music, had a significant impact on the Americana genre. This concert marked the end of their touring career, though the group would briefly reform without guitarist Robbie Robertson. The film is considered a landmark in concert filmmaking and was added to the National Film Registry in 2019.12

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Martin Scorsese
Films of the 1970s: Mean Streets, Taxi Driver, and New York, New York
…concert into the well-received rockumentary The Last Waltz (1978), with unparalleled performance footage of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, and other musical luminaries. Next came American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince (1978), in which Prince, a friend of Scorsese who memorably played the gun
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…concert into the well-received rockumentary The Last Waltz (1978), with unparalleled performance footage of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, and other musical luminaries. Next came American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince (1978), in which Prince, a friend of Scorsese who memorably played the gun
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the Band
The Last Waltz and the death of Richard Manuel
…immortalized by Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Waltz (1978), with guest appearances by Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and others. With only the lackluster Islands (1977) as a last, contract-honoring memento of their career, the Band quickly fragmented. In 1983, sans Robertson, the group re-formed and played a less-than-spectacular tour.…
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…immortalized by Martin Scorsese’s film The Last Waltz (1978), with guest appearances by Dylan, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and others. With only the lackluster Islands (1977) as a last, contract-honoring memento of their career, the Band quickly fragmented. In 1983, sans Robertson, the group re-formed and played a less-than-spectacular tour.…
Read More