Louie Bluie_
"Filmed at the 1985 Friscofest"
Crumb director Terry Zwigoff’s first film is a true treat: a documentary about the obscure country-blues musician and idiosyncratic visual artist Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, member of the last known black string band in America. As beguiling a raconteur as he is a performer, Louie makes for a wildly entertaining movie subject, and Zwigoff honors him with an unsentimental but endlessly affectionate tribute. Full of infectious music and comedy, Louie Bluie is a humane evocation of the kind of pop-cultural marginalia that Zwigoff would continue to excavate in the coming years.
Starring
Howard Armstrong, Ted Bogan, Jay Lynch
Updated Feb 16, 2026
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Year context
Louie Bluie was released 41 years ago in 1985.
Overview
Crumb director Terry Zwigoff’s first film is a true treat: a documentary about the obscure country-blues musician and idiosyncratic visual artist Howard “Lou...
Louie Bluie is a Documentary, Music film with a runtime of 1h 0m.
CAST (5)
HA
Howard Armstrong
Himself
TB
Ted Bogan
Himself
JL
Jay Lynch
Himself
YR
Yank Rachell
Himself
IR
Ikey Robinson
Himself
DETAILS
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Louie Bluie about?
Crumb director Terry Zwigoff’s first film is a true treat: a documentary about the obscure country-blues musician and idiosyncratic visual artist Howard “Louie Bluie” Armstrong, member of the last known black string band in America. As beguiling a raconteur as he is a performer, Louie makes for a wildly entertaining movie subject, and Zwigoff honors him with an unsentimental but endlessly affectionate tribute. Full of infectious music and comedy, Louie Bluie is a humane evocation of the kind of pop-cultural marginalia that Zwigoff would continue to excavate in the coming years.
How long is Louie Bluie?
Louie Bluie has a runtime of 60 minutes (1h 0m).
Who stars in Louie Bluie?
The cast of Louie Bluie includes Howard Armstrong, Ted Bogan, Jay Lynch, Yank Rachell, Ikey Robinson.
What is the rating of Louie Bluie?
Louie Bluie has a rating of 7.5 out of 10 based on 12 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Documentary
Music