The story of a failed folk musician who tries to break through in Greenwhich village in the 1960s was loosely based on David van Ronk’s book, The Mayor of MacDougal Street: A Memoir. The film’s fictional hero is a kind of shadow image of Bob Dylan who appears briefly in the background.

The 1963 album Inside/ Dave Van Ronk inspired the movie’s title, and also perhaps the cat who is an important part of the film.

Bruno told me that another 1963 album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, inspired the wintry, “slushy” look of the film

Inside Llewyn Davis has a sound track album which features the musical performances by the film’s actors, as produced by T Bone Burnett. The musical numbers in the movie were filmed live.

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amazon.com: The Mayor of MacDougal Street: A Memoir

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