Jazz In Film
Rhapsody In Blue: 1945 film directed by Irving Rapper and starred Robert Alda, Joan Leslie and Alexis Smith. This biography depicts the life of George Gershwin, a driven composer whose need to succeed destroys his relationship with singer Julie Adams and socialite Christine Gilbert.
The movie includes appearances by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra and pianist Hazel Scott.
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Jazz In Film
Quicksand: 1950 film directed by Irving Pichel that starred Mickey Rooney, Jeanne Cagney and Barbara Bates relates the story of an auto mechanic who after borrowing $20 from his employer’s cash register, is plunged into a series of increasingly disastrous circumstances which rapidly spiral out of his control.
Appearances by Red Nichols and his band.
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Jazz In Film
Raintree County: This 1957 Edward Dmytryk directed film starred Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor and Eva Marie Saint.
The story: A graduating poet/teacher falls in love with a Southern woman, and then the Civil War and her past create problems.
The John Green music score includes a vocal “The Song of Raintree County” with lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. On the soundtrack Nat King Cole sang the song, and George Fields performed the soundtrack harmonica solos.
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Jazz In Film
Pete Kelly’s Blues: This 1955 film was directed by and starred Jack Webb with co-stars Janet Leigh, Edmond O’Brien and Lee Marvin. In 1927 Kansas City Pete Kelly and his jazz band play nightly at a speakeasy. A local gangster starts to move in on them and when their drummer is killed Kelly gives in, even though this also means taking the thug’s alcoholic girl as a singer. Kelly soon realizes he has made a big mistake selling out in this way and that rich girl Ivy is now the only decent thing in his life.
The film included roles portrayed by jazz legends Peggy Lee as Rose Hopkins, Ella Fitzgerald as Maggie Jackson and Herb Ellis as Bedido. Pianist Don Abney, bassist Joe Mondragon and drummer Larry Bunker back the vocalists.
Matty Matlock who also sits in the clarinet chair also did the jazz arrangements. The band was comprised of Teddy Buckner on cornet, George Van Epps and Moe Schneider on trombone, Eddie Miller on tenor saxophone, Ray Sherman, piano; Jud de Naut, bass; Nick Fatool on drums, and trumpeters Joe Venuti, Thomas Jefferson, Harper Goff, Perry Bodkin and Dick Cathcart, with the latter dubbing the for Jack Webb.
Musical Numbers: Pete Kelly’s Blues, Sing Me A Rainbow, He Needs ME, Oh Didn’t He Ramble, I Never Knew, Hard-Hearted Hannah, Sugar, Bye Bye Blackbird and Somebody Loves Me.
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Jazz In Film
The Out-Of-Towners is a 1969 film directed by Arthur Hiller and it starred Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis. Quincy Jones composed the music score.
Up for a promotion, George Kellerman with wife Gwen are being flown to New York City on an all expenses paid trip to interview with the top brass. They plan to arrive the night before to enjoy dinner and a show but the plane gets diverted to Boston. George’s carefully planned dream trip turns into a nightmare which features, among other misadventures, a hellish train ride to New York, a mugging, a police chase and a broken tooth.
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