Feature Films

The films selected feature jazz musicians on screen. However, it does include films with notable sound tracks composed by jazzers.

(ABC ) All Black Cast. In the USA between 1910 and 1960 hundreds of films were produced featuring all black casts. These were made for segregated audiences and were often made by black film companies. With the coming of sound more and more black musicians were filmed in a variety of settings. ( see shorts) All Black Cast films now have their own page

 

ALABAMA’S GHOST’S
USA 1973 • 96 mins • Directed by Fredric Hobbs
Features the Turk Murphy Band

ALFIE
UK 1996 •115 mins • Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Music by Sonny Rollins. Ronnie Scott and Stan Tracy also on the sound track

ALL NIGHT LONG
UK 1961 • 95 mins • Directed Michael Relph
featured are Dave Brubeck, Tubby Hayes, Charlie Mingus, Kenny Napper, John Dankworth and Alan Ganley who also ghosted drums for Patrick McGoohan

ALL START BONDS RALLY
USA 1944 • 19mins • Directed by Michael Dudley
with Harry James and Frank Sinatra

ALMOST MARRIED
USA 1942 • 64 mins • Directed by Charles Lamont
with Slim Gaillard

AH! QUELLE EQUIPE
France 1956 • 96mins • Directed Roland Quignon
With Sidney Bechet in a lead role.

AMERICAN BLUE NOTE
USA 1989 • 96 mins • Directed by Ralph Toporrof

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
USA 1951 • 114 mins • Vincente Minnnelli
In one sequence are Benny Carter, Gerald Wilson, Charles Drayton, Eddie Beal and Lee Young

ANATOMY OF A MURDER
USA 1959 • 160 mins • Directed by Otto Preminger
Great sound track from Duke Ellington who also makes an appearance at the piano and says a few lines. This was Ellington's first complete score for a Hollywood film

 

 

THE ANTIQUARIANS
USA 1970 • 45 mins • Directed by George Wein and Sidney J. Stiber
This film is known as Tribute to Louis Armstrong. With Preservation Hall jazz Band with Dede Pierce, Jim Robertson, Billie Pierce. Eureka Brass Band with Dede Pierce, Jim Robertson. New Orleans Classic Ragtime Band. In the tribute section are Bobby Hackett, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Newman

ANYTHING ELSE
USA 2003 • 108 mins • Directed by Woody Allen
Another great sound track from Allen including Billie Holiday, Lester Young and Teddy Wilson. The film features vocalist Diana Krall on screen.

ASSAULT ON A QUEEN
USA 1966 • 106 mins • Directed by Jack Donohue
Terrible film but the third of Ellington's complete scores for a Hollywood film ( see Anatomy of a Murder, Paris Blues, and 'Change of Mind')

ATLANTIC CITY
USA 1944 • 86 mins • Directed Ray MaCarey
with Louis Armstrong

ARTISTS AND MODELS
USA1937 • 97 mins • Directed by Raoul Walsh
Armstrong's third appearance in a feature film after 'Pennies from Heaven'

BALL OF FIRE
USA 1941 • 112 mins • Directed by Howard Hawks
Great scene with Gene Krupa and his Orchestra with Roy Eldridge. ( see Song is Born)

 

BALLAD IN BLUE
UK 1964 • 88 mins Directed by Paul Henried
With Ray Charles in the lead

BARGAIN WITH BULLETS
USA1937 • 72 mins • Directed by Harry Fraser
with Les Hite  and the Cotton Orchestra and the Eddie Barefield Trio

BEAT GENERATION
USA 1959 • 93 mins • Directed by Charles Hass
with Armstrong's All Stars

BEAT THE BAND
USA 1947 • 67 mins • Directed by John Auer
features the Gene Krupa Orchestra with Red Rodney (tpt) and Gerry Mulligan (alto sax)

BENNY GOODMAN STORY
USA 1955 • 116 mins • Directed by Valentine Davies
With Lionel Hampton, Teddy Wilson, Gene Krupa, Kid Ory, Buck Clayton

BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE
USA 1958 • 102 mins • Directed by Richard Quine
Features trumpeters Pete and Conti Candoli in marvellous night club scene with Jack Lemmon on bongos.

BELL OF THE NINETIES
USA 1934 • 70 mins • Directed by Leo McCarey
Classic Mae West film with Duke Ellington and his Orchestra on screen and backing West on' My Old Flame

BEST FOOT FORWARD
USA 1943 • 94mins • Directed by Edward Buzzell
with Harry James and his Orchestra

BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
USA 1946 • 172 mins • Directed by William Wyler
Features Hoagy Carmichael and there is a short scene with the Gene Krupa band

BEWARE (ABC)
USA 1946 • 60 mins • Directed by Bud Pollard
Louis Jordan's first starring role. He made various musical films during the forties at the height of the jump-jive craze.

BIG BROADCAST OF 1932
USA 1932 • 80 mins • Directed Frank Tuttle
with the Mills Brothers, Cab Calloway, Eddie Lang

 

BIG BROADCAST OF 1936
USA 1935 • 97 mins • Directed by Norman Taurog
with Ina Rae Hutton and Ray Noble with Bud Freeman in the band

BIG BROADCAST OF 1937
USA 1936 • 99 mins • Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Features the Benny Goodman Orchestra with Jess Stacy (piano) and Gene Krupa

BIRD
USA 1988 • 160 mins • Directed by Clint Eastwood
Uneven bio of Charlie Parker. Features some of Parker's solos re mastered with new rhythm section. Charlie McPherson does a lot of the dubbing. Score by Lennie Niehaus

BIRTH OF THE BLUES
USA 1941 • 86 mins • Directed by Victor Schertzinger
with Jack Teagarden and Louis Armstrong on screen

BIX, THE LEGEND
Italy 1990 • 111mins • Directed by Pupi Avanti
A very good film about Bix Biederbeck. Great sound track of numerous Bix classics transcribed by Bob Wilber. Cornet played by Tom Pletcher with Wilber playing C melody sax.

BLIND DATE
USA • 1987 • 95 mins • Directed Blake Edwards
Features brief appearance of guitarist Stanley Jordan

BLUE ICE
USA 1992 • 105 mins • Directed by Russell Mulcahy
Michael Caine as ex-spy jazz club owner. Features a quintet of Pete King (alto) Gerald Presencer (tpt) Anthony Kerr (vibes) Dave Green (bass) and Charlie Watts (drums)

LA BOTTA E RIPOSTE
Italy 1949 • 80 mins • Directed by Aldo Soldati
with the Louis Armstrong All Stars including Teagarden Barney Bigard, Earl Hines, Arvell Shaw, Cozy Cole and Velma Middleton (vocals)

 

BOY ! WHAT A GIRL (ABC)
USA 1946 • 70 mins • Directed by Arthur Leonard
Musical with Slam Stewart, Slim Gaillard, Mary Lou Williams, Eddiie ‘Lockjaw ‘ Davis, Sid Catlett, and guest Gene Krupa

BREAKFAST IN HOLLYWOOD
USA 1946 • 90 mins • Directed by Harold Schuster
features the Nat 'King' Cole Trio

 

CABIN IN THE SKY (ABC)
USA1942 • 99 mins • Directed by Vincente Mennelli
With Armstrong and Ellington. Below, the Ellington Band plays "Things Ain't What They Used To Be"

 

CARMEN JONES
USA1954 • 103 mins • Directed by Otto Preminger
Small parts for Max Roach, Ritchie Powell (Bud's brother) and Curtis Counce

CHANGE OF MIND
USA 1969 • 98 mins • Directed by Robert Stevens
Duke Ellington's final Hollywood score and played by his Orchestra

CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK (ABC)
USA1930 • 75 mins • Directed by Melville Brown
Comic duo Amos and Andy film featuring the Duke Ellington Band with Carny, Hodges, Bigard etc. ( Note that the 'black' cast in this film had whites that were' blacked' up and even' lighter skin' members of the Ellington band such as Juan Tizol and Bigard wore dark make up) This film featured Bing Crosby in his third film appearance.

THE CONNECTION
USA 1961 • 110 mins • Directed by Shirley Clarke
With Freddy Redd Quartet with Jackie McLean, Larry Ritchie and Michael Mattos featured through out the film

THE COOL WORLD
USA • 1963 • 105 mins
This film from the director of the The Connection has a score by Mal Waldron played by Dizzie Gillespie, James Moody, Yusef Lateef, Art Taylor and Aaron Bell, who are featured on screen

THE COTTON CLUB
USA 1984 • 128 mins • Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Great recreation of the Cotton Club Days with fresh transcriptions by Bob Wilbur

THE CRIMSON CANARY
USA 1945 • 64 mins • Directed by John Hoffman
Coleman Hawkins, Howard McGee, Sir Charles Thompson , Oscar Pettiford and Densil Best appear on screen but for some strange reason other jazzers ghost the sound track ( see below)

 

 

 

CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION
USA 2001 • 95 mins • Directed by Woody Allen
Apart from Allen's usual selection of jazz classics the film features a band lead by Dick Hyman that includes Howerd Alden (gtr), Ken Peplowski (clarinet) and Ray Beckenstein (saxes)

CRAZY HOUSE  
USA • 1943 • 60 mins • Directed by Edward F. Cline
brief appearances by Count Basie, Jo Jones and Jimmy Rushing

DANCE HALL
UK • 1950 • 80mins
Ted Heath and his music with Henry MacKenzie, Tommy Whittle, Stan Roderick, Ronnie Hughes, Jack Parnell and Kenny Baker

DANCING CO-ED
USA 1939 • 84 mins • Directed by S. Sylvan Simon
features Artie Shaw and his Orchestra

DARK WATERS
USA 1944 • 90 mins • Directed by Andre DeToth
with Nina May McKinney

DEMENTIA aka DAUGHTER OF DARKENSS
USA 1953 • 55 mins • Directed by John Parker
Feature Shorty Rogers and his Giants with Jimmy Giuffre, John Grass, Milt Bernhart and Howard Rumsey

BIG BROADCAST OF 1937
USA1936 • 102 mins • Directed by Mitchell Leisen
features the Benny Goodman Orchestra with Gene Krupa

DR TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS
UK 1964 • 98 mins • Directed by Freddie Francis
Portmanteau film that features the Tubby Hayes Quintet with Alan Ganley and Jimmy Deuchar in one episode

DU BARRY WAS A LADY
USA 1943 • 101 mins • Directed by Roy Del Ruth
Features the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra with Buddy Rich

EARL CARROL’S SKETCHBOOK
USA1946 • 90 mins • Directed by Albert Rogell
Features the Buddy Rich Orchestra

EX-FLAME
USA 1931 • 68 mins • Directed by Victor Halperin
Armstrong's first feature film, believed to be long lost, it also featured Lionel Hampton on screen

THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS
USA 1989 • 113 8 Directed by Steve Kloves
Enjoyable movie about working musicians with great piano playing from Dave Grusin who ghosts for Jeff Bridges

THE FABULOUS DORSEYS
USA 1947 • 87 mins • Directed by Alfred Green
Apart from the Dorsey Brothers, one the rare screen appearances of Art Tatum blowing everybody off the screen with his playing.

 

THE FIVE PENNIES
USA 1959 • 117 mins • Directed by Melville Shavelson
Story of Red Nichols with Armstrong ,Shelly Manne ( playing the drummer Dave Tough)Trummy Young, Joe Venuti,and Curtis Counce appearing on screen

FOUR HITS AND A MISTER
UK1962• 14 mins • Directed by Douglas Hickox
features Acker Bilk and his Band

THE GENE KRUPA STORY (aka Drum Crazy in the UK)
USA 1959 • 99mins • Directed by Don Veiss
Bio of Gene Krupa with Shelly Manne (again playing the drummer Dave Tough) Anita O’Day and Red Nichols with Krupa ghosting for Sal Mineo

GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS
USA • 1945 • 95 mins • Directed by Felix Feist
With the Gene Krupa Orchestra with Charlie Ventura and Don Fagerquist

THE GIG
USA 1985 • 90 mins • Directed by Frank D. Gilroy
Very underrated film about the jazz life. Warren Vache is on screen in a major role and playing the trumpet. Other musicians on the sound track include Kenny Davern, George Masso (ghosting for Wayne Rogers) Milt Hinton, John Bunch and Herb Harris

GIRL CRAZY
USA 1943 • 99 MINS • Directed by Norman Taurog
Features the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

GLAMOUR GIRL
USA 1948 • 68 mins • Directed by Arthur Dreifuss
features the Gene Krupa Orchestra

THE GLASS WALL
USA 1953 • 80 mins • Directed by Maxwell Shane
Drama with Shorty Rogers and his group with Jack Teagarden, Shelly Manne and Jimmy Giuffre on screen

THE GLEN MILLER STORY
USA 1953 • 116 mins • Directed by Anthony Mann
Contains great Night Club scene featuring Louis Armstrong All Stars with Gene Krupa doing a drum duet with Cozy Cole

GLORY ALLEY
USA 1952 • 77 mins • Directed by Raoul Walsh
features Louis Armstrong with Jack Teagarden

GOING PLACES
USA 1938 • 84 mins • Directed by Ray Enright
with Armstrong and Maxine Sullivan

GOLDEN DISC
UK 1958 • 80mins • Directed by Don Sharpe
Built around 50's pop idol Terry Dene but featured Phil Seaman including Don Rendell, Ronnie Ross, Bert Courtley, Kenny Napper and Eddie Harvey. Seaman for some reason appears on the credit as Seamon.

 

GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK
USA 2005 • 93 mins • Directed b y George Clooney
Dianne Reeves appears and sings all the material on the sound track backed by a wonderful quartet including Jeff Hamilton (drums) and Matt Catingub (sax)

GOOD SPORT
USA 1931 • 60 mins • Directed by Kenneth McKenna
with Eubie Blake and his Orchestra

HELLZAPOPPIN
USA 1941 • 83 mins • Directed by H C Potter
Surreal comedy with Slim Gaillard, Slam Stewart and Rex Stewart on screen

 

HERE COMES THE GROOM
USA 1951 • 114 mins • Directed by Frank Capra
A brief appearance by Louis Armstrong

HEARTBEAT
USA 1979 • 109 mins • Directed by John Byrum
Hollywood's idea of Jack Kerouac's life but with great solos from Art Pepper. Music played by Shorty Rogers and all the usual West Coast crew

HEY BOY! HEY GIRL!
USA 1959 • 81 mins • Directed by David Rich
With Louis Prima and Keely Smith

HI- DI-HO
USA 1947 • 47 mins • Directed by Josh Binney
with Cab Calloway

HIGH SOCIETY
USA 1956 • 107 mins • Directed by Charles Walters
Famous musical with Armstrong and his fifties All Stars

HIT PARADE OF 1937
USA 1937 • 78 mins • Directed by Gus Mains
Popular at the time this musical revue featured various artists. This one included Duke Ellington and his Orchestra

HIT PARADE OF 1943
USA 1943 • 85 mins • Directed by Albert Rogell
As above but with Count Basie and his Band

HIT PARADE OF 1947
USA 1947 • 90 mins • Directed by Frank McDonald
As above but with Woody Herman and his Orchestra with Flip Phillips, Shorty Rogers, Bill Harris and Jimmy Rowles

HIT PARADE OF 1951
USA 1951 • 85 mins • Directed by John Auer
musical comedy with the Firehouse Five Plus Two

HOLLYWOOD HOTEL
USA 1937 • 101 mins • Directed by Busby Berkeley
features the Benny Goodman Orchestra and the original quartet

HOORAY FOR LOVE
USA 1935 • 75 mins • Directed by Walter Lang
with Fats Waller and Bill Robinson

INDECENT PROPOSAL
USA 1993 • 117 mins • Directed by Adrian Lynn
Herbie Hancock appears on screen as the cocktail piano man

I DOOD IT
USA 1943 • 102 mins • Directed by Vincente Minnelli
with Hazel Scott Trio with Red Callender (bass) and Lee Young (drums) (see below) Plus the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra

 

I WANT TO LIVE
USA • 1958 • 120 mins • Directed by Robert Wise
Great film with a great Johnny Mandel score. On screen in the opening club sequence are Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Bud Shank, Frank Rosolino, Pete Jolly, Shelly Manne and Red Mitchell.

ITS TRAD DAD! • 1962 • 73 mins • Directed by Dick Lester
Musicians on soundtrack Terry Lightfoot, Kenny Ball, Bob Wallis Acker Bilk, Chris Barber, Ottilie Patterson.

JAM SESSION
USA 1944 • 74 mins • Directed by Charles Barton
with Louis Armstrong

JUST FRIENDS
Belgium • 1993 • Directed by Marc-Henri Wajnberg
Story of musicians set in the fifties with music by Michael Herr and Archie Shepp

JIVIN’ IN BEBOP (ABC)
USA 1947 • 60 mins • Directed by Leonard Anderson
Separate cinema musical made for black audiences with Gillespie, Milt Jackson, John Lewis, Ray Brown, James Moody, Benny Carter

KANSAS CITY
USA • 1995 • 115 mins • Directed Robert Altman
Altman's recreation of Kansas City jazz scene of the thirties. Playing the Hey Hey club musicians are a galaxy of todays leading players including Joshua Redman, David Murray. Ron Carter, Russell Malone and Nicholas Peyton. (see A to Z docus; Kansas City; Jazz 34)

KILLER DILLER (ABC)
USA 1948 • 80 mins • Directed by Josh Binney
Black cast film featuring Nat 'King' Cole and the Andy Kirk Band

KINGS GO FORTH
USA1958 • 109 mins • Directed by Delmer Daves
Conti Candoli ghosts the trumpet for Tony Curtis when he sits in with the Red Norvo Quintet including Richie Kamuca on tenor sax .

KAERLIGHEDENS MELODI
Denmark 1959 • 87 mins • Directed by Bent Christensen
with the Louis Armstrong All Stars with Trummy Young, Peanuts Hucko, Billy Kyle, Mort Herbert, Danny Barcelona and Velma Middleton (vocals)

KOBENHAVEN, KALUNDBORG
Denmark 1934 • 70 mins • Directed by Ludvig Brandstrup and Holger Madsen
with the Louis Armstrong Orchestra, Roy Fox Orchestra

LADY SINGS THE BLUES
USA 1972 • 144 mins • Directed by Sidney Furie
Bio of Billie Holiday with the usual songs

L’ALIBI
USA 1937 • 82 mins • Directed by Pierre Chenal
Bobby Martin and his Orchestra, Valaida Snow (tpt, vocal) Thelma Minor (vocal)

LA PALOMA
Germany 1959 • 100 mins • Directed by Paul Martin
One of the numerous European films Louis Armstrong appeared in.

LA ROUTE DU BONHEUR
FRENCH / ITALY 1952 • 92 mins • Directed by Maurice Labro and Georgio Simonelli
with the Louis Armstrong all Stars, Django Reinhardt, Sidney Bechet, Claude Luter and Hubert Rostaing (below is Django with Rostaing)

 

LAS VEGAS STORY
USA • 1952 • 88 mins • Directed by Robert Stevenson
with Hoagy Carmichael singing three songs

LAS VEGAS NIGHTS ? THE GAY CITY
USA • 1941 • 87 mins • Directed by Ralph Murphy
with the Tommy Dorsey Band featuring Buddy Rich, Joe Bushkin ( see Dorsey on musicians page for film clip)

LAST TANGO IN PARIS
France / Italy 1972 • 130 mins • Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci
Great score by Gato Barbieri

L’ INSPECTEUR CONNAIT LA MUSIQUE / BLUES
France 1955 • 90 mins • Directed by Robert Mariaud
Sidney Bechet plays a lead role as well as the music.

LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES
France 1959 • 106mins • Directed by Roger Vadim
Featured on screen are Kenny Dorham, Barney Wilen, Duke Jordan and Kenny Clarke

LET NO MAN WRITE ON MY EPITAPH
USA 1960 • 106 mins • Directed by Philip Leacock
Ella Fitgerald has an acting role as a night club singer and pianist

LIFT TO THE SCAFFOLD / Ascenseur pour l'Echafaud
France 1957 • 90 mins.• Directed by Louis Malle
Louis Malle's debut feature, a classic thriller held wonderfully together by Miles Davis' improvised soundtrack. Featuring the great European tenor sax Barney Wilen and bassist Pierre Michelot who twenty years later was on the soundtrack, as well as appearing in Round Midnight.

LOOK BACK IN ANGER
UK 1959 • 101 mins • Directed by Tony Richardson
Pat Halcox ghosts for Richard Burton’ trumpet playing and features the Chris Barber Band

LOOK OUT SISTER (ABC)
USA 1948 • 67 mins • Directed by Bud Pollard
musical featuring Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five

LOUIS ARMSTRONG; CHICAGO STYLE
USA 1975 • 74 mins • Directed by Lee Phillips
Very poor biography of Armstrong

LOUIS
USA • 2010 • 85 mins • Directed and written by Dan Pritzker
A silent film tracing the early childhood of Louis Armstrong with a jazz soundtrack by Wynton Marsalis

LUSH LIFE
USA 1993 • 104 mins • Directed by Michael Ellis
Story of two New York jazzers. With tenorist Bob Cooper and trumpeter Chuck Findley ghosting for Jeff Goldblum and Forest Whitaker. Another fine score from Lennie Niehaus

MAKE BELIEVE BALLROOM
USA 1949 • 79 mins • Directed by Dan Foster
Jimmy Dorsey and his Orchestra. Pee Wee Hunt and his Band with Jimmy Dorsey, Charlie Barnet, Jan Garber, Ray Mckinley. Charlie Barnet and his Band; Gene Krupa and his Band; the Nat King Cole Trio

THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM
USA 1955 • 118 mins • Directed by Otto Preminger
Short Rogers, Shelly Manne, Pete Candoli, Milt Bernhart, Bob Cooper, Frank Rosolino and Ralph Pena all appear during Frank Sinatra’s drumming audition

A MAN CALLED ADAM
USA 1966 •103 mins • Directed by Leo Penn
Score by Benny Carter with Louis Armstrong. Sammy Davis Jr's trumpet ghosted by Nat Adderly

MANHATTAN MUSIC BOX
USA 1937 • 80 mins • Directed by Charles F. Reisner
Comedy featuring the Cab Calloway Orchestra and Louis Prima and his Band

MILES AHEAD
USA 2016 • 140 mins • Directed by Don Cheadle
Cheadle co wrote, and stars in this, part fact  / part fiction, film about Miles Davis

MO BETTER BLUES
USA 1990 • 129 mins • Directed by Spike Lee
Terrance Blanchard ghosts the trumpet for Denzel Washington and Branford Marsalis sax for Wesley Snipes

MR ROCK AND ROLL
USA 1957 • 74 mins • Directed by Charles Dubin
Features the Lionel Hampton Big Band

MURDER AT THE VANITIES
USA 1934 • 87 mins • Directed by Mitchell Leisen
Features the Duke Ellington Orchestra

DIE NACHT VOR DER PREMIERE
Germany 1959 • 96 mins • Directed by George Jacoby
with the Louis Armstrong All Stars with Trummy Young, Peanuts Hucko, Billy Kyle, Mort Herbert, Danny Barcelona

NEW ORLEANS
USA 1947 • 90 mins • Directed by Arthur Lubin
With Armstrong, Barney Bigard, Kid Ory, Woody Herman and Billie Holiday on screen

 

 

NEW YORK, NEW YORK
USA 1977 •153 mins • Directed by Martin Scorsese
Georgie Auld ghosts the Tenor sax for Robert DeNiro and makes small appearance

NO SUN IN VENICE (Sait-on Jamais)
France 1957 • 90 mins • Directed by Roger Vadim
Music by John Lewis and played by the Modern Jazz Quartet

ODDS AGAINST TOMORROW
USA 1959 • 96 mins • Directed by Robert Wise
Great film and great score by John Lewis with members of the Modern Jazz Quartet

O'VOUTI E O'ROONEY (ABC)
USA1947
All black musical with Slim Gaillard

PARADISE IN HARLEM (ABC)
USA 1939 • 85 mins • Directed by Joseph Seiden
Features the Luck Millinder Orchestra with Mamie Smith

PARIS BLUES
USA 1961 • 98 mins • Directed by Martin Ritt
Score by Duke Ellington. Armstrong is featured on screen. Paul Gonsalves and Murray McEachern ghost on tenor and trombone for Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier. Below the band perform Ellington's "Mood Indigo"

 

PENNIES FROM HEAVEN
USA 1936 • 80 mins • Directed by Norman Z McLeod
The second screen appearance of Louis Armstrong in a Feature film. His first feature film EX FLAME from 1931 is now lost ( Armstrong appeared in 22 American features plus shorts and documentaries, He also made appearances in a number of European films). Lionel Hampton is also featured

PETE KELLY'S BLUES
USA 1953 • 95 mins • Directed Jack Webb
One of Hollywood's most enjoyable films of the jazz age. It features Ella Fitzgerald and Peggy Lee. Dick Cathcart ghosted the trumpet for Jack Webb, Matty Matlock ( ghosting for Lee Marvin) Eddie Miller, George Van Eps (g), Nick Fatool also on soundtrack. (see TV listings)

 

PIÈGES
France 1939 •115 mins • Directed by Robert Siodmak
This was one of Siodmak’s last films in Europe before  his outstanding career in Hollywood
It features Valaida Snow (trumpet and vocal) with Freddie Johnson (piano)

 

PILLAR TO POST
USA 1945 • 96 mins • Directed by Vincent Sherman
with Louis Armstrong and his Orchestra including Dexter Gordon. Dorothy Dandridge also sings a duet with Armstrong (see below)

 

POLICY MAN (ABC)
USA 1938
Early, all black cast, gangster film. The first screen appearance of Count Basie and his Orchestra, the one that featured Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Dicky Wells, Freddie Green, Walter Page and Jo Jones

POWERS GIRL
USA 1942 • 94 mins • Directed by NormanZ. Mcleod
Features Benny Goodman and his Band with Peggy Lee (vocal)

PRESENTING LILY MARS
USA 1943 • 104 mins • Directed by Norman Taurog
features the Bob Crosby Group and the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

PRIVATE BUCKEROO
USA 1942 • 69 mins • Directed by Edward F.Cline
with Harry James

QUICKSAND
USA 1951 • 79 mins • Directed by Irving Pichel
with Red Nichols  and his Band

RAT RACE
USA 1960 • 100 mins • Directed by Robert Mulligan
features Gerry Mulligan who also ghosted the baritone sax for Tony Curtis

REET , PETITE AND GONE (ABC)
USA 1947 • 75 mins • Directed by William Crouch
with Louis Jordan and his Tympany five

REMEMBER MY NAME
USA • 1978 • 94 mins • Directed by Alan Rudolph
Soundtrack written and performed by Alberta Hunter with Vic Dickenson (tbn), Bud Johnson( ten) Doc Cheatham (tpt) Connie Kay (drums)

REVEILLE WITH BEVERLY
USA 1943 • 77 mins • Directed by Charles Barton
Musical featuring both the Count Basie and the Duke Ellington Orchestras ( below the Ellington band plays Take the A Train with vocalist Betty Roche

RICHARD III
UK 1995 • 105 mins • Directed by Richard Loncraine
Shakespeare set in a 30's fascist England. Singer Stacy Kent appears with a big band in the opening scene

RIDE' EM COWBOY
USA 1941 • 82mins • Directed by Arthur Lubin
Abbott and Costello comedy with wonderful scene on board a bus with Ella Fitzgerald in her first screen appearance singing "Ticket a Tasket"

 

RENDEZVOUS DE JUILLET
France 1949 • 68 mins • Directed by Jacques Becker
Featuresd Rex Stewart with the Claude Luter Band (see below)

 

ROUND MIDNIGHT
France 1986 • 133 mins • Directed by Bertrand Tavernier
Dextor Gordon plays lead in this very good jazz film suggested by the life of Bud Powell in Paris. It also features Herbie Hancock, Pierre Michelot, Bobby Hutchinson

RHYTHM INN
USA 1951 • 70 mins • Directed by Paul Landres
Musical featuring Wingy Manone (tpt), Matty Matlock (clar), Pete Daily ?(tpt) Barrett Deems (drums)

SCREAMING MIMI
USA 1958 • 71 mins • directed by Gerd Oswald
features the Red Norvo Trio ( see Red Norvo on musicians page for a clip from this film)

SEPIA CINDERELLA
USA 1947 • 75mins • Directed by Arthur H. Leonard
John Kirby, Charlie Shavers and Billie Kyle

SÉRIE NOIRE
France 1955 • 110 mins • Dir. Alain Corneau
Features Sidney Bechet and André Réwéliotty

ST. LOUIS BLUES
USA 1958 • 93 mins • Directed by Allen Reisner
The life of W.C. Handy ? with Nat King Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Mahalia Jackson, Barney Bigard, Red Callender, Teddy Buckner and Curtis Counce

ST. LOUIS BLUES
USA 1939 • 90 mins • Directed by Raoul Walsh
Features Maxine Sullivan singing her most popular song 'Loch Lomond'

SCROOGED
USA 1988 • 101 mins • Directed Richard Donner
Features Miles Davis and David Sanborn as Street musicians in short scene

THE SCORE
USA / Germany 2001 • 124 mins • Directed by Frank Oz
Robert De Nero as a jazz club owner with brief appearances by Mose Allison and Cassandra Wilson

SCREAMING MIMI
USA 1957 • 71 mins • Directed by Gerd Oswald

 

 

SECOND CHORUS
USA 1940 • 85 mins • Directed by H C Potter
Features the Artie Shaw Band with Bobby Hackett and Billy Butterfield ghosting the trumpets for Fred Astair and Burgess Meredith

SEPTEMBER
USA 1987 • 83 mins • Directed by Woody Allen
No laughs in this Woody Allen film but extensive use of the classic Art Tatum / Ben Webster album.
( All Woody Allen's films have a great deal of jazz on their soundtracks and are worth checking out)

SHADOWS
USA 1958 • 81 mins • Directed by John Cassavetes
Sax solos on sound track by Shafti Hadi ( who has also, recorded under the name of Curtis Porter with Hank Mobley) Some of the music by Charles Mingus

SHIP AHOY
USA 1942 • 102 mins • Directed by Edward Buzzell
Features the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

SMART POLITICS
USA 1948 • 68 mins • Directed by Will Jason
features the Gene Krupa Orchestra with Shorty Rogers and Stan Getz

SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO
USA • 1952 • 114 mins • Directed by Henry King
Contains a nice club sequence featuring Benny Carter on alto

SOME LIKE IT HOT
USA 1939 • 65 mins • Directed by George Archainbaud
Not the Jack Lemmon / Tony Lemmon film but a Bob Hope comedy
With Gene Krupa and his band

A SONG IS BORN
USA 1948 • 112 mins • Directed by Howard Hawks
Hawks' remake of his own 'Ball of Fire' (see this page) with Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Lionel Hampton, Mel Powell, Charlie Barnet, Louis Bellson and Benny Goodman (see images page)

 

STORMY WEATHER (ABC)
USA 1943 • 78 mins • Directed by Andrew Stone
All black musical with Fats Waller, Cab Calloway and Lena Horne

THE STRIP
USA 1951 • 86 mins • Directed by Leslie Kardos
Mickey Rooney as jazz drummer on Sunset Strip with Armstrong, Jack Teagarden, Barney Bigard, Earl Hines on screen

 

THE SUBTERRANEANS
USA 1960 • 1960 • Directed by Ranald MacDougall
Another Hollywood injustice to Jack Kerouac. However it did feature Gerry Mulligan, Art Pepper, Art Farmer, Andre Previn (in jazz mode) and Carmen McRae on screen.

SWEET LOVE BITTER (AKA; It Won't Rub Off, Baby!)
USA 1966 • 92 mins • Directed by Herbert Danska
Vaguely about the last days of Charlie Parker with Charles McPherson ghosting the alto for Dick Gregory. Music score by Mal Waldron

SWEET AND LOWDOWN
USA 2000 • 90 mins • Directed by Woody Allen
Biography of Emmet Ray, legendary swing guitarist and second only to Django Reinhardt in greatness. Unfortunately a purely fictitious character brought wonderfully to life by Sean Penn. The soundtrack features Howard Alden and Buckey Pizzarelli on solo and rhythm guitar, respectively with Ken Peplowski on clarinet, going through their paces on numerous classic numbers from the thirties.

 

THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS
USA 1957 • 93 mins • Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Great film about New York ‘s underbelly. The sound track and the film features Chico Hamilton and his group with Jim Hall (gtr) ghosting for Martin Milner, the jazz musician being framed by Burt Lancaster. Conte Candoli (tpt) and Frank Rosolino (tbn) are briefly featured with Chico Hamilton. With Carson Smith, Paul Horn and Fred Katz.

SWING PARADE OF 1946
USA 1946 • 74 mins • Directed by Phil Karlson

SVEN KLANGS KVINTETT
Sweden 1976 • 109 mins • Directed by Stellan Olsson
One of the best ever features about the jazz life based loosely on Swedish baritone Lars Gullin ( the video is available from the Swedish Film Institute but no English subtitles)
Also known as 'Sven Klang's Combo.' A new saxophone player joins an amateur dance band in small town Sweden. He wants them to be more of a jazz band. Christer Boustedt as the saxophone player was a Swedish jazz musician and film composer in real life and played the alto on the soundtrack. (see below)

 

SYNCOPATION
USA 1942 • 88 mins • Directed by William Dieterle
Features Benny Goodman, Harry James, Charlie Barnet, Joe Venuti and Gene Krupa. Rex Stewart and Bunny Berigan ghost trumpets for Jackie Cooper and Todd Duncan respectively

 

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY
USA 1999 • 140 mins • Directed by Anthony Minghella
Two groups are featured in this movie; Guy Barker (tpt) fronts a septet of European jazzers with Gene Calerazzo on drums. The other is a sextet lead by Pete King (alto) with Byron Wallen (tpt) Clark Tracy (drums) Jean Toussaint (tnr) Geoff Gascogne (bass) and Carlo Negroni (piano)

THE TERMINAL
USA  2004 • 128 mins • Directed by Steven Spielberg
features Benny Golson, Buster Williams (bass) Mike Ledonne (pno) and Carl Allen (drums)

 

 

TIME FLIES
UK 1945 • 88 mins • Directed by Walter Forde
With Stephane Grappelly

THIS JOINT IS JUMPIN’
USA 1947• ? mins • Directed by Josh Binney
with Phil Moore, Bob Howerd, Hadda Brooks and Una Mae Carlisle

THRILL OF ROMANCE
USA1945 • 105 mins • Directed by Richard Thorpe
Features the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra

TOO LATE BLUES
USA1961 • 103 mins • Directed by John Cassavetes
One of the best American films about the jazz life. It features Benny Carter, Jimmy Rowles, Red Mitchell, Milt Bernhart, Shelly Manne and Slim Gaillard

WE FROM JAZZ
Russia 1983 • mins • Directed by Karen Shaknazarov

WHEN THE BOYS MEET THE GIRLS
USA 1966 • 97 mins • Directed by Alvin Ganzer
With Louis Armstrong and his All Stars

VANYA ON 42nd STREET
USA 1994 • 120 mins Directed by Louis Malle
Great soundtrack provided by the Joshua Redman Quartet with Christian McBride on bass

YOUNG MAN WITH A HORN
USA 1949 • 112 mins • Directed by Michael Curtis
Very loosely based on the life of Bix Beiderbecke with Harry James ghosting for Kirk Douglas with Willy Smith featured in the small band. The ubiquitous Hoagy Carmichael makes another appearance. ( see Bix the Legend q.v.)