[Dixielandjazz] Re: "Scarface"

[Bill Haesler]

Dear Peter,
Howard Hawks' 'Scarface' featuring Ann Dvorak, Paul Muni, Boris Karloff and
George Raft was made in 1931 but not released until 1931 for censorship
reasons.
Pianist Gus Arnheim was musical director for the film and appears on-screen
(uncredited) as a band leader.
It included 2 songs (as you mentioned) "Some Of These Days" and "St Louis
Blues".
The band was a fixture at the Cocoanut Grove in the Ambassador Hotel in
Hollywood for 5 years (late  1927-1933) yet seems only to be known to most
jazz people because Bing Crosby sang with it in 1930-31 after his split with
Paul Whiteman.
The Cocoanut Grove was a film celebrity hangout during the Arheim years.
Now for the answer to your question.
The trumpet players with Arnheim when 'Scarface' was filmed were Walter
Holzhaus and Stanley Green. Holzhaus was a founder-member of the orch and
both were with him for the most (if not all) of the Grove residency. They
did not go on the national and European tour in 1936.
Talented saxophonist Jimmy Grier was the orch's arranger during the Grove
years.
I have some Arnheim film sound track recordings (1928-29) but do not have
the 'Scarface' titles.
As usual, more than you needed to know.
Kind regards,
Bill.
PS: Fred McMurray (who later became a famous film star) was in the sax
section of the Arnheim band in 1931.