[Dixielandjazz] RE: Tommy Dorsey Film Clip with Mickey Rooney/faking piano

[Ric Giorgi]

This from a friend:

Speaking of "faking piano", Dick Hyman told me once about an interesting
challenge.  It happened when he played the background piano for the Scott
Joplin movie starring Billy Dee.
 
Dee looked like a young Joplin, but he was totally illiterate musically.  At
one point in the movie, he is talking while playing and the camera zooms in
on his fingers on the keyboard.  When Hyman saw that section, he was
horrified to find that the notes that Dee was touching made absolutely no
sense.  He was trapped by the close-up of Dee's hands.
 
Probably only Dick Hyman could have done this.  He composed something that
fitted into what the movie audience saw, but which also sounded like
something that Scott Joplin might have played.  He told me that was one of
the biggest challenges of his career.
 
Based on that brief clip, many of the movie-goers thought Dee must have been
one helluva piano player.  Had they only known.


>-----Original Message-----
>From: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com [mailto:dixielandjazz-
>bounces at ml.islandnet.com] On Behalf Of Stan Brager
>Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 3:08 PM
>To: Hal Vickery; dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com
>Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] RE: Tommy Dorsey Film Clip with Mickey Rooney
>
>If one looks closely at the pianist when the clip begins, it's fairly
>obvious that it isn't Rooney at the keyboard. Rooney comes in when the
>camera pans from the strings to him at the piano. Notice that his hair is
>lighter in color than at the beginning of the clip.
>
>"Little Things Mean A Lot".
>
>Why does Dorsey always cock his head toward the side when he's playing?
>
>Stan
>Stan Brager
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Hal Vickery" <hvickery at svs.com>
>To: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
>Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 11:03 PM
>Subject: [Dixielandjazz] RE: Tommy Dorsey Film Clip with Mickey Rooney
>
>
>> Ah...thanks.  I haven't seen that movie in years, so I barely remember
>it.
>> At least I have a pretty good idea now why he was so good at faking it.
>Do
>> you know if he was playing or faking in Strike Up the Band?
>>
>> Hal Vickery
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Bill Haesler [mailto:bhaesler at bigpond.net.au]
>> Sent: Sunday, July 17, 2005 1:00 AM
>> To: Hal Vickery; dixieland jazz mail list
>> Subject: Re: Tommy Dorsey Film Clip with Mickey Rooney
>>
>> > He may have played his own drums.  I have no idea if he was a good
>player,
>> though, so that's purely speculation, but apparently there are pictures
>> extant
>> of Rooney playing drums at the Stagedoor Canteen during WWII.<
>>
>> Dear Hal,
>> Although Mickey Rooney was a competent drummer, the union would not let
>him
>> record on the soundtrack for 'The Strip'. The drumming heard throughout
>was
>> played by Cozy Cole.
>> Kind regards,
>> Bill.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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