There is a scene in the Jimmy Stewart, Lee Remick, Ben Gazzara movie where Jimmy says hello to the piano player. I swear the guy is Duke Ellington. It is a snapshot of one of the jarring discords in the US concerto of self-adoration that a musician of Ellington's stature is cast in such a lowly part.
It IS Ellington (just wanted to see if any of you knew that) The novel on which the movie was based was written by a US Supreme Court justice, John Voelker
Yes, it was Duke Ellington in the part of the piano player. It was more of a cameo part. He wasnt an integral part of the cast or the storyline. The soundtrack was a good jazz score and they for some reason thought of Ellington to play a part. I dont know if he composed any of it.
Actually, the guy who played the judge WAS a judge. That was a very good movie. I have seen it many times. And Eve Arden's husband played the D.A.
Peggy Lee liked the tune that James Stewart played on the piano, she wrote lyrics for it. Title was something about Goin Fishing.
I saw that movie,which is a very good movie and Duke Ellington is heard on the soundtrack he composed when it first was shown in theaters. I did not remember that scene so yesterday i went to you tube and located the clip,about one minute where Jimmy Stewart and Duke Ellington sit at piano together and Jimmy "sits" in !! In the closing part of the clip Jimmy Stewart leaves the piano to Duke Ellington calling him "pie eyes or mooneyes" the name of the character Duke portrays. The overall inference is Duke Ellington is lucky to have Jimmy Stewart sit in!! Yes I do believe the scene is de meaning to the greatest composer of Jazz ever. Would George Gershwin be called moon eyes?? I think not.
Ellington wrote the score for the movie. As to his having a lowly part, the story was about lawyers on a murder case. A piano player would not be an important part of the story.