Murder with Music
{{Infobox film
| name = Murder with Music
| image = Murdwmuspos.jpg
| caption = Original film poster
| director = George P. Quigley
| producer =
| writer = {{ubl|Norman Borisoff (writer)|Georges Friedland (story)|Augustus Smith (writer)|Victor Vicas (writer)}}
| narrator =
| starring = See below
| music =
| cinematography = {{ubl|John Visconti|George Webber}}
| editing =
| distributor = Sack Amusements
| released = {{Film date|1945}}
| runtime = 59 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}
Murder with Music is a 1948 {{Cite web|url=https://www.jazz-on-film.com/mistakenidentity.html|title = Celluloid Improvisations ♫ LEARN}} American race film from Century Productions, produced and directed by George P. Quigley. The film used footage from an earlier 1940s race film Mistaken Identity,{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bsoUXGZSxZcC&dq=%22ken+renard%22&pg=PA670|title=Within Our Gates: Ethnicity in American Feature Films, 1911-1960|isbn=9780520209640|last1=Institute|first1=American Film|last2=Afi|first2=American Film|year=1997|publisher=University of California Press }} additional footage from which was re-used in the 1948 short subject Bob Howard's House Party.{{cite web |title=MISTAKEN IDENTITY |url=https://www.loc.gov/item/jots.200021732 |website=Library of Congress |accessdate=18 August 2020}}p. 1134 Webb, Graham Encyclopedia of American Short Films, 1926-1959 McFarland (July 13, 2020) Sack Amusement Enterprises distributed the film.
Plot
In a story told in flashbacks, a newspaper editor explains to a wannabe reporter why he doesn't want to hire any new reporters. The editor, a flirty singer, a reporter, an escaped convict, a nighclub manager and his wife, two bands, and a club piano player have roles in the action, which eventually leads to the murder of the piano player and offers many musical numbers and comedy skits in the meantime.
Cast
- Bob Howard as Editor
- Milton Williams as Ted Simmons
- Nellie Hill as Lola
- Bill Dillard as Mike
- George Oliver as Hal Ford {{Cite web|url=https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2019/616/1864224/-Tuskegee-Airman-actor-and-activist-A-Father-s-Day-tribute-to-my-dad|title = Tuskegee Airman, actor, and activist: A Father's Day tribute to my dad}}
- Ruth Cobbs as Mary Smith
- Ken Renard as Bill Smith
- Andrew Maize as Patrolman Jerry O'Hara
- Marjorie Oliver as Smith's Secretary
- Nobel (sic) Sissle and His Orchestra as Party Band
- Johnson & Johnson as Club Tap Dancers
- Pinky Williams as Lewis the club piano player
- Skippy Williams and His Band as Club Band
- Alston & Young as Club Comic Dancers
Soundtrack
- "Geeshee" (Written by Sidney Easton and Augustus Smith)
- Bob Howard, accompanied by Noble Sissle and his Orchestra - "Too Late Baby" (Written by Sidney Easton and Augustus Smith)
- Noble Sissle, accompanied by his orchestra - "Hello Happiness" (Written by Sidney Easton and Augustus Smith)
- Skippy Williams and his band - "Jam Session" (Written by Skippy Williams)
- Noble Sissle and by his orchestra - "Running Around" (Written by Sidney Easton and Augustus Smith)
- Nellie Hill accompanied by Andrew Maize - "Can't Help It" (Written by Skippy Williams)
- Nellie Hill accompanied by Skippy Williams and his band - "Can't Help It" (reprise)
- Played on piano and danced by Johnson and Johnson - "That's the Cheese You Got To Squeeze"
Reviews
John Howard Reid gave a highly unfavorable account of the movie's direction and editing.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GP7GAwAAQBAJ&q=%22George+P.+Quigley%22+film&pg=PA51|title=Great Movie Musicals on DVD|first=John Howard|last=Reid|date=July 1, 2012|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=9781105860447|via=Google Books}}
References
NOTE: References 1,2 and 4 are all dead links which should be removed from unaccessable Reflist.
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|id=0276344|title=Murder with Music}}
- {{Internet Archive film|id=MurderwithMusic|name=Murder with Music}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murder With Music}}
Category:American black-and-white films
Category:1940s English-language films
Category:English-language musical films
{{1940s-US-drama-film-stub}}