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Interesting and Weird Facts from World of Film and T.V. Music #6
GoneMovie.com
Casablanca (1942)
Play it again, Sam? Nope. Not only was this line never said in the classic movie, Casablanca, but the piano player was also faking it. The part of Sam was played by Dooley Wilson. He actually was not a pianist at all, but a professional drummer and singer who later took up acting. During the film, he watched an offstage pianist, Elliott Carpenter, and mimed along. Carpenter, placed just outside of the shot, was responsible for the piano playing heard in the film. The two became life-long friends. Dooley Wilson made only $350 a week for seven week’s of work. No information could be found about how much Carpenter, the actual piano player, earned for his off screen role. Wilson and Carpenter were the only two African-Americans on the set of the film.
Source: Wikipedia
Today in WMH: It’s Not “Für” You Think It’s “Für”…
4/27 Today in Weird Music History: 1810. Ludwig van Beethoven pens a short piano piece mistakenly thought to be called Für Elise. In actuality, it is probably Für Therese. Not published until 40 years after Beethoven’s death, it is surmised that the copyist had trouble reading Beethoven’s famously bad handwriting and made an incorrect assumption. Therese Malfatti is widely believed to be the dedicatee of the piece. She was a friend and student of Beethoven’s to whom he proposed in 1810. Although other theories exist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BCr_Elise
The manuscript is considered lost, so we may never know for certain.
Today in WMH: Pianos at Twenty Paces.
3/31 Today in Weird Music History: 1837. Franz Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg face off in a duel to see who was the better pianist. This evening of dueling pianists closed with judgement by the Countess Belgiojoso, who gave the following judgment: “Thalberg is the first pianist in the world — Liszt is unique.” Certainly the fact that the Countess was a lover of Liszt (as well as of Lafayette, and Heine!) had nothing to do with the outcome! For more on this historic evening: http://www.interlude.hk/front/franz-liszt-versus-sigismond-thalberg/
Weird Music History 