MGM trumpeters

jvdtpt · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:36 am Post subject: MGM trumpeters

Does anyone know who the 1st call trumpets were in the MGM Hollywood films of the 1930's-1940's? Also any of the other film studios during that time. Must have been a fun gig. They were monsters. Lots of work too.

EdMann · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:11 am Post subject:

Uan Rasey succeeded Rafeal Mendez, who had trouble keeping his vibrato out of his playing (according to Mr. Rasey, but credits Mendez as one of the great soloists of all time). His timing could not have been better; after 1939, the MGM musicals became the most popular films of their time: American in Paris, Singin' in the Rain among them, and his work years later on Chinatown imprinted his playing for an entirely new generation.

UR just celebrated his 88th on Sunday and I was happy to be there for my teach! Nicest guy on the planet.

Ed

lmaraya · Heavyweight Member Joined: 12 Dec 2005 Posts: 618

i Think Claude Gordon was one of them, but later though, not in the 30s. Rafael Mendez worked for a time there too, but not sure about the dates

Iguananaught · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:07 pm Post subject:

Maynard Ferguson played on the soundtrack for the 10 commandments. Not sure if that was MGM or not.
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trpt.hick · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 2:53 pm Post subject:

Mannie Klein was first trumpet at MGM before Mendez. I think he was there through much of the 1940s.

razeontherock · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:30 pm Post subject:

Tony Pascharelli did a lot in the live radio scene; I think w/ NBC but I'm not sure. I'd be surprised if he didn't ever work for MGM.

John Mohan · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 3:51 pm Post subject:

Claude Gordon was the 1st Trumpet Player for the CBS Staff Orchestra, and as such performed for most of the Columbia Pictures movies in the 50's and early 60's, and also most CBS Television shows including "I Love Lucy" with Wilbur Hatch as Musical Director.

Maynard performed as Paramount's 1st Trumpet player for a few years in the mid '50's. "The Ten Commandments" is the most famous of the movies he played on during that time. He later described those studio years as the years when he was able to really develop his golf playing, as the contract studio job only required a few hours each week of his time. Those were the days!

Best wishes,

John Mohan

Vin DiBona · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 4:00 pm Post subject:

Mendez took over for Manny Klein as 1st trumpet after Manny was drafted into the Army after Pearl Harbor. Klein recommended Mendez for the position. Mendez was there as 1st trumpet until 1949, when his good friend, Uan Rasey took over.
Mendez was indeed terminated over his vibrato. The termination hit Mendez hard, but we all know what he did after it, don't we?
Rich T.

trpt.hick · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 7:18 pm Post subject:

Mendez' vibrato wasn't what got him fired at MGM (after 10 yrs. there). It was his lack of jazz playing.

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4806

tptmed · Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2009 9:13 pm Post subject:

I played a concert years ago with Johnny Green (Body and Soul, I Cover the Waterfront, etc,) who was head of MGM at the time. He took a sort of weird pride in telling the trumpet section "I'm the man who fired Raphael Mendez." He told us the reason was that Mendez couldn't blend with the section.

trpt.hick · Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:20 am Post subject:

I think we are all correct. There were issues with the vibrato AND the lack of jazz improvization that became more in style for soundtracks during the 1940s. Mendez used to tell people close to him that he would trade all of his incredible technique for 8 bars of good jazz. In discussing the MGM dismissal with his sons, I have heard many times that it was because of his lack of jazz ability. Rasey played second to him and would often take the lead parts if they needed a jazz style.

trpthrld · Heavyweight Member Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 4806

rockford · Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2009 6:58 am Post subject:

Let's not forget about Harold Mitchell. I'm not sure of his exact dates but 30's-40's sounds right to me.
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Still Trying · Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2009 7:57 pm Post subject:

Harold Mitchell played first trumpet in the Jazz Singer, which was the first sound movie. I don't know the year. He also played in the original King Kong and in Gone with the Wind. He was identified as play testing Olds trumpets in an ad dated 1939 and was identified in the ad as playing first trumpet in the MGM orchestra at the time.

http://rouses.net/trumpet/pmitchell.htm

Ollie's biography, when referring to his Dad, says Pappy played at MGM until he retired in 1948.

However, a Rafael Mendez biography from ITG states Pappy played 2nd trumpet at MGM and resigned in 1939. Mendez was hired to take his place and Mannie Kline was playing first ahead of both Pappy and Mendez.
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Josephtriscari · Regular Member Joined: 06 Jul 2022 Posts: 57

I know in the 1950’s-1961 the Trumpet section was…
Uan Rasey, Joe Triscari and Jimmy Zito…..
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kgsmith1 · Posted: Fri May 26, 2023 3:30 pm Post subject:

James Stamp, 40s and 50s I think?

ScottA · Posted: Mon May 29, 2023 5:29 am Post subject: