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Topic: Lap steel noir |
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 27 Nov 2023 1:39 pm |
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I've been watching a lot of classic film noir movies lately ...
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Peter Schilske
From:
Germany
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 27 Nov 2023 3:23 pm
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It’s a fascinating genre, Doug. My under the radar noir pick is the film “Detour.”
Peter, nice clip! The lap steel can cover the same sonic territory as the Theramin - used in 50s Sci-fi movies as well as noir films like “Raw Deal.”
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 28 Nov 2023 10:21 am
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One last off-topic recommendation. This Podcast is terrific, with in-depth multi-hour features and if you become a Patron member for as little as $1/month, you get access to a huge library of vintage films of all genres.
The 1948 noir film "Million Dollar Weekend" has great steel content in this scene with Tommy Castro (steel guitar and low-end vocals), George Kainapau (ukulele & falsetto vocals), Benny Kalama (standup bass & falsetto vocals), and Alvin Kaleolani Isaacs (guitar & mid-range vocals).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx7KsRrWaoY
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 28 Nov 2023 12:42 pm
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I'm a huge fan of the genre with The Asphalt Jungle and Touch of Evil up there with the best. Some years ago, I bought a DVD of Hell's Half Acre. Its all shot around the seedier parts of Honolulu about 1953. Interesting soundtrack.
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Tom Keller
From:
Greeneville, TN, USA
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Posted 29 Nov 2023 9:02 am
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| One of my favorite film noir movies is Double indemnity with Fred MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Bob Shilling
From:
Berkeley, CA, USA
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Posted 29 Nov 2023 10:45 am
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"The Third Man" is also considered film noir. Anton Karas' theme music, while an integral part of the movie, stands by itself.
The zither is not, of course, a lap steel, but rather a fretted instrument with a bunch of drone strings, which is played horizontally like a lap steel.
Seems worthy of mention in this thread.
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Bob Shilling, Berkeley, CA--MSA S10, "Classic" |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 29 Nov 2023 10:58 am Re: Film Noir
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Peter,
Thanks for the link. I love the sound. Went to their website and bought all 4 CDs. When they showed a Leica M being loaded in the video, I was hooked. Been using Leicas since 1978. Only shoot B&W now.
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Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 29 Nov 2023 11:13 am
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Film makers went to great length to circumvent the production code. The entire genre was a stylized, often cynical, altered view of reality where mood and lighting were just another character.
Besides the great ones mentioned above, some of my top Noir picks include: The Hitch-Hiker, Double Indemnity, The Postman always rings twice, Laura, Leave her to heaven, Brute Force, Asphalt Jungle, Ot of the Past, Deteur, Criss Cross, Raw Deal, Diabolique, The Breaking Point, Notorious, The Lost Weekend, Touch of Evil, Nightmare Alley, Odd Man Out, Where the sidewalk ends, The Blue Dahlia, Murder by Contract, The Dark Corner, Thieves Highway,Key Largo, Panic in the Streets, The 7th Victim, Green is for danger, Fallen Angel, and the Woman in the window.
To keep this discussion in the realm of music, a lot of noir was scored for big studio orchestras but some - like Murder by Contract which uses only guitar - go their own way. And that amazing Zither music from the third man was mentioned above. Jody Carver and Johnny Cucci did a great steel cover of the Third Man Theme on this must-haver LP/CD: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXkOauhTnec
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Peter Schilske
From:
Germany
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Posted 29 Nov 2023 3:06 pm Lap Steel Noir
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To add one more movie to Andys list of recommended Noir movies...
One of my favourites "Odds Against Tomorrow" by Robert Wise
starring Harry Belafonte, Robert Ryan and Ed Begley
And of course it is music related...The film score was composed, arranged and conducted by John Lewis of the Modern Jazz Quartet.
I guess some tunes of Mike Neers "Steelonious" would also work very well in this kind of movies.
And there is this cool version of "Peter Gunn" from Doug... |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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David Matzenik
From:
Cairns, on the Coral Sea
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Posted 29 Nov 2023 10:31 pm
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Here's the titles for Hell's Half Acre with such luminaries as Jack Pitman and Don the Beachcomber. The story is not nearly so sunny. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTVJA6rviII
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 30 Nov 2023 4:16 am
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"Murder by Contract" has an all-guitar score obviously influenced by the music from The Third Man. It was written by Perry Botkin who had a long career in the LA studios as a guitarist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ey3sMd83RA
He also played banjo. Not sure if he also played steel. Botkin played those warm, melodic electric guitar fills on the Beverly Hillbillies TV show.
Doug: impressive! You're clearly true noir fan. I bet you could do a great noir steel track.
My Clinesmith with Film Noir lighting.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Chuck S. Lettes
From:
Denver, Colorado
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 30 Nov 2023 1:41 pm
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High and Low directed by Akira Kurosawa is a fantastic noir from Japan.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 15 Dec 2023 8:05 am
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Notice how the Clinesmith logo projects a shadow.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
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Posted 15 Dec 2023 11:08 am
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What??? Was the trunk full?
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Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
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Diabolique is a good example of French New Wave, having themes that would never have passed the censors in the US. Love that scene where the corpse comes alive in the bathtub and the woman seeing that has a heart attack and dies. Lovely stuff 
