Chet Baker
Isn't that Chet Baker playing trumpet in the opening party scene? He's listed in the credits.
shareI can only assume that someone was a big Baker fan and took the opportunity of his being available, as he mostly worked in Europe, to slot him into the film.
shareYessss...
It was so strange. I'm someone weaning myself off CATV and getting into streaming. I only have the basic-of-most-basic cable services in this attempt. This cable pkg gives me are odd, frringe channels like THISTV and LAFFTV, etc. Also a goldmine of offbeat movies at night...
Well, I left THISTV on and fell asleep. Awoke. Surprised by what I'd discover as "Summer Flight" (nee "Stolen Hours") and was enchanted by the utlra-hip-chic house party Susan Hayward's heiress character was throwing at her English mansion near the film's beginning. Wow. Rubbed my eyes. "Is that who I think it is?" Man... there's a cameo of a gorgeous, young Chet Baker on his trumpet. Wild. I immediately wanted to know WHY he was put in the movie. Especially when he still had another 25 years of a famously troubled life to go and we could SEE this guy in his awesome glory as a young dude?
I've not yet found any true explanation -- but a lot of possible reasons. Which could it be or a combination thereof?
He was better received and readily popularized in Europe rather than US.
His chiseled good-looks reminded of James Dean or Brando and filmmakers were happy to try and capitalize on it.
He had just done a prison stint in italy and was open to any new revenue streams/cash.
The insane success of Brubeck's "Take 5" a couple years earlier had the industry hip to capitalizing on it.
Petrie could've been a crazy Chet fan.
See Chet on film cuz you couldn't get to him Live.
What do you think? Or do you know the ultimate motivation/real reason why a a phenomenal performer, already hopelessly on the road to a severe heroin addiction, could land the gig?
I'm someone who didn't know Chet until Elvis Costello introduced me to him in the 1980s...