How the Band ALMOST Got Into the Movies
Sender
Tony Solorzano
Email
solo_sports@yahoo.com
Posted On
2007-01-02
Year
1987
Memoir
After flipping through the channels tonight, I came across a dubbed version of Cheech Marin's movie "Born in East L.A." and it reminded me of a story legendary band director Harold Manyweather told me before I graduated that June.
As we sat in his office one afternoon talking about the movie coming out, whch had of course, featured our rivals at Roosevelt. As I mentioned to him that the drum major at Roosevelt, who was a friend of mine through the District's All-City Band, he leaned back in his chair and laughed.
"Tony, do you know we came this close to being in that movie?" holding his fingers close together for emphasis.
With a look of shock, I couldn't belive it. "Oh come on, how could we have missed that?"
He lauhged and replied, "A couple of months ago, a producer of film called to ask if we would be interested in performing in the movie for a parade scene, and of course I said, 'Yes, we'd love to participate.'"
I got a very confused look on My face, "so how did we end up getting passed over in favor of Roosevelt?"
"when the lady asked how many people were in the band," He replied, "I told her we had about 150 musicians and a drill and flag compliment of about 60 total. The lady must have dropped the phone, thinking I was kidding."
He continued as he leaned forward. "Before I could say anything else, she said, that it was too much for what they needed."
"Oh my God," I exclaimed. "Didn't you tell her we could make a smaller band for the film?"
He laughed, "I didn't think about that, I could have made it the size she needed. It's not like we couldn't sound good with a smaller band."
And that, in a nutshell is how we just missed out in being in the movies My senior year. However, a couple of years after I graduated, the band DID get to be in a movie, unfortunately, it was the Bruce Willis stinker "The Last Boy Scout," so hardly anyone saw them in action for the 15 seconds they were on screen.
As we sat in his office one afternoon talking about the movie coming out, whch had of course, featured our rivals at Roosevelt. As I mentioned to him that the drum major at Roosevelt, who was a friend of mine through the District's All-City Band, he leaned back in his chair and laughed.
"Tony, do you know we came this close to being in that movie?" holding his fingers close together for emphasis.
With a look of shock, I couldn't belive it. "Oh come on, how could we have missed that?"
He lauhged and replied, "A couple of months ago, a producer of film called to ask if we would be interested in performing in the movie for a parade scene, and of course I said, 'Yes, we'd love to participate.'"
I got a very confused look on My face, "so how did we end up getting passed over in favor of Roosevelt?"
"when the lady asked how many people were in the band," He replied, "I told her we had about 150 musicians and a drill and flag compliment of about 60 total. The lady must have dropped the phone, thinking I was kidding."
He continued as he leaned forward. "Before I could say anything else, she said, that it was too much for what they needed."
"Oh my God," I exclaimed. "Didn't you tell her we could make a smaller band for the film?"
He laughed, "I didn't think about that, I could have made it the size she needed. It's not like we couldn't sound good with a smaller band."
And that, in a nutshell is how we just missed out in being in the movies My senior year. However, a couple of years after I graduated, the band DID get to be in a movie, unfortunately, it was the Bruce Willis stinker "The Last Boy Scout," so hardly anyone saw them in action for the 15 seconds they were on screen.