Gail Laughton
Gail Laughton, born Denzil Gail Laughton (1921–1985), was an American jazz harpist. He worked in Hollywood, playing on many film and cartoon soundtracks.
Early life
Laughton was born in Oklahoma. His parents were both involved with the harp: his mother as a teacher and his father, Charles T. Laughton, as a harp builder. As a young child, he played with his family's orchestra, touring Cuba and Panama.[1] He joined the Oklahoma City Symphony in 1937, hired through the WPA at the minimum age of 15.[2]
Career
Laugton performs as Cary Grant's hands and arms during the harp-playing scene in The Bishop's Wife.[3]
Discography
Albums, as performer
- A Streetcar Named Desire soundtrack (Capitol Records, 1951) [4]
- Gandharva - Beaver_&_Krause (Warner Brothers Records, 1971) [5]
Solo album
- Harps of the Ancient Temples (Laurel Records, 1978) - "The shimmering, ethereal quality of the harp sings out under [his] loving care." [6]
Singles
- Mel Torme with Hal Mooney & His Orchestra, 11/16/1947 session: "I Cover the Waterfront" bw "County Fair" (Musicraft 5009), "A Foggy Day" (Musicraft 589) "Makin' Whoopee" (Musicraft 534), "Little White Lies" (Musicraft 558), "Do It Again" (Musicraft 534), "Night and Day" (Musicraft 538) [7]
References
- ↑ "Gail Laughton, Jazz Harpist". The American Harp Journal. 7 (3): 38–39. 1980.
- ↑ "Ralph Rose 1937-1938". Oklahoma City Philarmonic. Retrieved 28 October 2015.
- ↑ "Gail Laughton, Jazz Harpist". The American Harp Journal. 7 (3): 38–39. 1980.
- ↑ Performing Arts Annual, 1989, p. 7
- ↑ The Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3, Tom Lord, Lord Music Reference, 2002
- ↑ Birosik, Patti Jean (1989). The New Age Music Guide. New York: Collier Books. p. 107. ISBN 0020416407.
- ↑ The Jazz Discography CD-ROM 3.3
External links
- Review of Harps of the Ancient Temples with some background
- Current availability of Harps of the Ancient Temples
- Find-a-Grave
- Brief biography
- Discogs page
- Film Score Monthly list of soundtracks
- Gale Laughton at the Internet Movie Database
- Gail Laughton at AllMusic
- Gail's arms are shown when Cary Grant plays harp in The Bishop's Wife
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