brewmasters
JERRY BECK
bio & contact
view posts by jerry
AMID AMIDI
bio & contact
view posts by amid
More Rare Kimball Video
by amid
May 16, 2007 12:24 pm


Brew reader Dave Stuckey has uploaded yet another crazy rare Ward Kimball clip: a Firehouse Five Plus Two performance from the MGM film Grounds for Marriage (1951). Just try to keep your toes from tapping, I dare ya. The cheesy acting inbetween the FF+2 comes courtesy of Van Johnson and Kathryn Grayson. Thanks Dave!

05/16/07  1:53pm

What a great clip. Do any other clips survive showing the band in action?

When I interviewed Disney artist Hank Porter’s daughter, she mentioned Kimball had approached her father, wanting him to join the band as the piano player. Porter studied piano for 12 years and played publicly in hotel lobbies in Buffalo in the 1920s. Porter was a south paw and by all accounts was an exellent piano player. One of his favorite arrangements was Rhapsody in Blue.

05/16/07  2:05pm
Max Ward says:

That song is in so many cartoons! What is the name of it? I remember first hearing it in Bimbo’s Initiation.

05/16/07  2:44pm
Scott Harpel says:

The DVD of Frank and Ollie has two performances of the Firehouse House Five as Bonus Features.

05/16/07  2:55pm

The song is Tiger Rag. One of the cartoons where it is prominently featured is Dixieland Droopy directed by Tex Avery. The song was first recorded on August 17, 1917 by the Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

05/16/07  6:09pm

My toes were tapping.

Tiger Rag happens to be one of my favorite tunes! I have two versions by the Firehouse Five on my iPod.

05/16/07  6:25pm
James says:

Lets not forget who that pianist is though. http://frankanollie.com/

05/17/07  6:33am

Thanks Scott!

05/17/07  10:22am
LNG says:

In the recent “Your Host, Walt Disney” DVD collection, the Firehouse Five Plus Two turn up in a Disneyland parade.

05/17/07  11:41am
ladypuppy says:

Show a little love for another of the Nine Old Men in the band! Can’t see his face in the clip and I’m not finding much info online, but is that Frank Thomas at the piano?

05/18/07  2:38pm
Scott Harpel says:

Yes, Frank Thomas is on the Piano

05/21/07  10:17pm
Dave Stuckey says:

re: DisneyDave’s question about more FF5 footage — there’s a real barn burner of an appearance on the Mickey Mouse Club that showed up on one of the VHS compilation tapes — but I haven’t got the guts to post that one!

Write a comment.





Comment: