Maccaferri in the film Genevieve

Gypsyjazzer · Post by **Gypsyjazzer** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 12:52 pm

Sign of having too much time on my hands, but half-watching watching the 1953 UK film "Genevieve" on Channel 4 this morning, I happened to notice that the guitarist in the jazz band featured in a night club scene that appears about 45 - 60 minutes into the film was clearly playing a D-hole Maccaferri. Albeit it had been fitted with an awful looking large white plastic pick-guard on the front, but still definitely a Maccaferri.

Anybody know who the guitarist was? He looked to be in his late 30s - 40s, but then everyone looked much older than their true years in the 1950s. From what I can recall he was slightly balding and not too slim! (Sorry officer, it all happened so fast.)

Anyway, interesting that even as late as 1953 someone was still using an acoustic Maccaferri guitar in a UK jazz band.

Stu

Gypsyjazzer · Post by **Gypsyjazzer** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 1:55 pm

Even more time on my hands - I've now found a couple of photos from the film that show the guitarist with his Maccaferri.

With the add-on pick-guard you have to look closely, but it ia a Maccaferri.

You can see the guitar much clearer in the actual film, but who is the guitarist, and does anyone know if his guitar is still about?

Whilst I'm posting this, I also recall Al Bowley used a D-hole Maccaferri - does anyone know if his guitar survived, as I know he was killed by a bomb blast during the Blitz?

Gypsyjazzer · Post by **Gypsyjazzer** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:28 pm

I've never managed to upload attachments in any of my previous postings, and I don't know why the photos didn't get loaded in the last post, but I'll have another try here.

Gypsyjazzer · Post by **Gypsyjazzer** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 2:31 pm

Great, you wait years for an attachment to work, and then six come along together!

Apologies.

Post by **Teddy Dupont** » Thu Jan 13, 2011 7:56 pm

The guy sitting down is an actor and Kay Kendall is miming to Kenny Baker so it may well be that none of them are actual musicians. Even if they were, they would only be miming.

I do agree that it is unusual for such a guitar to be used in the UK in 1952/53.

Gypsyjazzer · Post by **Gypsyjazzer** » Mon Jan 17, 2011 1:07 pm

Hi Teddy,

Looking at that scene again over the weekend, I noticed in a close-up of the guitar player there is what looks like a small pickup fitted to the guitar between the bridge and the bottom of the soundhole.

In addition, although the actor Harry Balfour certainly portrayed the trumpeter in the film, the guitarist definitely appears to be fingering correct chord shapes with his left hand, although he could still be an actor who happened to play the guitar, rather than an a professional guitarist who was paid to appear in the film.

However, my guess is that apart from the trumpeter the rest of the band were genuine musicians, and that logically suggests that Maccaferri is still lurking about somewhere in the UK, probably in the London or South East area.

Stuart