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Movies featuring the musical saw
Check out these movies (rentable from most video stores) to see and/or hear the musical saw:
- Dummy, starring Adrien Brody (star of "The Pianist") and Ron Liebman (Tony Award winner for “Angels In America”)
has Natalia playing "The Swan" on the saw in an audition scene in it.
- 'El Carnaval de Sodoma' directed by Arturo Ripstein (Mexico, 2006) has Natalia's saw playing the lead voice in the theme. Gorgeous music by 'Grammy' winner David Mansfield (Nominated for a Golden Globe for "Year of the Dragon" - Best Original Score). Listen to a clip
- Sweet and Lowdown, directed by woody Allen. Musical saw performance in about mid movie in an
amateur showcase scene.
- Delicatessen. French film. Musical saw performance in mid film and at end of film. Duet
with cello. The saw player on screen doesn't provide the sound. He is an actor who pretends to play the saw.
 Listen
- One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest Musical saw on soundtrack. Composed by Robert Armstrong
- Flight of the Phantasm Musical saw on soundtrack.
- Swing your lady. Musical saw played by Elviry Weaver.
- Cabaret with Liza Minelli. Musical saw performance in mid film in scene in the cabaret before
Liza Minelli is seen sitting at a table talking with a man.
- To Die For Musical saw on soundtrack during opening credits.
- Oh Brother, Where Art Thou Musical saw on soundtrack (very short).
- Charlie Devin Carroll informed us that this movie about the retarded man who gets medicine that temporarily makes him a genius has a beautiful musical saw number in the opening credits.
- Funny Bones Robert Rittenhouse informed us that this movie, directed by Peter Chelsom (1995) has the musical saw played by a sweet old lady (Maudie Blake) in an audition scene.
- Quantum Leap Sci-Fi TV channel. The 'Miss Deep South' episode (broadcasted October 10th, 2001, 12AM) about a beauty pageant has a girl playing the saw in mid-episode. The sound of her saw can be heard in the back ground later, too.
- Gilligan's Island episode number 26 from the first season, "Music Hath Charm". First aired March 27th,
1965. The castaways form a band of triangle, conch shells, flute, and Mary Ann is on the musical saw.
- Ingmar Bergman's Fanny and Alexander - Max Butler informed us that this movie has a saw player in the background of a street scene as Fanny and Alexander run through the streets. Passes by pretty quickly. Saw's sound is not heard.
- Charlie Chaplin's film A Dog's Life - Timothy Brock informed us that this 1918 movie has a soundtrack written in 1959 by Charlie Chaplin, which includes a big saw solo accompanied by orchestra.
Frank from Iceland informs us that "In the film it´s a woman singing, and so bad that everybody
is crying!"
- The Japanese horror film Goke, Body Snatcher From Hell - The soundtrack has standard symphonic horror
film swells, unearthly analog synthesizer sounds and keening musical saw.
- Pipi Longstoking - South Seas has an old man playing the saw in one scene, as reported by Karen.
- The Station Agent has musical saw in the soundtrack(at the end during credits), as reported both by Heidi and Ed (Thank you!).
- Bugs bunny had an episode called 'knighty knight bugs' in which bugs rescues the singing sword
from the black knight, played by yosemite sam. This episode, which aired 8-23-58 earned bugs bunny an oscar and director Friz
Freleng his fourth. When the singing sword was singing…it was actually the sound of someone playing the saw.
- Salmer fra kjøkkenet, also Known As: Kitchen Stories
(International: English title), Psalmer från köket (Sweden), Psalms from the Kitchen (literal English title)
This is a movie from Norway/Sweden, directed by Bent Hamer in 2003, it is in Norwegian / Swedish
The film is about kitchen efficiency in Norwegian bachelors’ homes in 1950. A scientific observer's job of observing
an old cantakerous single man's kitchen habits is complicated by his growing friendship with him.
It’s a comedy, and it has a musical saw in it!
- Steamboat Round the Bend - a Will Rogers movie from 1935 has a scene where a man plays 'No place like
home' on the musical saw. On screen is an actor immitating saw playing while the recorded sound was played by someone else.
- Walking Tall - (2003) starring the Rock, has a tiny musical saw part at the very beginning, when the police car
drives up to talk to "the Rock" as he's looking at the notice at the Mill which had shut down. You'll have to listen
hard, as there are just a couple of audible moments.
- Robots - (2005) Animated. A world populated solely by mechanical beings. Musical saw in sound track.
- The Three Stooges had a bit they did with a musical saw, where Curley would get slapped silly with a serrated
band of metal: In the Sweet Pie and Pie (1941) the boys are in Hangemall Prison after being wrongfully convicted
when mistaken for the Mushroom Murder Mob. As they plan their escape, Curly produces a saw. Moe asks, "Is that a musical
saw?" Curly replies, "Why certainly. It plays 'I Hear a Ripsody.' Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk."
 
- Get Rich or Die Tryin' - (2005) has a tiny bit of musical saw in the soundtrack: in a scene where the main character (50 Cent)
is on his deathbed in a hospital, and the saw plays a slow tune in unison with violins. The effect is to portray the dying
man's soul escaping his body and ascending to heaven. The story is a tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from
crime to pursue his passion, rap music.
- Fen e-mailed to inform us (thank you, Fen!) that another movie with "music" from the saw is War of the Gargantuas
(1966). It is a Japanese monster film. The saw can be heard in the very opening credits and in the opening scene.
It's meant to be creepy, and it succeeds.
- Curtis e-mailed to inform us (thank you, Curtis!) that 'Duel in the Sun' with Jennifer Jones, Gregory Peck and
a whole slew of famous actors has saw in it. In the middle of the movie there's a barn dance scene and the band has
a musical saw player fronting the band. 1947.
- Marcelo e-mailed to inform us (thank you, Marcelo!) that Jim Carrey's "The Grinch" in a scene during the first
sequence taking place in Whooville, one of the musicians in the marching band is playing a saw !!!!. It lasts only a
second, but it's Interesting.... A saw player MARCHING in a band... I guess that would be impossible to do in "real life"...
- Another find of Marcelo (thanks again!) is Smiley Burnette playing the saw in episode six of "The Undersea Kingdom"
(1935), staring Ray "Crash" Corrigan.
- 'American Splendor' - saw in soundtrack
- 'Flirting With Disaster'- saw in soundtrack
- 'Joe's Apartment'- saw in soundtrack
- 'Searching for the wrong-eyed Jesue' - a documentary film made in the deep south of america. In it a girl is playing 'Amazing Grace' on the saw. Thank
you to Diane or Ireland for this info!
Know of another movie with a musical saw performance in it? Please e-mail us the
information and we will post it here with credit given to you.
"Star Trek" (the original show) theme by Lalo Schifrin - the melody was carried by an ondes-martenot, whose sound is very similar to that of the musical-saw.
Movies With Handbells In Them
The Madness of King George - two handbell ringers ringing two base bells each.
Movies With Cowbells In Them
"Miss Congeniality" - Sandra Bullock plays cowbells in a competition. - (Thank you Ilona from Germany for this info!)
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