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George 'Red' Callender(1916-1992)

  • Music Department
  • Actor
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
George 'Red' Callender
Songwriter ("Primrose Lane", "Pastel"), composer, conductor, arranger, bassist and tubist who, after his college education, performed as bassist within the groups of Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Nat 'King' Cole and Lester Young, later forming his own trio. Starting in the early 1950s, prior to which he helped bring about the amalgamation of L.A.'s hitherto segregated musician's union, Callender was a much in demand studio musician, both on bass and on tuba. He appeared on many television programs and in jazz festivals, and made many records. Joining ASCAP in 1957, his chief musical collaborator was Wayne Shanklin.
BornMarch 6, 1916
DiedMarch 8, 1992(76)
BornMarch 6, 1916
DiedMarch 8, 1992(76)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank

Photos1

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Known for

Woody Allen, Demi Moore, Elisabeth Shue, Robin Williams, Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal, Mariel Hemingway, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Benjamin, Judy Davis, Amy Irving, Tobey Maguire, and Stanley Tucci in Deconstructing Harry (1997)
Deconstructing Harry
7.3
  • Soundtrack(as Red Callendar)
  • 1997
John Travolta, Emma Thompson, and Adrian Lester in Primary Colors (1998)
Primary Colors
6.7
  • Soundtrack
  • 1998
Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton, and Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra in I Dood It (1943)
I Dood It
6.2
  • Acoustic Double Bassist with Hazel Scott(uncredited)
  • 1943
Elisabeth Moss in Shirley (2020)
Shirley
6.1
  • Soundtrack
  • 2020

Credits

IMDbPro

Music Department



  • A Soldier's Story (1984)
    A Soldier's Story
    7.2
    • musician: acoustic double bass (uncredited)
    • 1984
  • Bruce Lee and James Franciscus in Longstreet (1971)
    Longstreet
    7.8
    TV Series
    • musician: acoustic double bass (uncredited)
    • 1971
  • Charlton Heston, John Dierkes, Lincoln Kilpatrick, and Linda Redfearn in The Omega Man (1971)
    The Omega Man
    6.4
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1971
  • "The Smith Family" Janet Blair, Henry Fonda, Darleen Carr, Ron Howard, Michael-James Wixted
    The Smith Family
    6.7
    TV Series
    • theme by
    • composer: theme music (as G. Callendar, as G. Callendar, 1971-1972)
    • 1971
  • The Partridge Family (1970)
    The Partridge Family
    6.6
    TV Series
    • musician: double bass (uncredited)
    • 1971
  • Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland, Telly Savalas, and Don Rickles in Kelly's Heroes (1970)
    Kelly's Heroes
    7.6
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1970
  • Hunters Are for Killing (1970)
    Hunters Are for Killing
    5.6
    TV Movie
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1970
  • Lee Marvin and Jeanne Moreau in Monte Walsh (1970)
    Monte Walsh
    7.0
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1970
  • The Only Game in Town (1970)
    The Only Game in Town
    5.7
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1970
  • Steve McQueen in The Reivers (1969)
    The Reivers
    6.6
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1969
  • Tisha Sterling in The Name of the Game Is Kill! (1968)
    The Name of the Game Is Kill!
    5.8
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1968
  • Point Blank (1967)
    Point Blank
    7.2
    • musician: bass (uncredited)
    • 1967
  • Danny Kaye in The Danny Kaye Show (1963)
    The Danny Kaye Show
    7.8
    TV Series
    • musician: double bass
    • 1963–1967
  • Natalie Wood, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon in The Great Race (1965)
    The Great Race
    7.2
    • musician: tuba (uncredited)
    • 1965
  • Ann-Margret, Alain Delon, and Van Heflin in Once a Thief (1965)
    Once a Thief
    6.5
    • musician: tuba (uncredited)
    • 1965

Actor



  • Ricardo Montalban and Hervé Villechaize in Fantasy Island (1977)
    Fantasy Island
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Acoustic Double Bassist Accompanying Dream Sequence Dance (uncredited)
    • 1984
  • Kam Fong, Al Harrington, Jack Lord, and James MacArthur in Hawaii Five-O (1968)
    Hawaii Five-O
    7.4
    TV Series
    • Bass Player (uncredited)
    • 1970
  • St. Louis Blues (1958)
    St. Louis Blues
    7.1
    • Musician
    • 1958
  • Arturo de Córdova, Woody Herman, Marjorie Lord, and Dorothy Patrick in New Orleans (1947)
    New Orleans
    6.9
    • Bassist - Original New Orleans Ragtime Band (as Red Callendar)
    • 1947
  • Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton, and Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra in I Dood It (1943)
    I Dood It
    6.2
    • Acoustic Double Bassist with Hazel Scott (uncredited)
    • 1943
  • Peter Lorre and Sig Ruman in Think Fast, Mr. Moto (1937)
    Think Fast, Mr. Moto
    6.7
    • Nightclub Bassist (uncredited)
    • 1937
  • Eleanor Powell in Broadway Melody of 1936 (1935)
    Broadway Melody of 1936
    6.7
    • Sideline Musician (uncredited)
    • 1935

Soundtrack



  • AM HQ Weekend (2015)
    AM HQ Weekend
    2.9
    TV Series
    • performer: "Let It Snow!"
    • 2025–2026
  • Weekend Recharge (2015)
    Weekend Recharge
    5.2
    TV Series
    • performer: "Let It Snow!" (as Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!)
    • 2025
  • Elisabeth Moss in Shirley (2020)
    Shirley
    6.1
    • performer: "Everything About You Appeals To Me"
    • 2020
  • An American Rhapsody (2001)
    An American Rhapsody
    6.7
    • writer: "Primrose Lane" (1957)
    • 2001
  • John Travolta, Emma Thompson, and Adrian Lester in Primary Colors (1998)
    Primary Colors
    6.7
    • writer: "Primrose Lane"
    • 1998
  • Woody Allen, Demi Moore, Elisabeth Shue, Robin Williams, Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal, Mariel Hemingway, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Richard Benjamin, Judy Davis, Amy Irving, Tobey Maguire, and Stanley Tucci in Deconstructing Harry (1997)
    Deconstructing Harry
    7.3
    • performer: "All the Things You Are" (as Red Callendar)
    • 1997
  • Mia Farrow in September (1987)
    September
    6.4
    • performer: "My Ideal", "Night and Day" (as Red Callender)
    • 1987
  • The Atomic Cafe (1982)
    The Atomic Cafe
    7.6
    • performer: "Atomic Love"
    • 1982
  • The Lawrence Welk Show (1955)
    The Lawrence Welk Show
    7.0
    TV Series
    • writer: "Primrose Lane" (uncredited)
    • 1971
  • "The Smith Family" Janet Blair, Henry Fonda, Darleen Carr, Ron Howard, Michael-James Wixted
    The Smith Family
    6.7
    TV Series
    • writer: "Primrose Lane"
    • 1971
  • Danny Kaye in The Danny Kaye Show (1963)
    The Danny Kaye Show
    7.8
    TV Series
    • performer: "Slap That Bass"
    • 1964
  • The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show (1956)
    The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show
    7.7
    TV Series
    • writer: "Primrose Lane" (uncredited)
    • 1959
  • Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon in Some Like It Hot (1959)
    Some Like It Hot
    8.2
    • performer: "Sugar Blues" (1920), "Some Like It Hot" (1958), "Sugar Blues - Runnin' Wild" (uncredited)
    • 1959
  • Ronald Reagan in General Electric Theater (1953)
    General Electric Theater
    6.8
    TV Series
    • performer: "Come Rain or Come Shine" (uncredited)
    • 1956
  • Lester Young in Jammin' the Blues (1944)
    Jammin' the Blues
    8.0
    Short
    • performer: "Midnight Symphony", "On the Sunny Side of the Street" (1930) (uncredited)
    • 1944

Personal details

  • Alternative names
    • G. Callendar
  • Height
    • 6′ 3″ (1.91 m)
  • Born
    • March 6, 1916
    • Haynesville, Virginia, USA
  • Died
    • March 8, 1992
    • Saugus, California, USA(thyroid cancer)
  • Spouses
      Mary Louise Lyons1971 - March 8, 1992 (his death)
  • Other works
    Songwriter: Wrote "Primrose Lane", a hit for Jerry Wallace in 1959.

Did you know

  • Trivia
    Jazz bass player.

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