- Played on soundtracks of or assisted with scores of: "The Wild One", "I Want to Live", "Porgy and Bess", "The Subterraneans" and Scorsese's "New York, New York".
- In the 1950s, had a staff-pianist contract at MGM arranged by his friend André Previn. The weekly retainer was huge, and paid whether he worked or not. On a rare occasion when he was called in to play some glissandi effects for a Tom & Jerry cartoon, Previn advised: "Russ, use a comb to run up and down the keyboard, don't hurt your finger." "André, for /this/ kind of money, I don't mind bleeding a little." (Related by composer John Altman.)
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