This was the instrument my mother decided I would learn to play. At first I was curious, lessons with my sister were hard, practice was painful (I never knew time could pass so slowly) and although I wanted to play, I couldn't figure out how to get past the diffuclty of sight reading. Now, after four 'starts' at learing how to play, I can confidently state that I'm beginning to "get it", and I do enjoy the work and personal satisfaction of the results.

Since pianos are so prevelent, practically a standard piece of furniture in many homes, including every movie that simply showed one would be futile. These movies include them in their plot, with the main character, in an important scene or at least played.

Movies

"??"

Burgess Meredith plays a piano butt naked?

"10" ('79)

After following Bo Derek to Mexico, Dudley Moore is talking to a bartender (Brian Dennehy) in a quiet bar. The piano player begins to play "Laura."

"30 Is a Dangerous Age, Cynthia" ('68)

Rupert Street (Dudley Moore), a piano player and composer, decides to write a musical and marry before he reaches his thirtieth birthday. One minor problem: he'll be 30 in six weeks.

"5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, The" ('53)

Bart has only one enemy in the world, his piano teacher Dr. Terwilliker. Dr. T has a mad plan to force 500 young boys to practice at his magnificent piano 24 hr/day, 7 days/week.

"After the Storm" ('01TV)

Shots of the bar's piano player in a few scenes.

"Amadeus" ('84)

There were lots of nice scenes, but my favorite was when the Emperor challenged Mozart to play from memory a Salieri tune that the Emperor had just bumbled through. Mozart played it perfectly, then improvised and improved upon it, much to the distress of everyone present except Mozart.

"As Good as it Gets" ('97)

Jack Nicholson ?

"Autumn Sonata" ('78) aka "Hoestsonaten" by Ingmar Bergman

Charlotte (Ingrid Bergman) plays a concert pianist.

"Bagdad Cafe" ('88)

The kid wants to practice all day on a spinet in the diner. His mother (C.C.Pounder) makes him stop whenever a customer comes in. Great movie.

"Beast with Five Fingers, The" ('46)

Horror about disembodied hand of a pianist the appears to be killing people. Has Peter Lorre too!

"Beautiful Girls" ('96)

Willie Conway (Timothy Hutton), a piano bar player in New York City, returns home for a week for a high school reunion.

"Benny Goodman Story,The" ('55)

Teddy Wilson as himself

"Big Jake" ('71)

John Wayne's grandson is playing Frere Jacques in the first scene just befor he gets kidnapped.

"Birds, The" ('63)

Melanie Daniels (Tipi Hedrin) plays a Debussy Arabesque (on a spinet!) shortly after arriving Bodega Bay and shortly before getting pecked on the head!

"Blazing Saddles" ('74)

Count Basie (and the entire band) playing on the back of a haywagon.

"Casablanca" ('42)

Dooly Wilson plays "As Time Goes By" for Rick (Humphry Bogart) in probably THE classic piano movie scene.

"Casino Royale" ('67)

James Bond (David Niven) plays 'Clair de Lune' while contemplating whether to return to the service. Later another James Bond (Peter Sellers) plays "piano" on Ursula Andress' body, very 'leg-ato". Finally another James Bond (Woody Allen) plays a player grand.

"Christmas in Connecticut" ('?)

The piano brings two lovers together. There are maybe one or two Christmas carols, then he plays the love song. Later she (Barbara Stanwyck) tries to improvise this theme, but she finally slams the fallboard down in frustration.

"Competition, The" ('80)

A piano competition with Richard Dreyfus and Amy Irving.

"Dangerous Moonlight" ('41)

During the Nazi invasion of Poland, American reporter Carole Peters (Sally Gray) meets Polish airman Stefan Radetzky (Anton Walbrook), also a piano virtuoso. (Includes Richard Addinsell's well-known 'Warsaw Concerto')

"Dead Again"('91)

Kenneth Branagh plays the piano.

"Deception" ('46)

Bette Davis, Claude Rains, Paul Henreid Bette's character plays the opening of the Appassionata. Claude rudely interrupts her performance by breaking a champagne glass in his hand.

"Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady?" ('68)

Agatha Knabenshu (Phyllis Diller) arrives in a small town in Missouri to sell player pianos to the locals.

"Down and Out in Beaverly Hills" ('86)

Near the beginning, Nick Nolte plays (not very convincengly) Clair De Lune on a beautiful white concert grand.

"Eddie Duchin Story, The " ('56)

Tyrone Power as Duchin with Carmen Cavallero playing.

"Elephant Walk" (1954)

Dana Andrews plays Chopin for Liz Taylor while her husband Peter Finch plays pool with the guys in his bungalo on his tea plantation in Ceylon. The house in the path of elephants is finally destroyed in the last scene, with one packaderm making a special effort to turn over the piano.

"English Patient, The" ('96)

The scene where Hana (Juliette Binoche) finds some solstice in playing a piano in the bombed out building only to have a soldier run and stop her to check for bombs.

"Fabulous Baker Boys" ('89)

Michelle Pfeiffer slithering around on the grand piano singing, with Jeff Bridges playing,

"Fabulous Dorseys, The " ('47)

Art Tatum's brief appearance (his only)

"Fall into Darkness" ('96TV)

A piano student is framed for murder.

"Fingers" ('78)

Jimmy "Fingers" (Harvey Keitel), a prodigy concert pianist turned debt collector, works for his domineering father.

"Five Easy Pieces" ('70)

Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson) had given up his promising career as a concert pianist for work in oil fields. In one scene he plays Chopin on the back of a pickup truck.

"Foul Play" ('78)

During a "hand-to-hand-combat" (no guns!) scene with the "bad guys" in a living room, Burgess Meredith tosses the sinister woman into an open grand piano and then karate-chops the stick down and it falls with a clang...end of scene...

"Ghost of a Chance" ('87TV)

A piano player is accidentally shot and killed by a policeman. He is sent back to earth to get the cop to help his son audition for a talent search.

"Gone With the Wind" ('39)

There was a piano in it

"Great Dictator, The" ('40)

Adenoid Hynkel, Dictator of Tomania, (Charlie Chaplin) plays during one of his breaks from work.

"Green Card" ('90)

The piano scene with Gerard Depardieu.

"Greenwich Village" ('44)

Ken (Don Amece) plays his concerto for Bonnie (Vivian Blaine), it's performed by a trio of pianos at the end.

"Groundhog Day" ('93)

Bill Murray's character learns Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (at least the 18th variation), then plays a jazz version of it at the party at the end.

"Gunfight at the OK Corral" ('57)

The shooting at the piano player.

"Hangover Square" ('45)

Mad concert pianist as serial killer George Harvey Bone (Laird Cregar), a composer in early 20th century London, who is under stress because he is writing a piano concerto. Due to this stress, he gets black outs when ever he hears dissonances. When he finds himself after the black out in a different quarter of the town, he returns home, to read in the paper that somebody in that quarter was murdered. ( Bernard Herrmann score which features a superb one-movement piano concerto)

"Hannibal" ('00)

Sir Anthony Hopkins plays the piano during the story, (he actually composed the song he was playing?).

"Hard Target" ('93)

A Jean Claude Van Dame movie where the evil guy plays a large section of the third movement of Beethoven Op 57 on a Steinway D.

"Hard Target" ('?)

The sadistic boss plays a grand furiously.

"High Anxiety" ('77)

Mel Brooks is "lounge singing" with a piano accompanist.

"Higher anf Higher" ('44)

A grand slam - Frank Sinatra, Victor Borge, Mel Torme and Dooley Wilson all play the piano.

"His Musical Career" ('14)

Charlie Chaplin and his partner are to deliver a piano to 666 Prospect St. and repossess one from 999 Prospect St. They confuse the addresses. The gags return in Laurel and Hardy's "The Music Box".

"House of Dracula" ('?)

Maritsa, the Dr.'s assistant, plays the Moonlight sonata for the baron (Count Dracula).

"I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore" ('92)

Theresa invites Bernie (Jason Alexander) to see her play piano at her father's restaurant.

"Ikiru" ('52)

A bar's resident piano player accompanies a sad patron.

"Immortal Beloved" ('94)

Ludwig Von Beethoven's (Gary Oldman) biography

"Impromptu" (1991)

Novelist George Sand (Judy Davis) falls in love with composer Fredric Chopin (Hugh Grant). With Franz Liszt (Julian Sands)

"Intermezzo" ('39)

Ingred Bergman gives the little girl a lesson.

"It's a Wonderful Life" ('?)

One of Jimmy Stewart's childern is practicing a Christmass carol on the family's upright. The incessant practicing precipitated his "breakdown".

"I Walk Alone" ('47)

The girlfriend plays piano in the club.

"Jane Eyre" ('?)

Jane plays thepiano for Adele and Mr Rochester.

"Jackie, Ethel, Joan: Women of Caelot" ('01TV)

One of the Kennedy women, Joan, plays Mozart's Piano Concerto 21 at a recital.

"Johnny Guitar" ('54)

Joan Crawford plays a square grand.

"Joker Is Wild, The" ('57)

Eddie Albert, as pianist Austin Mack accompanies Frank Sinatra as Joe E. Lewis

"Journey of the Heart" ('97TV)

A woman discovers her blind, autistic son is a musical genius on the piano.

"Judgement" ('89)

A music teacher throws a teen (Francesco Quinn) out of a classroom where he sneeked in to practice the piano. He returns and destroys the music room.

"Kansas City Kitty" ('44)

Polly, a piano teacher, becomes involved with some shady music publishers.

"Last Tycoon, The" ('76)

Tony Curtis plays piano in the film within.

"Left Hand of God" (1955)

Humphry Bogart plays the piano, and sings, for the children.

"Limelight" ('52)

Chaplin plays violin while the professor tries to tune the piano.

"Lisztomania" ('75)

The life of Romantic composer/piano virtuoso Franz Liszt (played by The Who's Roger Daltrey).

"Lonesome Dove"

The actor who played Larry on the Bob Newhart show is the Texas saloon pianist who gives it up to go be a cowboy in Montana.

"Lost and Found" ('?TV)

Sofie Marceau's former lover plays a grand in the middle of a mall.

"Love Affair" ('94)

Katherine Hepburn plays the beautiful theme from "Love Affair" on a grand piano, while Annette Bening listens.

"Madame Sousatzka" ('88)

Gifted piano student takes piano lessons from master teacher Shirley MacLaine.

"Mad Love" ('35)

Dr. Gogol (Peter Lorre) replaces the injured hands of a concert pianist with those of a knife murderer with unusual results.

"Man from Snowy River, The "('82)

the girl is playing and gets all emotional about him.

"Meeting Venus" ('91)

A Hungarian conductor, Zoltan Szanto (Niels Arestrup) attempts to mount a bold new production of TANNHAUSER while navigating the snares and pitfalls of 'artistic' egos, rampant nationalism,internal company and union politics, and precarious funding.

"Memphis Belle" ('90)

Harry Connick, Jr. playing "Danny Boy".

"Mephisto Waltz, The" ('71)

Myles Clarkson (Alan Alda) is a pianist whose body is taken over by the aging and dying Duncan Ely (Curd Jurgens).

"Mighty Joe Young" ('?)

The girl plays 'Beautiful Dreamer" for Joe.

"Mighty Quinn, The" ('?)

Denzel Washington plays in the club.

"Money Buys Happiness" ('99)

A couple examines their relationship as the guy pushes a piano 50 blocks across the city to their home.

"Moonlight Sonata" ('37)

Paderewski playing himself plays the music of Liszt.

"Mousehunt" ('?)

The cat chases the mouse over the keys and into the grand a la Tom & Jerry.

"Music Box, The" ('32)

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy go into the moving business. They try to get an upright up a long flight of steps to a house. Yes, it does slide back down.

"Music Man, The" ('62)

Marion the librarian sings "Goodnight My Love" to the accompanient of one of her piano students. Also the player-piano that is played at the school meeting.

"Naked Jungle, The" ('?)

? plays for Charlton Heston.

"Nutty Professor, The" ('63)

Professor Julius Kelp (Jerry Lewis) transformes into his alter ego Buddy Love who plays 'That Old Black Magic' for Stella Purdy (Stella Stevens) in the club.

"Parting Glances" ('?)

Performance artists at farewell party

"Passion" ('99)

Biopic of Percy Grainger starring Richard Roxburgh.

"Peackeeper" ('97)

Nicole Kidman & George Clooney. The Bad Guy listens to a student playing a Chopin nocturne fairly badly, then advises her on the emotional character of the piece. He then goes on to demonstrate, playing it almost as badly.

"Pete Kelly's Blues" ('55)

Jack Webb as Pete Kelly. Ray Sherman's playing.

"Piano for Mrs. Cimino, A" ('81)

Widow Cimino (Bette Davis) is a former pianist and music store owner who has retreated into her own world since the death of her husband. After being placed in a nursing home she discovers her house and belongings have been sold and a complete stranger has been put in charge of her life savings.

"Piano,The" ('93)

Dumb Ada (Holly Hunter) who expresses herself through her playing is married off to a man (Sam Neil) in New Zealand but must 'negotiate' with personal favors with another (Harvey Keitel) to get her piano back. (The piano was a square grand)

"Piano Lesson, The" (TV'95)

The Charles family has survived a turbulent past. At the heart of their strugglestands a magnificent piano. A carved piano that carries their family's story from their days as slaves. A piano that has cost them dearly in tears and bloodshed. Boy Willie (Charles Dutton) wants to sell the piano to buy a farm, the same fields the family has worked as slaves. But his sister, Berniece (Alfre Woodard), refuses to part with it. For her, the piano is their very soul.

"Player, The " ('?)

Jack Lemmon playing at a party.

"Pretty Woman" ('90)

Richard Gere plays.

"Promise to Keep, A" (1990)

Carl (William Russ), a composer,plays a large mahogany grand piano in his study.

"Purple Rain" ('84)

Clarence Williams, III plays Prince's tortured and thwarted pianist-composer father.

"Racing with the Moon" ('?)

Sean Penn takes a piano lesson in the first scene.

"Rear Window" ('54)

The frustrated composer banging on his piano across from Jimmy Stewart.

"Rhapsody in Blue"('45)

Robert Alda as Gershwin, Oscar Levant does the playing.

"Richter: The Enigma"

There is a lot of amazing piano playing and insightful commentary of Sviatoslav Richter.

"Road to Singapore ('40)

Hope plays for the party on the yacht. Jerry Colona plays too.

"Road to Utopia" ('46)

Bing plays for the girl in Scagway, AK.

"Room With a View" ('86)

Helena Bonham Carter playing Mozart Sonata in A minor K. 310.

"Round Midnight" ('86)

Eddie Wayne (Herbie Hancock).

"St. Louis Blues" ('?)

Nat King Cole plays and sings

"Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverley Hills" ('?)

The teenage boy who always plays Debussy's Dr Gradus and Parnassum.

"Schindler's List" ('93)

While clearing out a house one of the German soldiers notices a Jew playing the piano. The soldier asks the piano player "Is it Bach?". "No, it's Mozart"replies the player. Then the scene cuts away; we hear a burst of gunfire and the piano music stops.

"Scott Joplin-King of Ragtime" ('77)

Billy Dee Williams plays Joplin. The piano was played by Dick Hyman

"Seven Year Itch, The" ('55)

Marilyn Monroe and Tom Ewell play Chopsticks, and other things, on a grans.

"She's Working" ('52)

Virginia Mayo plays a song ("Lovin You") on the piano in the teacher's (Ronald Reagan) classroom.

"Shine" ('96)

The true story of David Helfgott, a musical savant tortured by his passion for the piano and interference from his parents.

"Shot in the Dark, A" ('64)

Peter Sellers as Inspector Clouseau. In one scene he manages to get a mace caught on his hand and proceeds, in his inept attempt to try to get it off, to destroy the living room piano. Once it the piano is in splinters on the floor, the lady of the house exclaims "That's a priceless Steinway!" to which Clouseau replies "Not anymore!"

"So this is Love" (1953)

Merve Griffin plays the piano

"Song of Love" ('47)

centers on the Schumanns and Brahms. Paul Henreid as Robert Schumann, Robert Walker as Johannes Brahms, and Henry Daniell as Franz Liszt

"Song of Norway" ('70)

Grieg bio with Toralv Maurstad as Edvard Grieg, Henry Gilbert as Franz Liszt

"Song to Remember, A" ('45)

Bio of Chopin (Cornel Wilde) with Stephen Bekassy as Franz Liszt.

"Song Without End" ('60)

Liszt bio with Dirk Bogart as Franz Liszt, Lyndon Brook as Richard Wagner.

"Soul Food" ('97)

There's a great piano scene where the brother-in-law plays piano for the sister-in-law's dance audition.

"Soul of a Monster, The ", ('44)

Erwin Nyiregyhazi has a cameo playing Liszt's Mephisto Waltz. It may be the only visual recording of EN, not counting numerous hand shots in other movies.

"Splendor in the Grass" ('61)

Beaty and Wood play chopsticks on an upright.

"Stata Fair" ('45)

The son and his girlfriend sing around the piano with the band at the party in her hotel room.

"Swiss Miss" ('38)

Laurel and Hardy move a piano to a secluded tree house but become trapped on a rickety rope bridge high above an Alpine gorge when they're met halfway across by a gorilla.

"Talented Mr. Ripley, The" ('99)

Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), borrows a Princeton jacket to play piano at a garden party.

"Tic Code, The" ('98)

A boy with Tourette's Syndrome persues jazz piano, over the objections of his father, with a sax player.

"Three Easy Pieces" ('?)

Jack Nicholson stars as a promising pianist who drops out and drifts around.

"To Have and Have Not" ('44)

Hoagy Carmichael does quite of bit of playing in this Bogart movie.

"World of Henry Orient, The "(64)

starring Peter Sellers

"Young at Heart" ('54)

Sinatra plays in the club for Doris Day.

"Young Man with a Horn" ('50)

Hoagy Carmichael as Smoke Willoughby

TV

"Adams Family" TV

Lurch always played the harpsichord.

"All in the Family" TV

Each episode opened up with Edith playing the piano and she and Archie singing 'Those Were the Days'.

"Beverly Hills 90210"

I believe David (Brian Austin Green) has a short scene where he plays the piano at a Christmas party.

"Bewitched"

The episode where Endora gives Tabitha the ability to play the piano like a prodigy. Samantha's piano theacher, Johann Sebastien Monroe, 'discovers' her.

"Cheers" TV

The episode with the player piano that never worked until the guy who was going into the priesthood tried.

"Dave's World" TV

The Barry's rent a piano for Tommy, the handyman neighbor finds a glass eye in it.

"Everybody Loves Raymond"

Ray decides to take up the piano again as an adult and is determined to learn how to play. Apparently, he had some bad childhood memories of piano lessons. He gives a recital at the end of the show.

Marie gives Marco a piano lesson.

"Fame"

One of the main characters, Bruno, probably had quite a few piano scenes (since he was a piano student).

"Frasier" TV

The conspicuous grand in the backgroung often played by Niles and Frasier.

"Grand" ('90)

Tom (Michael McKean) has gotten a job at the Weldon Piano Works.

"Fresh Prince of Bel-Air"

Will Smith played "Fur Elise" in one of earliest episodes when he believes no one is around. But his uncle hears him playing and is surprised.

"Home Improvement" TV

Tim Taylor's wife Jill hunts down her childhood piano she learned to play on.

The episode with Jill is poorly practicing the first movement of the "Moonlight Sonata" and her kids 'muting' the piano with clothes.

"Honeymooners" TV

The episode where Ralph is cramming for a 'name that tune' contest and Norton is testing him by playing melodies on a spinet in Ralph's apartment. Norton warms up by playing "Swanee" which ironically is the first tune Ralph is given at the contest and which of course he doesn't know!

"I Dream of Jeanie" TV

Jeanie 'blinks' a little red spinet piano to play perfectly when Maj. Nelson sits at it. When Dr. Bellows sees it, he arranges a performanintour for the Major.

"Leave It To Beaver"

I seem to remember one episode when one of Beaver's friends surprises (and impresses) everyone by playing piano at a party.

"Outer Limits"

The episode where David McCallum is genetically evolved to a big-headed super brain who plays a Bach prelude first time at the piano.

"Remmington Steel" early episode.

Mildred plays Heart and Soul on Laura's grand. "It was a gift from a client, my grandmother", Laura says and then plays it herself at the end.

"Seinfeld" episode "The Pez Dispensor"

Jerry cracks up Elaine with a Pez dispensor during a piano recital.

"Taxi"

Hilarious episode where Elaine reluctantly takes fellow cab driver Jim to a formal party thrown by a wealthy socialite. Elaine's fears are realized when Jim tries to entertain the crowd by playing the grand piano that is present. He at first very badly plays some really easy children's song like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Star". His facial expressions when he hits the wrong notes are priceless. Elaine then pulls him aside and tells him to stop playing, but he tells Elaine that he can keep playing. After the little talk, he then amazingly launches into Chopin's Fantasie-Impromptu and plays like a virtuoso. He becomes the life of the party.

"Twilight Zone" Episode: "A Piano in the House"

A player piano reveals the inner thoughs of various people when specific rolls are played.

"Waltons" TV

Jason plays the piano

Cartoons

"Birthday Party, The" ('31)

Mickey Mouse gets his present: a miniature piano. He plays it and then the piano stool keeps playing it.

"Blue Rhythm" ('31)

Mickey plays a bluesy tune on a piano on a stage.

"Cactus Kid, The" ('30)

Mickey walks into the tavern where Minnie is dancing, and begins to dance and play piano himself.

"Castaway, The" ('31)

Mickey is shipwrecked on an island. He then discovers a piano that washed ashore, and begins playing it. A gorilla playing a 4-hands piece with his feet destroys the piano.

"College Capers" ('?) by Noveltoon

The 'Harvad' mice alumni party is crashed by a 'Quinston' cat chasing the mice in the piano by palying the keys.

"Delivery Boy, The" ('31)

Mickey plays a march or two on the piano with Minnie.

"Hook, Line and Stinker" ('58) RoadRunner

Wile E. Coyote hopes to catch the Road Runner using a piano dropped from a precipice. This results in Wile E. falling to the road below along with the piano and ending up with 88 ivory key teeth.

"Hop, Skip and a Chump" ('42)

The grasshopper Hopalong Casserole plays "The Storm" on a piano.

"I Haven't Got a Hat" ('35)

Oliver Owl plays the piano.

"Jazz Fool, The" ('29)

Mickey's suitcase labeled "Jazz Fool" unfolds to a piano.

"Klondike Kid, The" ('32)

Mickey plays piano in the Klondike Bar.

"Mickey Steps Out" ('31)

Pluto chases a cat into a piano.

"Moving Day" ('36)

Goofy helps Donald and Mickey move out , but their piano doesn't want to stay on his truck.

"Musical Moments from Chopin" ('46)

Andy Panda is playing a rendition of Chopin's "Polanaise" for a farmyard audience.

"Opry House" ('29)

Mickey plays the piano, but the piano and stool kicks him off.

"Organ Grinder, The" ('33)

An organ grinder's monkey plays a piano.

"Orphans' Benefit" ('41)

Clara clucks a song while Mickey plays piano.

"Pizzicato Pussycat" ('55)

A mouse plays for a pantomiming cat.

"Super Snooper, The" ('52)

Daffy Duck as detective Duck Drake is crushed by a falling piano.

"Think Before You Pink" ('69)

After trying to cross a road several times, a Pink Panther finally succeeds - but a falling piano lands on him in the end.

"Tops in the Big Top" ('45)

Popeye does a high wire act carrying a piano, and Olive, blindfolded.

"Toyland Broadcast" ('34)

A couple of dolls playing matched toy pianos.

"Two Chips and a Miss" ('52) Chip 'n Dale.

Chip plays the piano; Dale the bass at a nightclub.

"Two Gophers from Texas" ('48)

Two gophers trap a dog in his own piano. As they play the keys the hammers whack the dog's rear.

"Whoopee Party, The" ('32)

Minnie plays piano and the guests dance.

"?" ('?) Tom and Jerry

They play Liszt Hungarian Rhapsody #2 in/on the piano

Commercials

XM Radio ('02)

A piano falls in front of an 18-wheeler, with the tag line "Classical music from above"

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