Resumé
Buddy has produced and/or directed/written over 150 hours of features/TV film and video programming in England, Europe, Canada, and the USA - from the award winning The American Civil War (BBC) to the feature film Wandering Minstrels starring Olivia Newton-John, to the comedy series Oh Madeline (ABC) starring Madeline Kahn, to the half-hour comedy pilot Fraud Squad (ABC). From the film special Chicago in the Roaring 20's (BBC) to the pilot Miracle Mile (NBC) and the film Pros and Cons (ABC), all created by him, plus many other films/specials for ABC, NBC, CBS, FBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corp. (CBC), Independent Television London (ITV), London Weekend TV (LWT) and the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) for 2 years - brought over to The Beeb under staff contract (the only American ever) and by now Sir David Attenborough (Head of BBC2 at that time) to produce and direct for the New BBC Network - BBC2.
Initially the very first show ever broadcast by BBC2 was produced and directed by Buddy - An Evening With Ethel Merman + producing and directing the first 14 episodes of the of International Cabaret series - with a slew of International Stars - Mel Tome' - Nancy Wilson - Shirley Bassey - Robert Clary - Jack Carter - Anna Maria Alberghetti - Pete Barbutti - The Kingston Trio etc... he then followed up with a slew of Tribute Specials to Broadway Musical Legends: George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Rodgers & Hart and Rodgers & Hammerstein Musical TV Extravaganzas with Ron Moody as "The Guide" - and Buddy producing and directing every one of them - all as his first few months output.
This group of specials were followed up by his tribute trilogy to "Americana historical events " THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR - THE OPENING OF THE WILD WEST - and CHICAGO IN THE ROARING 20s - starring AL CAPONE.
Before becoming an independent filmmaker, Buddy was under long-term contract as Producer/Director/Writer, creating, developing, producing and directing Feature Films, Movies of the Week, TV Series and TV Pilots; (approximately 35) for the following studio/production entities: Universal Studios, Columbia Pictures, Filmways, Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox, Metromedia, MGM, Carsey-Werner Company, Castle Rock Entertainment, plus many European Networks and Production Companies, such as The British Broadcasting Corporation, London's Weekend Television Network, RTF in Paris, Bavaria Studios in Munich, Sud Deutsche Rundfunk in Munich, NDR (North Deutsche Rundfunk) in Hamburg, 2nd German Program Network in Mainz, 1st German Program Network in Cologne [Köln], Intertel Productions in Munich and Basel, Switzerland, etc...
A few major jazz names (Quincy Jones, Buddy Bregman, Bill Richmond, Med Flory, for example) have taken up non-musical second careers as producers, directors or writers.
- From Jazz on the Screen Filmography
The detailed credits for each project listed can be found in various sections throughout the website.
BUDDY BREGMAN, AS PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/MUSICAL ARRANGER/COMPOSER/CONDUCTOR ETC., HAS WORKED WITH PERFORMERS SUCH AS:
Alan King - Worked with him on The Eddie Fisher Show
Andre Previn - He played on many of my albums and on the same film score John Williams played on of mine as well
Andy Williams - Worked with him on The Eddie Fisher Show and Kay Thompson's Cabaret Show
Anita O'Day - Arranged and Conducted 3 albums for her - 2 on Verve and 1 on Pablo Barbra Streisand - Re-did some of her musical arrangements for Funny Girl in London
Barbra Streisand – Re-did some of her musical arrangements for Funny Girl in London
Betty Hutton - Worked with her on The Eddie Fisher Show
Bing Crosby - Was Arranger and Conductor on "Bing Sings Whilst Bregman Swings" Album on Verve; also Produced his St. Patrick's Day TV Special in Dublin for ITV and the rest of the world - the Year and was also nominated for an Emmy Award as Best Producer
Bob Fosse - Did all his dance arrangements for Pajama Game - also scored the film
Bob Hope - Directed him in a CBS TV Special
Bobby Darin - Arranged and Conducted his albums and did same for his Cabaret Tour Shows
Bobby Short - Made Buddy's debut as an arranger/conductor for Bobby with 4 pop tracks on Atlantic Records - one of them became his signature song until the day he died last year - LET THERE BE LOVE!
Buddy Holly - He was a guest on Buddy's own show - Buddy Bregman's Music Shop - on NBC
Cheryl Lee Ralph - Produced a film for ABC she starred in
Cindy Williams - Directed her in a CBS Special (same as Penny)
Count Basie - Arranged and conducted an album with he and Joe Williams on Verve Records. Also Produced and Directed the Newport Jazz Festival with him on NBC
Dean Martin - Wrote some musical arrangements for him in a Martin & Lewis film Money From Home. Buddy's main credit was being a dear friend of him and his whole family.
Debbie Reynolds - Arranged and Conducted an album with her and did her musical arrangements for a Hollywood Bowl appearance
Diahann Carroll - Produced and Directed her in a BBC Special; also wrote her musical arrangements for her many Las Vegas Shows
Dionne Warwick - Produced and Directed her in a 20th Century Fox TV Special
Donald Sutherland - Produced and Directed him in a BBC Filmed Award-Winning Special
Duke Ellington - Produced and Directed the Newport Jazz Festival Show with him on NBC
Eddie Fisher - Musical Director/Arranger/Conductor on his 40 NBC TV 1-hour Variety Shows - Also starring Mary Tyler Moore, plus Don Rickles, and Dick Shawn
Ella Fitzgerald - Arranged and Conducted her two biggest albums of all-time for Verve Records; "Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Cole Porter Songbook" and "Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook", two of the biggest sellers of all time, plus her first single(s), she ever recorded on Verve, including her biggest hit single, "Beautiful Friendship".
Also produced, directed and orchestrated her show for Las Vegas. The show that opened the new Frontier Hotel.
Ethel Merman - Produced and Directed her in a BBC TV Special; also did all her musical arrangements earlier in Buddy's musical career - for NBC and CBS Specials
Eydie Gormé - Arranged her music for her Cabaret Shows - especially for Las Vegas and arranged a track for an album of hers
Frank Sinatra - Directed him in a CBS Television Special. Did his musical arrangements for an NBC TV Special.
Fred Astaire - Wrote all his musical arrangements and conducted for his solo album on Verve Records - a special album of all his own songs
George Burns - He was a guest on Buddy's own show - Buddy Bregman's Music Shop - on NBC Carl Reiner - Wrote musical arrangements for The Ford Star Revue he co-starred in
Jack Benny - Wrote musical arrangements for his CBS TV Show
James Earl Jones - Directed him in a CBS Special
Jamie Lee Curtis - Directed her in a CBS Special
Jane Fonda - Directed her in a Solar Energy TV Documentary for ABC TV
Jane Powell - Was Musical Director/Arranger/Conductor on Ruggles of Red Gap an NBC Broadway Debut Special she starred in; also arranged and conducted her debut album on Verve records. Also wrote all of her musical arrangements for her Cabaret Tour Show - especially for Las Vegas
Jerry Lewis - Scored his first solo film The Delicate Delinquent at Paramount. Wrote all his musical arrangements for his solo debut at The Sands Hotel in Las Vegas and his hit album "Jerry Lewis Just Sings"!
Jimmy Durante - Conducted and wrote his musical arrangements on an NBC special
John Williams - Played piano for a film score Buddy composed
Joe Williams - Produced and directed him in a TV Special; Arranged and conducted all his musical arrangements with the Count Basie Band on Verve Records
Joel Grey - Wrote all his musical arrangements for his solo debut at The El Rancho Hotel in Las Vegas
John Cassavetes/Mark Rydell - Composed/Orchestrated part of the score for CRIME IN THE STREETS that both of them starred in. Don Siegal directed
Johnny Carson - Buddy did musical arrangements for his CBS TV Series
Jonathan Winters - Directed his CBS pilot
José Greco (Dance Troupe) - Produced and Directed 2 BBC Specials with he and his Dancers
Judy Garland - Produced and Wrote all her musical arrangements for her solo debut in New York - which later on became the infamous Carnegie Hall Concert
Kay Thompson - Worked with her on The Kay Thompson Cabaret Show.- did all her musical arrangements
K.C. & The Sunshine Band - Directed him on a CBS TV Special Leslie Uggams - Was the star of a TV Special I directed for General Motors
Kevin Kline - Produced and Directed him in a pilot for ABC in New York
Louis Armstrong - Produced a TV Special he starred in. Also supervised Ella & Louie on Verve Records
Lucie Arnaz - Directed her in a CBS TV Special Madeline Kahn - Co-Produced her ABC TV Series
Lucille Ball - Directed her in a CBS TV Special. I remember giving Lucy a direction over the intercom (the whole world could hear it it was so loud) and the repartee' went like this.
DIRECTOR BUDDY BREGMAN: "Lucy, could you please move a bit to your left"?
Lucy looks up to 'heaven' where my voice is coming from. STAR LUCILLE BALL: "Okay God"! Boy was she fast - and great to work with.
Mamie Van Doren - Wrote the music for all the new songs and also composed the score for a film she starred in at Warner Brothers! Howard Koch directed
Marcia Cross - Produced a film for ABC she starred in
Marge & Gower Champion - Worked with them on The Eddie Fisher Show
Michael Keaton - Directed him in a TV pilot for ABC
Milton Berle - Wrote some incidental music for his nightclub act - and he was a guest on Buddy's own show - Buddy Bregman's Music Shop - on NBC
Mel Tormé - Produced and Directed him in a BBC TV Special. Also wrote a musical arrangement for an album
Miriam Makeba - Out of Africa Shows: Produced and Directed 2 BBC Specials with she and her Troupe
Michael Crawford - Produced and Directed him in a pilot for ABC in London
Nancy Wilson - Produced and Directed her in a BBC TV Special
Nell Carter - Produced Ain't Misbehavin' on NBC - Won Image Award as Best Producer of
Olivia Newton-John - Produced and Directed her in a Feature Film. Buddy also directed her in a General Motors Sponsored 90-minute TV Special
Oliver Reed - Directed him in a CBS Special
Oscar Peterson - Arranged and Conducted an album at Verve with him singing. Also produced and directed him on Buddy's Newport Jazz Festival Special for NBC
Paul Anka - Recorded an album of French Songs with him - arranged and conducted them
Peggy Lee - Worked with her on The Eddie Fisher Show Penny Marshall - Directed her in a CBS Special
Peter Lawford - Was Musical Director/Arranger/Conductor on Ruggles of Red Gap an NBC Broadway Debut Special which he starred in
Quincy Jones - Wrote musical arrangements and conducted an album he produced for Paul Anka
Ray Bolger - Wrote all of his musical arrangements for his Las Vegas Shows
Rick Nelson - Produced his first hit recording on Verve Records
Rita Moreno - Produced and Directed an International TV Special she starred in
Ritchie Valens - He was a guest on Buddy's own show - Buddy Bregman's Music Shop on NBC
Robert Conrad - Directed him in a CBS Special
Roland Petit Ballet - Produced and Directed 2 major TV International Specials in Paris - and won an Honorable Mention Award at The Montreaux Golden Rose Awards
Sammy Davis Jr. - Arranged and Conducted five albums with him; Wrote his musical arrangements and co-produced his first solo Las Vegas Show at The Sands Hotel
Shirley Jones - Arranged the music for her Cabaret Tour; also produced a TV Special she was in
Sir Michael Redgrave - Was Musical Director/arranger/conductor on Ruggles of Red Gap an NBC Broadway Debut Special - which he was "Ruggles"
Sam Cooke - He was a guest on Buddy's own show - Buddy Bregman's Music Shop - on NBC
Sam Butera - He was a guest on Buddy's own show - Buddy Bregman's Music Shop - on NBC
Stan Getz - He played on many of Buddy's albums
Suzanne Somers - Directed her in a CBS Special
Theolonius Monk -Produced and Directed the Newport Jazz Festival Show with him on NBC
Tony Bennett - Wrote all of his and Shirley Jones' arrangements for their Hollywood Bowl Concert - An Evening With Jule Styne (Buddy's Uncle - his mother's brother).
Tony Perkins - Buddy arranged and conducted his album for RCA
Van Johnson - Produced and Directed an International TV Special he starred in; also did all of his musical arrangements for his Las Vegas debut at The Sands Hotel
Vic Damone - Buddy arranged Vic's music for his Cabaret Tour. Also arranged and conducted all his music for Buddy's Hollywood Bowl Concert
Victor Borge Special on CBS with him. Just Victor and myself. I conducted the orchestra and Victor did his star thing. I vividly remember doing the Khachaturian Gayne (?) Suite - the CBS Symphony and I would furiously play Da-da-da-da-da-etc... and Victor would casually be toying with the audience and even yawning and at the last second, play the last 2 notes - Daaaa-Yaaaa. Finally getting so bored with his part he'd practically fall asleep and wake up in time to play the last two notes. It was hilarious! I could hardly keep from laughing when the camera was on me.
Yves St. Laurent - Produced and Directed The Roland Petit Ballet shows he did the costumes for!!!
Copyright © Buddy Bregman. All rights reserved.
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