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 [Kφln], 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:

Jamie Lee Curtis – Directed her in a CBS Special

Penny Marshall – Directed her in a CBS Special

Cindy Williams – Directed her in a CBS Special (same as Penny)

Donald Sutherland – Produced and Directed him in a BBC Filmed Award-Winning Special

Madeline Kahn – Co-Produced her ABC TV Series

James Earl Jones – Directed him in a CBS Special

Diahann Carroll – Produced and Directed her in a BBC Special; also wrote her musical arrangements for her many Las Vegas Shows

Nell Carter – Produced Ain’t Misbehavin’ on NBC – Won Image Award as Best Producer of the Year and was also nominated for an Emmy Award as Best Producer

Frank Sinatra – Directed him in an CBS Television Special. Did his musical arrangements for an NBC TV Special.

Jane Fonda – Directed her in a Solar Energy TV Documentary for ABC TV

Bob Hope – Directed him in a CBS TV Special

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

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

Leslie Uggams - Was the star of a TV Special I directed for General Motors

Olivia Newton-John – Produced and Directed her in a Feature Film. Buddy also directed her in a General Motors Sponsored 90-minute TV Special

Dionne Warwick – Produced and Directed her in a 20th Century Fox TV Special

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

Jonathan Winters – Directed his CBS pilot

Suzanne Somers – Directed her in a CBS Special

Robert Conrad – Directed him in a CBS Special

Cheryl Lee Ralph – Produced a film for ABC she starred in

Marcia Cross – Produced a film for ABC she starred in

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

Yves St. Laurent – Produced and Directed The Roland Petit Ballet shows he did the costumes for

Duke Ellington – Produced and Directed the Newport Jazz Festival Show with him on NBC

Theolonius Monk – Produced and Directed the Newport Jazz Festival Show with him on NBC

Oliver Reed – Directed him in a CBS Special

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

Josι Greco (Dance Troupe) – Produced and Directed 2 BBC Specials with he and his Dancers

Miriam Makeba – Out of Africa Shows: Produced and Directed 2 BBC Specials with she and her Troupe

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

Rita Moreno – Produced and Directed an International TV Special she starred in

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

Mel Tormι – Produced and Directed him in a BBC TV Special. Also wrote a musical arrangement for an album

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.

Bob Fosse – Did all his dance arrangements for Pajama Game – also scored the film

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.

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!

Joel Grey – Wrote all his musical arrangements for his solo debut at The El Rancho Hotel in Las Vegas

Barbra Streisand – Re-did some of her musical arrangements for Funny Girl in London

Fred Astaire – Wrote all his musical arrangements and conducted for his solo album on Verve Records – a special album of all his own songs

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

Rick Nelson – Produced his first hit recording on Verve Records

Nancy Wilson – Produced and Directed her in a BBC TV Special

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

George Martin – Sir George produced an album in London with Matt Monro and Buddy arranged and conducted 4 of the songs

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 he and his whole family.

Quincy Jones – Wrote musical arrangements and conducted an album he produced for Paul Anka

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).

Victor Borge – I did a big TV 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 llast 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.

Richard (Rick) Leech – World-Wide Leading Operatic Tenor in such recent operas as Madame Butterfly/Carmen etc... including The Met - Currently (2007) I am working on writing/producing/directing/arranging and orchestrating all the music for Rick's world-wide tour of his new One-Man Show! His show covers Jazz to pop to the heartfelt standards to country to playing guitar for those down-home country songs - which will also cover "what makes Rick Tick"! His vocal abilities are monstrously brilliant - and as a solo performer can hold an audience spellbound and gaping at his talents! His tour will begin sometime after Spring 2007.

Halina Gregory – International Singing Star - Arranged/Conducted/Produced and Directed her Chez Paree Cabaret Show in Chicago and other US and International venues

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

Debbie Reynolds – Arranged and Conducted an album with her and did her musical arrangements for a Hollywood Bowl appearance

Paul Anka – Recorded an album of French Songs with him – arranged and conducted them

Stan Getz – He played on many of Buddy's albums

John Williams – Played piano for a film score Buddy composed

Andre Previn – He played on many of Buddy's albums and on the same film score John Williams played on

Vic Damone – Buddy arranged Vic's music for his Cabaret Tour. Also arranged and conducted all his music for Buddy's Hollywood Bowl Concert

Anthony Perkins – Buddy arranged and conducted his album for RCA

Bobby Darin – Arranged and Conducted his albums and did same for his Cabaret Tour Shows

Eydie Gormι – Arranged her music for her Cabaret Shows – especially for Las Vegas and arranged a track for an album of hers

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”

Peter Lawford – Was Musical Director/Arranger/Conductor on Ruggles of Red Gap an NBC Broadway Debut Special which he starred in

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

Jimmy Durante – Conducted and wrote his musical arrangements on an NBC special

Ray Bolger – Wrote all of his musical arrangements for his Las Vegas Shows

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

Ritchie Valens – He was a guest on Buddy's own show – Buddy Bregman’s Music Shop – on NBC

Buddy Holly – He was a guest on Buddy's own show – Buddy Bregman’s Music Shop – on NBC

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

George Burns – He was a guest on Buddy's own show – Buddy Bregman’s Music Shop – on NBC

Johnny Carson – Buddy did musical arrangements for his CBS TV Series

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

Jack Benny – Wrote musical arrangements for his CBS TV Show

Alan King – Worked with him on The Eddie Fisher Show

Peggy Lee – Worked with her on The Eddie Fisher Show

Betty Hutton – Worked with her on The Eddie Fisher Show

Michael Keaton – Directed him in a TV pilot for ABC

Kevin Kline – Produced and Directed him in a pilot for ABC in New York

Michael Crawford – Produced and Directed him in a pilot for ABC in London

Andy Williams – Worked with him on The Eddie Fisher Show and Kay Thompson’s Cabaret Show

Marge & Gower Champion – Worked with them on The Eddie Fisher Show

K.C. & The Sunshine Band – Directed him on a CBS TV Special

Kay Thompson – Worked with her on The Kay Thompson Cabaret Show.- did all her musical arrangements

Carl Reiner – Wrote musical arrangements for The Ford Star Revue he co-starred in

Anita O'Day – Arranged and Conducted 3 albums for her - 2 on Verve and 1 on Pablo

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

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!

John Cassavetes/Mark Rydell – Composed/Orchestrated part of the score for CRIME IN THE STREETS that both of them starred in. Don Siegal directed

GREATEST SPORTS LEGENDS – Series on ABC-TV - Starring host Baseball Legend Reggie Jackson. I directed all of the first series of the "on-location" Sports Legends shot at the legendary La Costa, California Spa and Pro Golf Course/Pro Tennis Courts. The La Costa ABC TV Series starred Host and Baseball Legend Reggie Jackson with Guest Stars, John Wooden, Bobby Riggs, Rafer Johnson, etc... I innovated a special multi-camera technique they had never used before because it was not scripted and I wanted to have all the "pearls of wisdom" that came out of Reggie and the sport legends guests, such as the great John Wooden's mouth, "along with their faces!" I also shot a lot on the golf and tennis courts using a golf cart as a camera dolly with the 2 camera-men aboard a separate one from the one Reggie and the "legends" were on! Gene Sarazen and Patty Berg being two of golf's all-time all-timers!!!

Copyright © Buddy Bregman. All rights reserved.