Danny Borzage And His Star-Making Accordion

A few weeks back, I wrote about an obscure (but super-influential) Old-Timey Hollywood guy: Yakima Canutt, the man behind John Wayne's persona (at least according to some). Now, here's an even more obscure (but potentially, more influential) Old-Time Hollywood guy: Danny Borzage, accordionist for the stars.

Atlas Obscura says that "while Borzage never became a superstar, he holds a special place in Hollywood history. After all, the man was a master manipulator. He could help A-list stars relax on set, or he could make big-name actors cry on-camera, all with his trusty accordion." He's described as a "staple" on the sets of the legendary John Ford, was a member of the John Ford Stock Company, and played the accordion at Ford's funeral. (Just to bring things full circle, film historian Scott Eyman says that "when John Wayne was directing The Alamo, he brought Borzage along to recreate that Ford Stock Company feeling.")

Check out the whole AO piece, because old-timey movie folks are amazing and the best.

Attribution(s): "Playing the Accordion" by d_t_vos from VisualHunt.com/CC BY-NC-SA.