Russ Kidd for a Day

I was in a movie once. 

You can still see me on TV if you catch the right streaming service. The funny thing is that, besides me, you can see my older brother, Russ, playing the same part. At the time, we looked a lot alike, which led to a good story. 

Russ, a professional trumpet player at the time, was asked to appear playing the trumpet in a movie called They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? A grim, depressing film, it told the story of a young couple during the Depression who were eager to get a prize by winning a grueling dance marathon. The couple was played by Jane Fonda and Michael Sarrazin. The cast also included Susannah York, Gig Young, and Red Buttons. The director was Sydney Pollack.

Russ was busy the day they called and asked me if, on a lark (and for some money), I wanted to take the assignment, posing as Russ. I did, and ended up acting the part, watching the filming, and talking briefly to Jane Fonda. 

Two weeks later, as luck would have it, the situation was reversed. The director needed a few more scenes, and the band was called back for filming. This time I was the one who would be out of town, and so a quick-thinking Russ suggested a solution. He explained that his brother Ron Kidd looked like him and played the trumpet, and so maybe Ron could do the part. They agreed.

Russ showed up on the set, introducing himself as Ron Kidd. The direction smiled, winked, and said, “You can be Russ Kidd for a day.”

Amazingly, and through no fault of our own, the film received nine Academy Award nominations. Film reviewer Roger Ebert named it one of the ten best films of the decade.