Mystery Bongo Beat

In the 1961 Noir Blast Of Silence (link), the Hit Man, his would-be victim, and the sleazy gun dealer all come together for a scene at a Village Jazz club (identified as the now CVSed Village Gate). A bongo playing Beat sings two songs "Dressed In Black" and "Torrid Town". The performance and the songs are credited to the actor Dean Sheldon. I have always wanted to know more about this guy, and thus I throw the question out to Blog Land. I include a clip of the whole scene.  Also Blast Of Silence screens this Thursday at Film Forum (link) part of their amazing NYC Noir fest.

Comments

[Gaylord Fields]

Blast of Silence has a connection to a WFMU DJ: The movie's female lead, Molly McCarthy, is Michael Shelley's mother.

[Jonathan Ward]

I've always liked this film. I found a few tidbits about Dean Sheldon in the NYT archives. Seems a drummer named Dean Sheldon was an accompanist for performances at the Ethnologic Dance Center in 1949. Later, the IBDB and the Times mention his name as a conga player for the Broadway production "Bagels and Yox" which had a 6-month run in 1951-1952. The last mention I could find for Mr. Sheldon is a 1958 ad for the #1 Bar at One 5th Ave - he's listed as performing "Songs of Excitement"!