Elevator to the scaffold: a look back at the legendary soundtrack by Miles Davis

Louis Malle had flair for his first film, to be seen again this evening on Arte.

1957. Building on his work on The silent worldco-directed with Jacques-Yves Cousteau and crowned with the Palme d’Or and the Oscar for best documentary, Louis Malle is currently completing his first fiction feature film, Elevator for the scaffolda film noir in which Jeanne Moreau plays the main role. The young director, then aged 25, was under a bit of pressure. He must present his film for the prestigious Louis-Delluc Prize and has little time to finalize the soundtrack. Fortunately, he will be able to count on the genius of Miles Davis, whom his assistant Jean-Paul Rappeneau advised him to hire.

Passing through Paris in November, for a concert, the famous jazz trumpeter watches Elevator for the scaffold during a private screening and gives his agreement. An appointment is made on December 4, at the Le Poste Parisien studio, where Miles Davis accompanied by other musicians (Barney Wilen on tenor saxophone, René Urtreger on piano, Pierre Michelot on double bass, Kenny Clarke on drums) comes to record, in improvisation, the score of the film, in the presence of Jeanne Moreau who is there to welcome them. Malle is tense, unlike Davis who finds the exercise rather peaceful compared to a concert at the Olympia.

During the recording, Louis Malle explains to a stunned journalist what is happening:

“He saw the film, and we discussed what we could do, and currently with his training, we project the images to him, and we record directly.“

The result is simply sublime. The music of Miles Davis accompanies the film perfectly, without sticking too closely to the images (according to Louis Malle’s wishes), as in the scene where the character of Jeanne Moreau wanders the streets in search of her lover.

Published as a vinyl album, Elevator for the scaffold (Elevator to the Gallows in English) will influence the following works of Miles Davis and will remain as one of the monuments of his discography. The film, considered one of the founders of the New Wave, will also go down in history and will definitively launch the great career of its director, to whom we owe in particular the drama on the Occupation Goodbye children.

Look Elevator for the scaffold this evening on Arte.