Film Overview

“Who’s that Stranger?” is a 30 minute documentary about a remarkable musician, Kasper ‘Stranger’ Malone. At 95, Stranger holds the Guinness World Record for the longest recording career in history (1926—2005). He still plays two or three gigs a week—often traveling alone by Greyhound Bus with all his instruments. As the baby boomers prepare to retire and many Americans come face-to-face with their own aging, this film presents an inspiring picture of vitality from someone who is still working, 30 years beyond retirement.\r\n\r\nIf anyone in the history of American music paid their dues, it was Stranger Malone. Starting out at age 15 in Kentucky and ending at 95 in Georgia, he played every musical genre, from early country music with Gid Tanner and the Skillet Lickers, Lowe Stokes, and Clayton McMichen, to silent movie orchestras, radio orchestras, and cruise ships. He recorded jazz with Jack Teagarden, Pee Wee Hunt, and Benny Goodman; cowboy swing with Gene Autrey; polka with Lawrence Welk; classical music with the San Francisco, Denver, and Tucson symphony orchestras; and folk and bluegrass in North Georgia. Fortunately, Malone possesses a remarkable memory and a great collection of still photographs to back it up. We see him on his first gigs playing for an auction house, in the merchant marine band, accompanying a flea circus, and playing clarinet, baritone saxophone, flute, cornet, tuba, sousaphone, and bass in every kind of orchestra and combo you can think of.

In many respects, Malone is the quintessential sideman. He never sought stardom or personal success—he just wanted to play. As he says in the film, “I’ve played with some of the best and all of the worst.” But the film does not dwell on the past. We travel with Stranger as he plays flute, clarinet, and upright bass. He also sings—performing ballads and dance tunes from a bygone age and accompanying himself on guitar—which he taught himself to play at age 82. Stranger is a bridge to another time, a connection to another world—and an inspiration to all who live in this one.

The DVD showcases the award-winning documentary