Competition

In addition to coaching the film's six "competitors" in piano technique, Jean Evensen Shaw stayed on throughout the production, providing technical advice. Actress Lee Remick recalled that Shaw's help was "invaluable. Remick explained: "She kept us from making awful mistakes for which a real musician would have hooted us off the screen". One such scene was a verbal sparring match between Lee Remick) and Amy Irving over Richard Dreyfuss' intrusion in their well-ordered lives. Both women are sipping wine and as the argument escalates, Remick puts her goblet down on the sounding board of a grand piano and rises to confront her student."No, no." Shaw cried out as if in personal pain: "I don't care how excited you are. You must never put food or drink near such a beautiful instrument. You could damage it forever". The scene was re-staged.

Greta, a legendary pianist, mentions the "una corda" pedal, but pronounces it "yoo-na kor-da". This is not the proper way and any musician knows it is "oo-na", not "yoo-na".

ABC edited 31 minutes from this film for its 1985 network television premiere

Featured in Sneak Previews: Eyewitness/Tess/The Competition/The Dogs of War (1981)