Larry Kart Posted March 12, 2005 Report Posted March 12, 2005 Caught a bit of this movie the other day -- starring Kirk Douglas, it's something of a sequel to "The Bad and The Beautiful"; both films are dark, inside-Hollywood tales; both directed by Vincent Minnelli, both starring Douglas, both with Raksin scores -- and the scene I came in on had some of the most striking, storytelling scoring I've ever heard. Director Edward G. Robinson is trying to lure the semi-washed-up Douglas into working with him on a film on the cheap; we're in a Rome hotel suite full of mirrors and long perspectives, and all we hear in addition to the dialogue is a floating choir of saxophones (a bit ala Bob Graettinger's "This Modern World," perhaps -- exquisitely played) that perfectly expresses/shadows Douglas' wavering, doubtful mood. Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 12, 2005 Author Report Posted March 12, 2005 Sorry --- Raksin, Raksin, Raksin, Raksin! Quote
ghost of miles Posted March 12, 2005 Report Posted March 12, 2005 Interesting, Larry... has anybody ever put together an LP or CD of Raksin's film scores? I'd love to hear such a project. Quote
ghost of miles Posted March 12, 2005 Report Posted March 12, 2005 I pull up one album listing on AMG: Raksin suites ...and at home I have the Rhino CD MURDER IS MY BEAT, which has some of the original music for LAURA and FORCE OF EVIL. Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 12, 2005 Author Report Posted March 12, 2005 I looked around and saw that there was some stuff available, but not this one. Another one of the same vintage that caught my ear a few months ago was Alex North's score for an interesting Robert Mitchum western "The Wonderful Country" -- sort of Mexican Stravinsky at times, very witty and deep into the story. Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 12, 2005 Author Report Posted March 12, 2005 Samples from North's "Wonderful Country Score" can be found here http://www.varesesarabande.com/details.asp?pid=SRS-2016-2 Quote
ghost of miles Posted March 12, 2005 Report Posted March 12, 2005 Didn't North do the score for I'LL CRY TOMORROW? Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 12, 2005 Author Report Posted March 12, 2005 Didn't North do the score for I'LL CRY TOMORROW? Yes. Quote
SGUD missile Posted March 13, 2005 Report Posted March 13, 2005 Raksin was one of the really under rated film composers of the so called "Golden Era" in Hollywood. ( Along with guys Like Hugo Friedhofer, Alex North, and Leonard Rosenmann ) In addition, Raksin was a very witty man with a lot of great stories and insight into the movie scoring process . I went to several seminars he conducted and spent several moments with him one to one as well ..a very charming man and great rancouteur! Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 16, 2005 Report Posted March 16, 2005 North also did Streetcar Named Desire - and Miles Davis praised him in some interview - Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 16, 2005 Author Report Posted March 16, 2005 There's a very nice version of North's theme song for the film "The Long Hot Summer" on one of tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf's Criss Cross albums. As I recall, Walt taped the movie and learned the song that way because it wasn't available as sheet music. Quote
Alexander Hawkins Posted March 16, 2005 Report Posted March 16, 2005 I think maybe North also did 'The Misfits' Quote
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