Thanks Phillip. Very informative. I love Miklos Rozsa! Happy 2015!
Toochis Sent from my iPhone > On Jan 1, 2015, at 11:45 AM, Phillip Ayling <[email protected]> wrote: > > Vaughn, > > To answer your question, Miklos Rozsa died about 20 years ago. I believe his > very last film score was for the Carl Reiner/Steve Martin Film Noir parody > “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”. That was a very interesting film > compositionally as well. What Rozsa did there was absolutely brilliant; as > amazing as anything he ever did. > > As most everyone on this blog knows, “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid” involved > using actual clips from dozens of old films from the 30’s-50’s. Those old > movie clips and all the Golden Era stars therein were all inserted as real > time characters with whom Steve Martin’s detective character interacted. > > Therefore, as Rozsa scored “Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid”, he was also composing > original music for numerous clips from earlier films…many of them were even > clips from movies where he had been the composer originally. Now he was > writing music for some of those same scenes and actors quite differently than > what he had been asked to do originally. He was helping to create and advance > emotions from those same actors as they now portrayed new characters in the > new film. His score totally honors that. It was brilliant work from him, even > though he was quite sick and didn’t feel well enough to conduct the orchestra. > > BTW Vaughn, even though Rozsa and many other great film composers are gone, I > think there are some fantastic composers working in film currently, it just > takes more years of being in the business for many to be recognized. The > advantage to the older Studio system was that many more films were being made > in an era of Double Features (sometimes two different Double Feature bills > each week). A given composer might often do 8 or 10 films in a year; that > doesn’t happen today. > > Also, many of those composing jobs came as assignments from the head of a > Music Department (think Johnny Green at MGM or Alfred Newman at Fox). While > “office politics” could play a role, these Music Dept. heads were often more > skilled at matching a composer with the right film than the Director of the > film itself. Many of these early “arranged marriages” introduced certain > composers to specific directors and resulted in long time successful > collaborations between artistically like-minded composers and directors. Now > it is all about individual composer agents and deal-making. > > Many more chances to work and the likelihood that your skillset as a composer > perfectly met the artistic needs of at least some of those films to which you > were assigned created more chances for the composer to hit a home run. > Vaughn, while you correctly mention important big budget films like Ben Hur > and El Cid and their large grandiose scores, Miklos Rozsa and other during > his time also worked on B Films, Film Noir and Programmers. Some of those > little budget films and their scores became iconic classics as we look back. > Those kinds of films generally aren’t made any more. Even with the rise of > Independent Film, there is either no money for a composer and orchestra, or > the sensibility of many smaller films might be violated if it seemed too > slick and polished per ”Hollywood”. > > In my opinion, what works against many blockbuster films now on the music end > is in the hunger to make the Billion Dollar Gross and the next trendy > franchise, rather than the best movie that you can make. Studios make far > fewer films and put all their eggs in only a couple of baskets. > > A film can be mis-scored, over-scored and sometimes silence is also best. > Even when a fantastic composer is now engaged to do a score, the composer is > often more limited in scope and music use within the film than ever before. > > Sound effects take up more sonic space than ever before. An even bigger > change is that Songs, musical performers or particular instrumental cues from > other artists are often inserted into big films solely for the synergistic > marketing value of the famous creators of that content, rather than advancing > the artistic needs of the film. > A great composer like James Newton Howard is far less likely to be invited on > a chat show talking about creating the score for The Hunger Games, than > Taylor Swift. She was making the rounds on various shows a few years ago > talking about how exciting it was to be composing for the very same film. > > Most studios are also conglomerates and often times their music divisions > will want to place bits of music from new artists into a big movie to help > “break” the artist or a new Sound Recording release. This can also be a > backdrop for their upcoming touring, TV appearances, websites and twitter > feeds. > > All of this musical help is designed to create buzz for a film ( read:MONEY > ). While sometimes it results in totally perfect and fantastic music for a > film, more often it doesn’t. In my opinion, the marketing/pastiche approach > to film music generally causes the film’s score to be less effective in > supporting the storyline. It can also cause the film to sound dated much, > much sooner. There are composers working in film today who are every bit as > brilliant and creative as those of yesteryear, they are just less integral to > the process in many contemporary films. > > Happy 2015 to All > From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Vaughn Mann > Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2014 5:54 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MOPO] My 2014 MOPO THINK-ABOUT-IT QUESTION > > > > Phil, > > That is, indeed, an interesting story. .....and I guess (?) that means no > more magnificient sound tracks from the great composers such as the sounds > of Miklós Rózsa. (Ben Hur, El Cid, etc.......). Who, I believe, is no longer > with us. Truly Sad on both counts! > Vaughn Mann > -----Original Message----- > From: Kirby McDaniel > Sent: Dec 31, 2014 6:06 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MOPO] My 2014 MOPO THINK-ABOUT-IT QUESTION > > Great post, Phil. This is an interesting story. > > Have a Happy New Year. > > Kirby McDaniel > > > On Dec 31, 2014, at 4:34 PM, Phillip Ayling <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Greg, > > Forbidden Planet is a great choice. Greg, as you are a guitarist and you also > mention the amazing music in Forbidden Planet, I thought I would write a bit > about the score for the film that is not well known. In 1956, MGM, which was > the Production Company behind Forbidden Planet, had a full-time and tenured > Symphony Orchestra on staff at the studio. During this time all of the other > major Hollywood studios also had their own unique full-time staff orchestras > per agreements with the Musicians Union ( American Federation of Musicians). > > MGM also had its own group of famous composers and arrangers on staff from > the 30’s through the 60”s. Before David Rose became famous as the composer > for Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, and songs like Holiday for Strings > and The Stripper, he was doing arrangements and rehearsal piano work at MGM. > In fact, it was during this time at MGM that the considerably older David > Rose became involved with the teenage Judy Garland. Though still married he > gave Judy Garland an engagement ring on her 18th birthday, which was kept > under wraps at the time by MGM. Later, after his own divorce from Martha Raye > became final, David Rose then became Judy Garland’s first husband. > > Anyway, after various composers were considered and approached about doing > the score for Forbidden Planet, eventually the assignment fell to David Rose. > David Rose and the MGM Orchestra recorded music for Forbidden Planet, but > almost all of it is now lost. Dore Schary who was head of MGM, didn’t > particularly like Rose’s melodic approach and threw the score out. It is not > clear if Dore Schary had ever expressed to David Rose his desire to have an > avant-garde type of score for the film. > > Anyway, Dore Schary had secretly engaged the husband and wife team of Louis > and Bebe Barron who were involved in early experiments with electronic music > to do some demos of electronic music for the film. They worked on it for many > months. The Barron’s used early synth-type gear of their own design, ring > modulators, reverb and tape delay effects to create the unique sonic > landscape that we hearin Forbidden Planet. > > When Schary decided to use the Barron’s work in Forbidden Planet instead of > the score from David Rose and the MGM Orchestra, the Musicians Union objected > because they felt it wasn’t ‘real music’. Their real concerns were also about > future employment for the MGM Orchestra as well. The MGM Symphony would > eventually be dissolved about 12 years later. > > The Barron’s work was the very first electronic “sound design” style score > and even they weren’t sure what to call it. Nonetheless, the original screen > credit was supposed to read: > “Electronic Music by Louis and Bebe Barron” > > The Musicians Union was furious and they absolutely did not want the credit > to have “music” in it. They had an ongoing Collective Bargaining Agreement > with MGM that gave them standing on the issue. Legal on both sides worked out > a settlement and the Barron’s final credit on the film was as “Composer(s): > Electronic Tonalities”. > > While that may not seem like a big change, it was. Absence of the word > “music” meant that this revolutionary score for this big budget and now > iconic Sci-Fi film couldn’t even be nominated for an Academy Award for music, > let alone win. Contrast that with the synth/sound design score of Trent > Reznor and Atticus Ross for The Social Network, which in my opinion is far > from revolutionary or even great in context for the needs of the film. That > score was both nominated and won the Academy Award for music a couple of > years back. > In the case of Forbidden Planet, it isn’t about the “Robber Barons”, but > rather the BARRONS was robbed! > > Best Wishes and Happy New Year to All > > > > From: MoPo List [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Gregory > Douglass > Sent: Wednesday, December 31, 2014 8:40 AM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MOPO] My 2014 MOPO THINK-ABOUT-IT QUESTION > > Pardon me for weighing in late on this question, but it has been the busiest > December EVER for this self-employed guitar picker (21 live shows total, and > that’s with no New Year’s Eve gig!) Add a recently acquired bad cold to the > mix and you get a guy whose recreational computer time has been minimal. > Unquestionably, the film that completely hooked me on cinema, the > horror/sci-fi genre, AND movie posters, all during one trip to the El Rey > theater in Walnut Creek, CA when I was six, was “Forbidden Planet”. I can > recall snippets of films that my parents took me to prior to that, but I > remember every moment of this sic-fi classic. While some of the Freudian > subtleties were obviously lost on me…or maybe not, come to think of it…the > sheer spectacle of the film left an indelible impression on me. When Robbie > the Robot came into the picture, my Freak Flag was being stitched inside my > six-year old psyche; by the time the monster from the Id came into terrifying > view, the Freak Flag was completely unfurled and blowing proudly in the > smoke-filled confines of the little theater my dad lovingly referred to as > “The Flea House”. > I recently re-watched the film in HD, and it did not disappoint. Given the > context of the time period, the special effects were beyond brilliant, and > the “music” is still so radical that I can honestly say I’ve never again > heard anything like it. As I walked out, I saw the 40X60” poster from the > film with the iconic image of Robby holding Anne Francis, and I wanted to > wake up every morning looking at it. Crap. Still have never owned any > significant poster size from this title and, given the present price range on > even a title card, it STILL probably ain’t gonna happen. But I still have the > fabulous memory of the 90 minute gift from MGM that permanently altered and > enriched my inner landscape. > A belated and heartfelt Happy Holidays to all my fellow poster dorks out > there. 2014 was the best year ever for this old geek, and 2015 promises to be > even better…..hell, maybe that “Forbidden Planet” poster will finally be in > my hands after all! > Greg Douglass > In wet, beautiful Escondido, CA > On Dec 23, 2014, at 11:41 AM, Susan <[email protected]> wrote: > > It is a great question Kirby. For me there are so many, but two movies that > had a huge impact on me as a child were Them and Whatever Happened to Baby > Jane...just couldn't shake those movies for years. The movie that had the > most impact on me overall and led to my career in writing and film was To > Kill a Mockingbird, which is still my favorite film to this day. It always > amazes me that this southern woman, who grew up in the Depression south, had > such an amazing spirit to write this story and it impacts me every time I > watch it..it is still a film for me that, after a stressful day at work, I > can go home and it brings me solace...Happy Holidays everyone.........Sue - > Hollywood Poster Frames > > Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 14:03:15 -0500 > From: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MOPO] My 2014 MOPO THINK-ABOUT-IT QUESTION > To: [email protected] > > > Kirby, > > Great Question, > > When I was a kid visiting my grand parents in CT while on summer vacation, my > grandfather to me to Town (Mancheser, CT) and he dropped me off at the local > theatre (single screen, of course) and I saw Wm.Wellman's "The Next Voice You > Hear" w/ James Whitmore and Nancy Reagan.(1950) I am not sure what moved > me,but that movie has stuck with me all these years and still now and then, > pick it up and watch it. Perhaps as a child it opened up a great deal of > questions for me and the manner it was delivered. > > Number two is and early film; not sure when I saw it, but it, the love and > generosity of the theme "stuck with me" again, all these years. "Sunday > Dinner For A Soldier" w/ Anne Baxter, John Hodiak, Jane Darwell and Charles > Winniger (1944). > > Let's just say, I loved the films and didn't remember them for a week or so > after leaving the theatre, but remember them until this > day....................Vaughn > -----Original Message----- > >From: Kirby McDaniel > >Sent: Dec 23, 2014 10:06 AM > >To: [email protected] > >Subject: [MOPO] My 2014 MOPO THINK-ABOUT-IT QUESTION > > > >Mopolians, > > > >Is there a film that CHANGED YOUR LIFE? Maybe not in a big way, but somehow > >affected a change in you permanently? > > > >This is not a “best-movie-you’ve-ever-seen” question, although the best > >movie you’ve seen may in fact qualify. > > > >And you may have more than one - but just pick one that stands out in your > >experience. > > > >It’s really hard to know. It’s easy to say that movies changed my life - I > >think that collectively they help to shape us, but that’s > >not what I’m fishing for here. > > > >I mean a film that SHIFTED something in you, maybe good, maybe not-so / > >maybe big, maybe small. So that you could say “after I saw X, I never liked > >this, or I loved this, or I never felt the same about thus and such.” > > > >Think about it. > > > >I’m not necessarily asking you to post your answer, either. This could be > >something private for you. It’s just a question I thought about recently. > > > > > >Kirby McDaniel > >MovieArt Original Film Posters > >P.O. Box 4419 > >Austin TX 78765-4419 > >512 479 6680 mobile 512 589 5112 > >www.movieart.com > >https://www.facebook.com/movieart.austin.texas > >http://www.pinterest.com/movieartaustin/ > > > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > > ___________________________________________________________________ > > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > > > > Send a message addressed to: [email protected] > > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > > > > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 > > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 > > Kirby McDaniel > [email protected] > > > > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 > > To unsubscribe from the MoPo-L list, click the following link: > https://listserv.american.edu/scripts/wa-american.exe?SUBED1=MoPo-L&A=1 Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
