HAWAII (1966) Tsunami TSU 0105 - Stereo - Ratings...Music - 5 / Sound - 2 / Presentation - 2 / Tracks: 12 / Time: 35:48 Music Composed and Conducted by Elmer Bernstein. Song: "The Wishing Doll" by Elmer Bernstein & Mac David. Orchestrations by Leo Shuken and Jack Hayes. Adapted from Part III of James A. Michener's six-part saga of the development of our 50th state, this, the top-grossing film of 1966 dealt only with the years 1820-1841, centering on a zealous Yale divinity graduate who takes his wife on a mission to convert fun-loving natives to Christianity. For this colorful epic, Bernstein composed a soaring music score that completely conveyed the simplicity and serenity of native Hawaii entering a culture clash with Christian doctrines that would ultimately cause grief and misery for all concerned. Tsunami's CD edition offers no improvement over the UA LP; just the sound of the original LP without snap-crackle-pop; a splendid symphonic score recorded with precious little attention to depth or resonance. Track 2, "Prologue" offers a monologue with a musical background, providing the listener with a native-told legend about Hawaii's origins. This is a nice touch and it doesn't hinder appreciating Bernstein's music. Track 7, "Hawaiian Welcome" is an overture of sorts with a more sprightly approach than Track 1, "Main Title". Track 11, "Abner" including a reprise of "The Wishing Doll" has a moving oboe and harp passage that is worth the price of admission. And, speaking of "The Wishing Doll", there is no vocal rendition of this Oscar-nominated song on the soundtrack. The score itself was nominated along with Bernstein's Return of the Seven, a rehash of music composed for The Magnificent Seven. Having two scores in the running may have split pro-Bernstein voters. Hawaii is a classic work by Mr. Bernstein, deserving a new re-recording with a better representation of a score written for a film running nearly three hours. -M. Larsen |
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THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) MCA MCAD-42320 - Stereo - Ratings...Music - 5 / Sound - 4 / Presentation - 3.5 / Tracks: 18 / Time: 59:45 Music Composed and Conducted by Elmer Bernstein. Following an Oscar nomination for Man with the Golden Arm, Elmer Bernstein found himself in totally unfamiliar territory: scoring an epic for a Hollywood legend, that showman of directors, Cecil B. DeMille. The 219-minute Bible-in-pictures production boasted not only an all-star cast, but eye-popping special effects by John P. Fulton, and was nominated for 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture; Mr. Bernstein's score, amazingly, was not amongst the nominees. We need Oscar like we need a little pestilence. This CD is a welcome re-issue of a superb early 70's re-recording by Bernstein of his score for this, the top-grossing film of 1956. The sound is quite good and the one-hour of music is a fine representation of his legendary score. Track 1, "Prelude" is the opening Main Title serving as an overture for the feast to come. Track 11, is actually entitled "Overture", but it is a two-minute express version that I would consider to be more of an Entr'acte. Two selections, "Egyptian Dance" and "Bedouin Dance" capture the period flavor, while the majority of Bernstein's score relies on more conservative but certainly inspiring themes of hope and faith. While "Pillar of Fire", "The Red Sea" and "Love and Ambition" are obvious highlights, the rousing 6-minute triumphant "Exodus" (track 14) is a show-stopper. The packaging is nicer than most re-issues, including an 8-page color booklet. The tracks follow the same sequence as it's double-album LP predecessor, nothing added or taken away. The orchestra (unnamed) delivers a first-class performance, fulfilling DeMille's prophecy that "this music will survive me, and possibly even yourself." Any listener looking for a Bernstein showcase will relish this remarkable work. -M. Larsen |
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THE FILMS OF JOHN WAYNE / VOLUME 1 Varese Sarabande SLCS-7224 - Stereo - Ratings...Music - 4 / Sound - 4.5 / Presentation - 2 / Tracks: 16 / Time: 41:49 Music Composed by Elmer Bernstein. Orchestrated by Christopher Palmer. The Utah Symphony Orchestra conducted by Elmer Bernstein. THE COMANCHEROS (1961) This gun-running adventure tale involving a Texas Ranger and his prisoner searching for a small army of outlaws in Mexico was a film tailor-made for Mr. Bernstein to score, and the first of seven John Wayne films he composed. The CD, beautifully recorded, offers a warm 20-minute suite with a sense of action at it's core. Besides a rich orchestral portrait of the rugged West, there is a breathless Mexican Dance (Track 6) that truly, does not come up for air. The Main Title & McBaine and The Prairie (Tracks 1 & 3) are typical Bernstein saddle-up pieces; Track 2, Escort, offers a nice exchange of percussion and brass in a combination suspense and action cue. The Finale (Track 8) conjures up an image of The Duke riding off into the sunset and if I produced a Duke biography, I would close the show with it. TRUE GRIT (1969) A hard-drinking veteran marshal is hired by a teenage girl to track down the men who murdered her pa; a young Texas Ranger throws in and makes it a threesome. Mr. Bernstein's music for this violent, yet often humorous outdoor revenge yarn is suitably sentimental, blending the young lady's sad situation and the boozing lawman's seasoned-but-rough edges. This was The Duke's Oscar-winner; the title tune nominated (no vocal on this CD). This is a wonderful example of what re-recording a film score can accomplish: the Capitol 'soundtrack' LP (also reissued on CD) is a fairly miserable, with-a-beat rendering of Mr. Bernstein's score, orchestrated with the toe-tapper in mind. This Varese version is the real thing: this sounds like a western, not a scout camp comedy. It is a uniformly fine western score with tenderness, humor, action and sweep. An overall solid Bernstein work, well performed by The Utah Symphony. The highlights: Tracks 10, Rooster and Runaway and 15, Sad Departure / The Pace That Kills. -M. Larsen |
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THE FILMS OF JOHN WAYNE / VOLUME 2 Varese Sarabande VSD-47264 Stereo - Ratings...Music - 3.5 / Sound - 4.5 / Presentation - 2.5 / Tracks: 11 / Time: 35:57 Music Composed by Elmer Bernstein. The Utah Symphony Orchestra conducted by Elmer Bernstein. THE SHOOTIST (1976) A legendary gunman dying of cancer, tries to meet death with dignity while befriending a widow and her impressionable son. His wish for a peaceful end is not likely as enemies descend. This second volume of Elmer Bernstein's music for John Wayne westerns opens with the closing chapter of a star's career. Especially noteworthy is the opening Main Title (Track 1) which enhanced an all-too-brief opening montage of The Duke's celluloid gunfighting years. A twelve-minute, 4-part suite offers highlights from this memorable seventh and final collaboration. CAHILL, UNITED STATES MARSHAL (1973) A veteran marshal's young sons join up with outlaws. An eight-plus minute suite of this solid western concerning a dedicated lawman who unwittingly falls short as a father, contains a haunting and poignant segment reflecting a man's chagrin at discovering disloyalty while realizing his own neglect at the root of the problem. I would have enjoyed hearing more from this one and recall enjoying the film as a solid Wayne entry. BIG JAKE (1971) A wealthy rancher's grandson is held for ransom by a murderous kidnapper. This fourteen-minute, five-part suite is the most colorful of this Wayne trio, offering elements of earlier scores such as The Magnificent Seven and True Grit. This is also the most melodious of the three scores on this CD. The finale, Track 11, Going Home includes suspense and, a Bernstein ride-out closing. Track 9, All Jake is reminiscent of True Grit and is a Bernstein showcase. -M. Larsen |
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THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963) Intrada MAF 7025D - Stereo - Ratings...Music - 5 / Sound - 4 / Presentation - 1.5 / Tracks: 13 / Time: 32:28 Music Composed and Conducted by Elmer Bernstein. Orchestrations by Leo Shuken and Jack Hayes. During World War II in a German POW camp, Allied prisoners devise an elaborate escape plan. For this lengthy dramatization of a true story, Mr. Bernstein composed a superb score, matching his earlier collaboration with director John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven), although the Academy chose to bypass what was to become one of the finest war film scores of all time. More than just a 'military' exercise in music, there are many warm, compassionate segments such as Track 4: Blythe, referring to a skilled forger whose expertise yields near-perfect documents needed by the 76 escapees to get past Day 1. His deteriorating eyesight is detected but the camp scrounger refuses to leave him behind, beautifully conveyed in Track 9, appropriately entitled Hendley's Risk. Suspense cues are of the melodious kind: Tracks 6, Various Troubles; 5, Discovery and 8, Betrayal. Track 7, On the Road is a colorful montage depicting the methods and routes of several different escaping POW's. Tracks 10, 11 & 12 are excellent blends of action and sentiment depicting the progress of the escapees. Track 13, Finale is a touching, yet rousing salute to the human spirit despite the odds, and, the price. This Intrada release of the UA soundtrack album is very clear and has depth, thanks to what appears to have been a considerable effort. This particular Bernstein soundtrack is also available on the Ryko label (see our Discography) with identical track listings. Mr. Bernstein re-recorded this score (the RCA CD we mention), but it only offers a few extra minutes of music and no great sound improvement over the soundtrack versions. Despite it's brevity, I cannot recommend a Bernstein score more strongly. Settling for only the theme on a compilation is just not enough. -M. Larsen |
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ELMER BERNSTEIN BY ELMER BERNSTEIN Denon CO-75288 - Stereo - Ratings...Music - 4.5 / Sound - 4.5 / Presentation - 4 / Tracks: 13 / Time: 65:30 Music Composed by Elmer Bernstein. The Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra conducted by Elmer Bernstein. Recorded: September, 1992. Released: 1993. This is a distinguished compilation of film scores and I consider it the best available musical profile of Bernstein's output on one CD. The films represented by either single themes or short suites have either been or will be reviewed individually on this website. The roster: The Magnificent Seven; To Kill a Mockingbird; Man with the Golden Arm; The Grifters; Walk on the Wild Side; Hawaii; The Great Escape; Ghostbusters; Rambling Rose; Heavy Metal; My Left Foot; The Ten Commandments. The one curiosity item and most welcomed is his moving theme for the TV series honoring classic films, Hollywood and The Stars. This is a rare commodity, performed in it's 3-minute entirety. I was not familiar with his part in scoring Heavy Metal and that too was a highlight, not just in it's inclusion, but because it was surprisingly stunning and became one of my favorite Bernstein works. The late Christopher Palmer co-produced this enjoyable Elmer Bernstein portrait. -M. Larsen |
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STRIPES (1981) Winger 5597 - Stereo - Ratings...Music - 4 / Sound - 3 / Presentation - 1 / Tracks: 19 / Time: 37:38 Music Composed and Conducted by Elmer Bernstein. All in one day, a cabby loses his girl, his car, his job and a pizza pie. Obviously, the next thing to do is join the US Army, convincing his best friend to enlist with him. This serviceable service comedy was a hit, and Elmer Bernstein's energetic score was put to excellent use, maintaining momentum throughout basic training, love-making, traveling in Europe and a skirmish with Communist troops involving a hi-tech urban assault vehicle. Many of the tracks revert to the nifty march which serves as the main theme. Other tracks include themes smacking of The Hallelujah Trail, Kings Go Forth, Magnificent Seven, Scalphunters and The Great Escape. Track 17, "The Attack / Return Home / End Credits" is fine as a kind of overture covering several of the themes. This is a Promotional Only CD and isn't easy to come by. I can only say it deserves a legitimate commercial release and ideally, should be paired with his "Ghostbusters" music on a CD. -M. Larsen |
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THE BUCCANEER (1958) Varese Sarabande VSD-5214 - Stereo - Ratings...Music - 4.5 / Sound - 4.5 / Presentation - 1 / Tracks: 13 / Time: 40:46. Music Composed and Conducted by Elmer Bernstein. This last film from Cecil B. DeMille was a remake of his 1938 swashbuckler detailing the events leading up to and including pirate Jean Lafitte's stemming the British invasion during the Battle of New Orleans. The film re-teamed Heston and Brynner plus some character actors and production crew from his 1956 The Ten Commandments. Executive producer DeMille handed the music score assignment to Mr. Bernstein and the directing chores to then son-in-law actor Anthony Quinn who had a supporting role in the '38 original. While not a fully satisfying adventure saga, The Buccaneer can safely boast about it's distinguished music score which rallies to the cause and often. This is a colorful, full-bodied score loaded with Americana, superbly performed and recorded. Prelude (Track 1) is itself worth the price of admission, featuring the main theme and some suspense elements, plus the gorgeous love theme; when repeated in Track 8 (Lovers United), is a highlight despite it's 90 seconds, and one of Mr. Bernstein's most touching themes, in it's most passionate version. Track 10 (Battle at New Orleans) features a first-rate bagpipes performance in the first half of it's 4+ minutes before going into it's Americana battle music. A few Wagnerian elements similar to those used in The Ten Commandments are distinct but rare. This is one of the few soundtrack CD's that I relish playing from start to end; a rich, symphonic Bernstein effort that clearly projects this great composer's gift for creating majestic film music. A taste of The Buccaneer is available on a Silva Screen 2-CD production, Swashbucklers. But I can assure you, seeking the soundtrack is worth the quest. -M. Larsen |
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