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I'm still marveling at the great news of the upcoming Intrada release of National Geographic Presents Yankee Sails To Europe. This is but one of many fine scores that Elmer Bernstein composed for documentary films back in the 60s and 70s. Apart from the David L Wolper productions which included the Oscar nominated Four Days in November (1965) other standout films included Alaska (1971) and The Last Days of John Dillinger (1971). However, one that I remember with fondness was The Wolfmen (1969) an Irwin Rosten MGM production, narrated by James Coburn which was also Oscar nominated in the Field Of Best Documentary Film for that year.
Lukas, what are the chances of you being able to give any of these a release ? Do you know if master tapes still exist ?
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The release of the Bernstein/Moross scores from Nat'l Geographic specials is good to hear! (I was just playing the Bernstein music from the General Electric Theatre today; it's amazing how much of those cues are stylistically similar to scores he wrote in the late 50's/early 60's, his Golden period, to my way of thinking.)
I'd also love to get music he recorded for "Hollywood: The Golden Years." Though he re-recorded his main theme, which is lovely, on a CD of excerpts from his scores, the original recording seems to have more panache. I'd also like to get the scores he wrote for individual programs. I remember particularly a grand score he wrote for a special on D.W.Griffith, with exciting music for the siege of Babylon, from Griffith's INTOLERANCE!
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I know; now some wiseacre is going to post they sounded similar to his scores written during that period because they were also written during that period.
But some of the themes are so like cues from HAWAII, THE MIRACLE, and THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN. Not the same, just similar.
Well worth it.
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Posted: |
Oct 20, 2003 - 9:45 PM
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By: |
Dana Wilcox
(Member)
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I too am quite excited over this forthcoming CD from Intrada.
I think the 60s was Bernstein's best period, and in the 60s it was all the LPs of his that got me collecting soundtracks. I too would love a CD of his "Hollywood and the Stars" TV series, it had some great music in it.
Also, to have the Moross music on the same CD also is a real treat.
Thanks Doug/Intrada !!!
Agreed on all counts! Elmer Bernstein was on fire in the 60's, and the quality of his output is staggering: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, WALK ON THE WILD SIDE, THE CARPETBAGGERS, SUMMER AND SMOKE, THE GREAT ESCAPE, THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT, HAWAII, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, all of the terrific documentary and TV work -- I tuned in to "Hollywood and the Stars" every week just to hear Bernstein's memorable theme! As much as I love and admire the work of Rozsa, Moross, North, Newman and some others active during that time, Bernstein will always be, sentimentally, my "#1" composer.
I hope that the release of the Bernstein NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SPECIAL score will persuade others to search out and release more of his distinguished documentary work.
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I'm still marvelling at the great news of the upcoming Intrada release of National Geographic Presents Yankee Sails To Europe. This is but one of many fine scores that Elmer composed for documentary film's back in the 60s and 70s. Apart from the David L Wolper productions which included the Oscar nominated Four Days in November (1965)other standout films included Alaska (1971) and The Last Days of John Dillinger (1971). However,one that I remember with fondness was The Wolfmen (1969) an Irwin Rostal MGM production,narrated by James Coburn which was also Oscar nominated in the Field Of Documentary Film for that year. Lukas what are the chances of you being able to give this a release ? Do the tapes still exist ?
A lot of time has now passed since I started this thread. I'm just wondering if anyone has got any info to add, is there any update, are we any nearer to seeing any of these great TV scores being released ? Anyone else here interested in these ?
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I'm still marvelling at the great news of the upcoming Intrada release of National Geographic Presents Yankee Sails To Europe. This is but one of many fine scores that Elmer composed for documentary film's back in the 60s and 70s. Apart from the David L Wolper productions which included the Oscar nominated Four Days in November (1965)other standout films included Alaska (1971) and The Last Days of John Dillinger (1971). However,one that I remember with fondness was The Wolfmen (1969) an Irwin Rostal MGM production,narrated by James Coburn which was also Oscar nominated in the Field Of Documentary Film for that year. Lukas what are the chances of you being able to give this a release ? Do the tapes still exist ?
A lot of time has now passed since I started this thread. I'm just wondering if anyone has got any info to add, is there any update, are we any nearer to seeing any of these great TV scores being released ? Anyone else here interested in these ?
Oh well, I'll buy one anyway if some intrepid label should bring them out.
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Add in the score he wrote for Cousteau Odyssey ("Diving for Roman Plunder") and you've got me as a customer.
Delerue did a 2-parter called "The Nile" that's worth having, too.
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I remember a TV documentary on the Nile, narrated by James Mason, which I enjoyed so much I later recorded it on reel-to-reel, when it was re-shown. Have no idea who wrote the music, though it was shown in only one part, but I remember enjoying it. One of my older brothers had hooked up an output jack from the TV set, so that we could record movies we liked, just the sound. That was about the third thing I recorded on reel-to-reel; I can remember jumping to the recorder and putting it on "Pause" whenever there was a commercial break. Maddening.
(BTW: the first two things I recorded were truncated versions of DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS and DESIREE, each with the main title played after the end of the picture, which, for some strange reason, was the practice of one of our local Pittsburgh stations at that time, the early 60's. Go figure.)
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Both THE MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT 1960 and THE JOURNEY OF ROBERT KENNEDY are fine (if spare) Bernstein documentary scores.
One of my greatest disappointments was finally scoring the two LP set of THE MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT 1960 and being horrified
to discover Bernstein's Emmy winning score had been dumped in favor of library music, evidently because United Artists was too
cheap to pay for the soundtrack rights for the album.
Unfortunately, the print of MAKING OF THE PRESIDENT that ran on cable about fifteen years ago was a somewhat cut down version and the soundtrack was muffled and undynamic. I still have my reel-to-reel tape of the original broadcast version and even at 1 7/8 inched per second sounded better than this cable version.
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What happened to that documentary about D-Day?
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What happened to that documentary about D-Day?
I have a CDR of that, got it from a mutual acquaintance of ours a number of years ago, some good music on there in between and behind all the shootings and explosions etc! Maybe the master tapes are with the Bernstein estate ?
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Add in the score he wrote for Cousteau Odyssey ("Diving for Roman Plunder") and you've got me as a customer.
Delerue did a 2-parter called "The Nile" that's worth having, too.
David, Elmer actually did two scores for Cousteau : the other one was called "Calypso's Search for the Britannic", about Jacques and co. exploring the wreck of one of the Titanic's sister ships. She was sunk in the Mediterranean while being used as a hospital ship during WW1.
Bernstein conducted the RPO for both this and the "Diving for Roman Plunder" programme.
- James.
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