Rodgers' "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" was adapted into a picture score for the film of the same name. It was a 1957 crime drama a la ON THE WATERFRONT, starring Walter Matthau as the crime boss. The score was conducted by Joe Gershenson with adaptation by Henry Mancini and, supposedly, Herschel Burke Gilbert. Maybe Dave Schecter has more info on the cue composers.
Decca released an LP of the actual Universal-International soundtrack.
2 Shaiman Down With Love -- This may be newer, but Shaiman captures that 50s NYC feel for sure. Nice.
3 Waxman CITS -- One of my favorite all-time scores. The "Celebration," a nod to Bill Haley and the old "sock-hops," is very cool R&R w jazz chords, and plays during the pool hall scene. Probably one of the great electric guitar scores ever - the player is just on-fire. It is not easy to play the old Gibsons cleanly with all that distortion, but he does an excellent job. The Varese CD is not the film music, but a different performance under Waxman at the Hollywood Bowl. I really like this one. The opening from Waxman is very unique with what seems to be a repeating theme; it's not - it's more like a call-response w key changes, and this is the fugue technique I mentioned. Genius. (I gravitate towards this and North bc jazzers don't compose, arrange, and/or orchestrate this well. Please don't tell OB I said that... but he's wise and patient, so he'll understand.)
4 Steiner Four Wives - Yes. That's it. Real nice. I like this one also. Thanks David. (I saw Of Human Bondage recently, and that was a pretty romantic Steiner score too, not in the spirit of NYC, but of early 20th century London. "Wipe my mouth! WIPE MY MOUTH!!!" What a performance.)
Other notes: - I ordered the Waxman Night and The City, and it's a 2CD on SAE.
- Found some Naked City mp3 samples on Amazon - likely illegitimate. Very pressing noir score. Cool.
- I grabbed the Varese LP of North's Four Girls In Town / Skinner's Written on the Wind, so I'll let everyone know when I convert it to CD.
Questions: - Back to HTMAM. DiB, do you think it would be possible to post the piano sheets or some pages from the score so we can analyze the "Jazz-iness" of the score? Would you even have these kinds of materials to share David? I thought it would be interesting for others to see how Newman is using jazz in that score.
- I know I've seen a Raksin-scored film that opens with a midtown NYC shot, and accompanying music. Any ideas?
- Was Pat & Mike 1952 in NYC? I've only seen it once a long while ago. Maybe west coast.
- Any thoughts on Waxman's Love In The Afternoon 1957? I have it in one of my lists.
Add CITY FOR CONQUEST, wherein Max Steiner goes Gershwinesque in a grandly sentimental symphonic finale: composer Arthur Kennedy conducts his own composition and tearfully dedicates it to injured brother James Cagney (who, nearly blind, listens on radio from the newsstand where he has been reduced to collecting nickels). More corn than gold perhaps, but they did things in a grand way in those days. And, yes, folks, there really was a time when live symphony broadcasts were the talk of the town. (Compare The Constant Nymph.)
lexedo.....I've been reading this thread and I wonder if what you're looking for is the music of Louis Alter......
Alter was born in 1902 (in Haverhill, Mass), eventually became a pianist for silent movies at the Colonial Theatre there during his youth. After graduation from the New England Conservatory of Music, and private piano study, he took on the big city of New York in 1922.
Once there, he began composing and playing songs, caught the eye of then well-known performer, Nora Bayes, and established himself, not only in New York, but also Paris and London.
And now I quote from an album of his music.....
"And Alter took to New York, specifically Manhattan. The region known as 'Midtown' inspired him to song, but he didn't write songs about it. He expressed the pensive gaiety of the city's center in short instrumental sketches, beginning with Manhattan Serenade , which he produced in 1928 and which has become something of a classic in its metier. It is jaunty, sentimental, somehow suggestive of nostalgia at home---in short, an honest reflection of a certain Manhattan mood that possesses many a resident and transient New Yorker from sundown until closing time."
The album I am quoting from is "ALBUM OF MANHATTAN: Metropolitan Impressions by Louis Alter." It is a Decca DL-5109 10" Lp album (probably originally on a 78 rpm set) and the selections are played by Paul Whiteman and His Concert Orchestra. (You can't get much closer to Gershwin that that!!!)
I haven't played this album in nearly 40 years, so I don't remember the individual selections, but I DO remember that when I used to play it, I immediately was reminded of MY impressions of New York in music. Though Louis Alter is now pretty much forgotten, his music was often quoted in films about New York in the 1930s and 1940s.
UNFORTUNATELY......it will probably be nearly impossible to find this disc anywhere as it is so old and, I suspect, so limited in its original pressings. But you never really know, with eBay available.
The selections are:
MANHATTAN SERENADE (1928) MANHATTAN MOONLIGHT (1930) MANHATTAN MASQUERADE (1932) METROPOLITAN NOCTURNE (1935) SIDE STREET IN GOTHAM (1938)
The other album I found in my collection that seems to fit your criteria is MANHATTAN MOODS, another rare 10" album, this time on Columbia Masterworks, ML-2144. This one has New York themes arranged by Morton Gould, who also conducts his Orchestra. Gould, of course, was one of the very popular interpreters of classical and popular music pieces in the 1930s and 1940s.
Included are:
MANHATTAN SERENADE (Louis Alter) NOCTURNE (Thomas Griselle) PARK AVENUE FANTASY (Matty Malneck and Frank Signorelli) This piece was featured extensively in the score for Monroe's SOME LIKE IT HOT. BIG CITY BLUES (Morton Gould) MANHATTAN MOONLIGHT (Louis Alter) STREET SCENE (Alfred Newman)
You may also want to listen to Tony Martin's vocal recording of the "Tenement Symphony," by Hal Borne, Sid Kuller, and Ray Golden, which was featured in the 1941 Marx Brothers film, THE BIG STORE.
lexedo......your music examples strike me as fitting into two very different New York eras.
The "Street Scene" of Alfred Newman is in the Gershwin-esque style of 1920s-1930s New York, while the "New York, New York" song of Lionel Newman's is more of the 1950s New York sound.
The latter vein has a very expansive orchestral sound, often with a prominent piano solo---much like music drifting from a penthouse party where the piano player is entertaining the guests.
In this latter vein, you might want to look at the 1954 Fox CinemaScope film, WOMAN'S WORLD, with music composed by Leigh Harline.
Also in this same mould is Bronislau Kaper's expansive score for THE POWER AND THE PRIZE, which Lukas included on the Kaper box set on FSM.
Gershwinesque...as in Mr. Newman's opening for Dead End...not to mention, albeit a tad tangentially, same for Mr. Rozsa's Lost Weekend...oops which I now see has been mentioned already (and which we talked about in yet another lost thread)...
You guys are all incredible. McC, McMasters, RozsaPhile, Manderley, David, Ray, HL... I don't even bother reading The Times at supper anymore. Right to the Forum. Amazing.
You are correct Manderley, I've crossed some eras. This was unintentional. Then, I didn't consider other composers, limiting myself. I'll get through everything you wrote when I'm in later.
I know some of the titles you mention, but I'll call out one now: Manhattan Serenade is used for Tom Hagen landing in CA to meet the director in the Godfather. Love it. Ok ttul.
The Gershwins in Hollywood, recorded by John Mauceri using the original orchestrations.
DELICIOUS, 1931...in the film the New York Concerto, the dialogue describing how the city's features were set to music. The piece evolved to the New York Rhapsody, the Rhapsody for Rivets and finally the Second Rhapsody.
WOMAN'S WORLD, 1954...glorious skyline music composed by Harline? Tsk, tsk. Think Manderly, Think!
DELICIOUS, 1931...in the film the New York Concerto, the dialogue describing how the city's features were set to music. The piece evolved to the New York Rhapsody, the Rhapsody for Rivets and finally the Second Rhapsody.
.....WOMAN'S WORLD, 1954...glorious skyline music composed by Harline? Tsk, tsk. Think Manderly, Think!.....
What can I say? I spent nearly two hours this morning looking for those obscure 10" "Manhattan" lps in my collection for lexedo---and then typed all the information up. I was tired. Old guys get tired easily!
To correct the record, the "glorious skyline music" in WOMAN'S WORLD is credited to Cyril Mockridge.
(.....of course, it might also have been by Alfred Newman. )
While not at all written for a city-scape, the first movement of Alex North's ballet for DADDY LONG LEGS poked at the back of my mind as a possibility until I finally looked at it.
It has a certain bounce in the brass and percussion that might suit your undertaking (starting at 6:15):
The part at 7:19 - 7:40 didn't make it onto the Varese recording, somehow.
*********
The second movement eventually turns into what I think you're after:
I love Daddy Long Legs D. They showed it on TCM a few weeks ago. I guess Varese felt the other music wasn't going to appeal enough to warrant a full release.
So, I can't sleep, & I'm posting.
I didn't do any research on Manderley's info, but I know those 2 records you mention are going to be awesome. I'm familiar w the Columbia Masterworks 10" records. Very thick. I found a G&S Iolanthe under Joseph Batten with the Columbia Light SO at my grandfather's place. It had 6 records/12 sides, and was under 50 minutes. Really cool set. Old.
Turns out that there is a non-profit organization in San Francisco whose mission is to convert these ML sets. They do a really nice job. They had previously converted the G&S set I had - they do mp3s, so I gave my set to the library w a CDR rip.
So I want to check w them to see if they've converted the Manderley titles. If not, I may be able to get those at the Princeton Record Exchange, and then send them, and a donation - wink-wink, to SF for conversion. How cool would that be?
[edit]Manderley: how is the condition on those 10" records buddy?
Those recently posted stills of Newman conducting the MGM SO for How To Marry A Millionaire are priceless - that's what started this whole thing in my head.
I think you mean the 20th Century-Fox orchestra. "How the West Was Won" was the only film Newman ever scored for MGM.
One of my favorite NY 'sounds' is M. Steiner's from-jungle-to-Manhattan just after Mr. Denham proclaims, "Kong, the 8th Wonder of the World!" Oh, the mind's eye and ear at this very moment...such energy...
...and though it's not Golden Age, that sax and lonely room and Jack Lemmon's Apartment smacks mighty Goish...
Those are good ones HL, no doubt. The Apartment is a good score. I was listening to Delerue's Pickup Artist, and there is a piece called Happiness that does very well at re-creating the very relaxed rhythmic approach used during that period. There's an acoustic guitar used to highlight the rhythm, and it is mixed a little high when compared to the old days, but it's still very excellent.
The Decca record was issued as a CD, perhaps outside the US, on AMR 422. It is called "Louis Alter Album of Manhattan" by Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra. I couldn't find this one on any popular web sites, but here is the iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/album-of-manhattan/id385989270
you could do worse than obtain a dvd of THE EDDY DUCHIN STORY with an awesome score by george duning. this contains alot of familiar music that duchin wrote plus the afformentioned duning music. it's a really excellent movie depicting the new york scene where duchin resided. unfortunately, duning's score is not avilable on cd.
I thank you for that endorsement as I have never seen the flick, although, as usual, quite aware of it for so many decades. And I saw it on the shelf at the library just the other day! As such, I'm going back to the library tomorrow and get my hands on it for the belated maiden viewing.
) 