HAMMER FILM STUDIOS has given us alot of interesting films over the decades, HORROR, DRAMA, SCIFI, ADVENTURE COMEDY ETC ETC, within these films were some fine film scores and within these film scores was some very beautiful, pretty, lush, call it what you will, music. Would like to bring these pieces out in the open on this thread, It would be great if, like we did with the pretty genre film thread some of you would like to put the music itself on this thread, given examples of such nice comforting music.
My friend , i couldn't agree more. It is just such a touching beautiful melody, to some of us anyway. A little story behind that melody. when i was a kid on OCT 30, 1970- my folks took me to see Taste the blood of dracula-70- with Trog at night at the Mayfair theatre in New York, a theatre now long gone, [closed by the late 70's] Hearing that theme for the first time was like the first time i heard one of those great songs from The Sound of music. Leaving the theatre that night the humming began, and in mermory it lasted for years, We know the old days when getting what you like or love was like a trip to the Artic searching for some rare lifeforms,From 1970 till 1978, it was just humming out of mermory, Unlike a bunch of other Hammer films in America that was shown in syndication or on Network Tv TASTE was never shown. Walking down Time Square in 78, what did my wondrous eyes see at the LYRIC THEATRE on 42street[one of many theatres that dug out old films on that strip] i saw on the marquee TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA. I liked the movie but the first thing i thought of was the music. You ever really just go to a movie because of the music? I did, after work i rushed down to that infamous area and caught the pic. My oh my loving a melody for years to then hear it again on the full screen was great.Then finally in 1981 i believe THE CBS LATE MOVIE FINALLY SHOWED THE FILM, out came my tape recorder, remember those bulky old ones and i tape the film.I bought a betamax a year later, so i couldn't tape it yet.I took the tape put it in my walkman and hum the melody on a 50 mile bike ride the very next day.Of course since the early 80's the film has been on DVD, video, syndication, cable etc etc.The melody is out of this world.
FOUR SIDED TRIANGLE-53- This early TERENCE FISCHER film had a very touching score which was a big asset for this SCIFI effort by MALCOLM ARNOLD, who went on to much success with the score for BRIDGE OVER THE RIVER KWAI IN 57- Main theme for this tragic play is very pretty.
Hey dan the man, I think some Hammer films from the early 1970s had greater melodic content than their late -'50s classics. Perhaps this is because Hammer productions increased their emphasis on female pulchritude & nudity & sexual situations - especially after 1969. (an effect of U.S.A.'s then-new MPAA rating system of "X", "R", "GP" etc.)
DEMONS OF THE MIND has very effective music by Harry Robinson, who also did memorable work on COUNTESS DRACULA.
Another suggestion is Christopher Gunning's HANDS OF THE RIPPER.
CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN had a very effective mood score with solid suspense themes by James Bernard, but let's not forget, his pretty lullaby frolic when the Baron was a very young man.
HORROR OF DRACULA-58- This top notch score by JAMES BERNARD has a solid main march, a fantastic chase theme and effective mood cues, However in the beautiful department, we have a very good salvation theme used in quiet style when one of the heroines is released of Dracula's hold by staking and then used in majestic style during the end credits.
Check out Silva's Devil Rides Out compilation disc for the breathtakingly lovely themes from Frankenstein Created Woman and The love theme from Scars of Dracula.
DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS-65-Hammer's second LEE effort, has a nice mood score by JAMES BERNARD, however there is a morbid but very pretty funeral theme early on in film.
DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE-68-JAMES BERNARD comes up with a winner here' While the main theme is source music, it's used to beautiful effect during the scene when the priests begins there climb up the mountain at the crack of dawn, and during the end credits. However we also get a nice seduction theme from James between Drac and heroine as well in a few scenes, the chase scene has it's pretty cues as well.
