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F...K ! Now that's what I call fantastic news - one of my favorite scores of the 60s ! Many thanks for this release - this is a dream come true for me...
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Never thought it would happen.
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It's almost like the universe came together for us. I created less than a week ago, I think, a thread on Sinatra film scores - what's available and what is not. I was floored to find that ASSAULT ON A QUEEN was never available, despite the fact it's a Duke Ellington score, for Sinatra's sake! And not a week later we have an announcement that it's coming our way in glorious, repaired mono. (If you want to check out the thread, please see http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=115412&forumID=1&archive=0.)
Thrilled this is on its way. Our friend Peter at MovieMusic.com is also planning to list this soon, once he has wholesale info for it. I suspect other online retailers will get it, too. To be fair, though, BSX listed it first. Way to go, guys!
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Posted: |
Jun 9, 2016 - 1:39 PM
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By: |
riotengine
(Member)
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Interesting, the movie is based on a novel by the guy who wrote the original INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, and has a screenplay by Rod Serling, and yet... not that good a movie, if I can say so.
Looking forward to this new CD release. The score seemed okay to me, but nothing more. Looking forward to really giving it a good evaluation. Here are my thoughts on the movie from another thread.
Ocean's 6 on the high seas. Recently watched the Olive Films blu-ray of the 1966 film adaptation of Jack Finney's (The Body Snatchers, Time And Again) 1959 crime novel, Assault On A Queen. It's a high-concept story of a motley group of adventurers who salvage a sunken World War I-era German submarine to rob the cruise liner, The Queen Mary. I was holding off watching the movie till I finished reading Finney's book.
The film stars Frank Sinatra, Virna Lisi, Anthony Franciosa, Alf Kjellin, Richard Conte, and Errol John. Screenplay by the great Rod Serling.
I'm fascinated by how films are adapted from books and the film is watchable but very problematic. The main character from the book is a rather individualistic guy named Hugh Brittain, who is chafing against the rat race he's forced to exist in and is looking for something more exciting, which makes him the perfect recruit to join the group planning the heist. The character Sinatra is playing in the film, Mark Brittain, is a lift from To Have And Have Not, who runs a salvage boat with his alcoholic partner (Errol John). The film's early set-up is straight from the Bogart film. In the book, the whole caper has been planned from the start, over a long period of time. In the movie, the idea of the heist is thought up as a spur-of-the-moment lark. A big part of the novel is the raising and salvage of the U-boat. The film gets us through that with a nice montage, but the (now) WW II-era sub is still a bit too clean after all those years on the ocean's floor. The ending is also changed in a significant way from the book. I can see why Serling made that decision, but I'm a bit mixed on it. I'd love to hear about Serling's interactions with Sinatra while writing this. I'd bet those are interesting stories.
Sinatra is okay, playing a variation on his usual tough-guy persona, but he's no Bogart. Franciosa plays a great opportunistic slimeball racist. Virna Lisi makes for great eye-candy.
Swedish-born Alf Kjellin, (pronounced "Chell-leen) who plays Eric Lauffnauer was an interesting character actor who later turned to directing numerous TV shows and movies. He's very good in the film. He's really great in an old 1965 12 O'Clock High 2-parter, called P.O.W.
The U-boat set was reused in an episode of Get Smart, (confirmed by the IMDB) Rub-A-Dub-Dub...Three Spies In A Sub. The film has a score by Duke Ellington that's servicable, but Jerry Goldsmith would have knocked it out of the park.
The blu-ray's 2.35:1 image looks amazing, with nice color and detail. The DTS-Master Audio soundtrack sounds great. The image is almost too nice in a few scenes as you can see stuff like Sinatra obviously being in studio tank during some of the diving scenes, with crystal clarity. I read there's a scene with a stagehand manipulating one of the miniatures, but I didn't notice it.
One thing that bugged me was in the film, is it's established (by the death of another character) that using an old timey deep-sea diving suit is very dangerous, but later on during the salvage, Sinatra is using scuba gear. Why didn't he use that in the first place, LOL?
My final verdict is the book is vastly superior to the film. My comment on the novel being problematic is there isn't much action in the book, and the ending is rather anticlimactic. The movie amps things up to compensate, but does so in a way that really doesn't help the film. I have to say it is such a great high-concept, I'm surprised no one has thought to remake it after all these years
Greg Espinoza
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Never thought it would happen.
Nor did I, but sometimes the gods smile upon you.
It's just pure old school jazz fun.
Ford A. Thaxton
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Posted: |
Jun 9, 2016 - 3:57 PM
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By: |
RoryR
(Member)
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My final verdict is the book is vastly superior to the film. My comment on the novel being problematic is there isn't much action in the book, and the ending is rather anticlimactic. The movie amps things up to compensate, but does so in a way that really doesn't help the film. I have to say it is such a great high-concept, I'm surprised no one has thought to remake it after all these years
Greg Espinoza
There also isn't much music in the book either, so what the hell are you wasting our time for, Espinoza?!
Nah, just kidding... That's for that review, very well done. If the movie was better I'd get the Blu-ray, but honestly.... I think the movie is bad. But I guess the music is good, and maybe someday I'll find a used paperback of the book. I might read it.
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Posted: |
Jun 9, 2016 - 7:04 PM
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By: |
riotengine
(Member)
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My final verdict is the book is vastly superior to the film. My comment on the novel being problematic is there isn't much action in the book, and the ending is rather anticlimactic. The movie amps things up to compensate, but does so in a way that really doesn't help the film. I have to say it is such a great high-concept, I'm surprised no one has thought to remake it after all these years
Greg Espinoza
There also isn't much music in the book either, so what the hell are you wasting our time for, Epinoza?!
Nah, just kidding... That's for that review, very well done. If the movie was better I'd get the Blu-ray, but honestly.... I think the movie is bad. But I guess the music is good, and maybe someday I'll find a used paperback of the book. I might read it.
Well, thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated. I found a cheap copy on eBay and would very much recommended the book. I'll look forward to hearing what you think. 
Greg Espinoza
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I am enjoying this cd very much. Despite the disclaimer,I find the sound is very good. Final selection doesn't appear in the film. Program listing indicates "album version ". Where was this previously released?
It was released on a Bud Shank album (a DVD/CD combo) called AGAINST THE TIDE.
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