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Now available on DVD (was it ever released on tape?) is Richard Donner's very first feature, "X-15" (1962). Starring Charles Bronson as a test pilot, it tells the story of America's other "forgotten" space program, the one attempted by the Air Force. The proposition that earth orbit should be achieved gradually by improving rocketplane technology was put to an end by Kennedy's "to the moon by the end of the decade" challenge. Capsules on the end of missiles replaced the rocketplane idea. We beat the Russians and won the space race, but the development of a commercially viable method of spaceflight fell by the wayside.
Some of the "X-15" plot is covered in "The Right Stuff" (1983) which may also have borrowed a stylistic detail from Donner's film. The narration in "X-15" was provided by Jimmy Stewart, and his down-homey drawl might have been an influence on the anonymous old cowboy's narration in "The Right Stuff."
The score was provided by Nathan Scott, who appears to have had an interesting career scoring B-pictures and television. Perhaps Donner was acquainted with Scott from his years as a TV director?
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WOW Interestering, VERY interesting!
I want More information! MORE!
Richad E. Kranz
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The Nathan Scott score Is the one element in the film that is of note. The film itself is prosaic beyond words and hardly a distinguished start to Donner's film career. The producers even use "flat" footage provided by the Air Force and cut it into the Panavision film "stretched" to 2:35, making all the plane footage look pretty ridiculous. Amusing to see Mary Tyler Moore and Charles Bronson laboring away in the supporting cast a few years away from their most iconic roles.
Scott works his heart out trying to lend a sense of wonder and majesty to the flight scenes, all to no avail. I'm sure this is a score lost to the ages when the Goldwyn sound studio died and what elements they had were trashed. Nevertheless, if something were found on X-15, I'd be in on it immediately.
If one is curious, the film can still be found on YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhrv1EFbQIw
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