I viewed this film for the first time last night. A film from 1952, regarded as a Classic Film, a Classic Western, and with a Classic Oscar Winning Score/Song by Dimitri Tiomkin. This film started out with a terrific opening - music wise. No dialoge, just that catchy song that is woven throughout the film. It's genius music writing by Tiomkin. I enjoyed every minute of this film. Gary Cooper, Grace Kelly, even Lon Chaney in a small but pivitol role. The actor who really impressed me was Katy Jurado who for me, just about stole the entire film. She was hypnotic, gorgeous and a true screen presence. The BAFTAS even nominated her for Supporting Actress for this role. I'd never seen her before in a film I can recall. The restoration of the black and white film is extremely good for it's day. The extras are plentifull and I learned about things from Lloyd Bridges, David Crosby (son of Floyd Crosby The D.P., and yes, THAT David Crosby) both discuss The Blacklisting that Lloyd Bridges, Floyd Crosby, Carl Foreman etc. received after this film came out. I thought Grace Kelly was a real Bitch throughout this film, and - SPOILER-redeemed herself at the end of the film when she actually picks up a gun to help her poor husband - finally. I say 'spoiler' because there just MAY be someone else out there on the planet besides me who hasn't seen this film.
I'm still thrilled with this distinctive and innovative opening by Director Fred Zinnemann and Composers Tiomkin and Ned Washington. To view the opening click on the lower right corner and (sigh) wait through a very short commercial.
(Totally separate and only for Gays) Perhaps it was just me, but since this was the first time I'd seen this film, I found some Homoerotic undertones and imagery that I surely was not expecting and am sure was not a consideration by Director Zinneman. A couple of shots of the outlaws putting on their holsters, tying up their leggings, putting on their boots etc were framed to just show these movements, but they sure had an element of 'dressing/undressing' though the men were fully clothed and the shots lingered. Not to mention that Lloyd Bridges (yeah that old guy from 'Airplane') was actually 'Hot' back in 1952! Whoever was the Mens' Wardrobe guy must have sprayed - on this Actor's pants.
For homoerotic suggestion in a western, you can't do better than the scene in RED RIVER (another Tiomkin score) where Monty Clift and John Ireland handle each other's guns.
For homoerotic suggestion in a western, you can't do better than the scene in RED RIVER (another Tiomkin score) where Monty Clift and John Ireland handle each other's guns.
Isn't it interesting that the character Ireland plays in "Red River" is named Cherry VALANCE (as in Liberty?). Could the guys who wrote the screenplay for "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" gotten their last name of that character from the one in "Red River"?
Isn't it interesting that the character Ireland plays in "Red River" is named Cherry VALANCE (as in Liberty?). Could the guys who wrote the screenplay for "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" gotten their last name of that character from the one in "Red River"?
The screenplay for "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is based on the short story "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" by Dorothy M. Johnson, from her short story collection Indian Country (New York, 1953). Where Ms. Johnson got the name is anybody's guess. According to Wikipedia, the story was written or first published (Wikipedia doesn't make it clear) in 1949, so maybe she had just seen "Red River." Johnson also wrote the stories "A Man Called Horse" (1950) and "The Hanging Tree" (1957), both of which were also filmed.
Isn't it interesting that the character Ireland plays in "Red River" is named Cherry VALANCE (as in Liberty?). Could the guys who wrote the screenplay for "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" gotten their last name of that character from the one in "Red River"?
The screenplay for "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" is based on the short story "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" by Dorothy M. Johnson, from her short story collection Indian Country (New York, 1953). Where Ms. Johnson got the name is anybody's guess. According to Wikipedia, the story was written or first published (Wikipedia doesn't make it clear) in 1949, so maybe she had just seen "Red River." Johnson also wrote the stories "A Man Called Horse" (1950) and "The Hanging Tree" (1957), both of which were also filmed.
Interesting. I love the film 'Red River' yet the name of John Ireland's character escaped me all these years. Or at least, I didn't make the connections that are drawn here.
I forgot to mention in my first post that when the film started, and played out for the first 10 minutes or so, I had this impression that the imagery looked very much like a t.v. western, a feel like an old tv show or something. It wasn't until I watched the revealatory supplements that I found out why. The opening credits were a surprise to moviegoers at the time too. Films (and Westerns) of the day opened with big, loud overtures and symphonic music as if 'too announce'. HIGH NOON opened with the ballad and the unusual music Tiomkin supplied over the voiceless actors. And the imagery, no big fluffy cloudscapes and beautiful compositions here. D.P. Floyd Crosby wanted the film to look stark, almost Documentary like. He succeeded. Not sure exactly what to make of The Sheriff's (Gary Cooper) apologizing to the packed Church when he pleads for help in seeking Deputies. No one will help him. He has to apologize to The Pastor and the congregation for not being a church-goer. The Pastor passes judgement on him for not even getting married (one hour prior) in his church , untill Cooper explains his new wife was Quaker, then the Pastor changes his mind and softens.
Never seen the film, but the score is obviously a landmark. "Do Not Forsake Me" is generally considered to be the first real spin-off "pop" song that had lots of success outside its medium of origin. A long time before the "songtrack" phenomenon took hold.
I saw a Gregory Peck interview clip on TCM where he says "I was the fool of the world who turned down the lead in HIGH NOON." He had just done THE GUNFIGHTER and thought the roles were too similar.
The greatest thing about HIGH NOON is its moral clarity.
I don't think Amy (Grace Kelly) was a bitch. Her leaving was a Hail Mary pass to try and save Kane's life and by extension their marriage.
A minor thing I like about the film is that a girl was happy to get married without blowing her father's entire life savings and delaying his retirement by 15 years.
There's a nice little wedding in THE GHOST AND MR CHICKEN, too. I think it makes a girl more lovable if she's okay with a humble wedding. But almost all actual girls want to spare no expense and be royalty for a day, thinking that any hint of economy would be a huge embarrassment.
Never seen the film, but the score is obviously a landmark. "Do Not Forsake Me" is generally considered to be the first real spin-off "pop" song that had lots of success outside its medium of origin. A long time before the "songtrack" phenomenon took hold.
Good God.
Thor - this film is a true masterpiece. The ultimate "one man alone" western.
....."Do Not Forsake Me" is generally considered to be the first real spin-off "pop" song that had lots of success outside its medium of origin. A long time before the "songtrack" phenomenon took hold....
Yes, Thor.
For those like yourself with relatively short movie history memories.
The phenomenon started long before HIGH NOON, we simply didn't have film classes and students to talk up the concept and analyze it before then---just consumers who played, bought, or listened to the music, whether it was recorded or published or aired.
For one start in your history travels, try "Diane," by Erno Rapee and Lew Pollack, which was written for the score of SEVENTH HEAVEN, 1927.
.....or "Charmaine," also by Rapee and Pollack, written for WHAT PRICE GLORY? in 1926.
(Of course, you might want to look a little closer to home with "Laura" in 1944.)
(Or "Over the Rainbow" in 1939.)
(Or "When You Wish Upon a Star" in 1940.)
Of course, maybe we're arguing over the definition of how "popular" a "popular song" is, and the percentage of copies it must sell out of a total population in a given generation to be popular. Are we?
Listen, manderley, for every major turning point "mechanism" in history, you can be sure that there are previous examples of similar mechanisms - whether on an experimental level or RELATED to it. This is no exception.
However, none of the examples you mention belong in the category I'm talking about. Because you see, we're not only talking popular film songs in general, we're talking specifically about the synergy effect and cross-promotion of music (or rather songs) from the film as a means to maximize profits. It's really symptomatic of the "hit song" and soundtrack mentality that would blossom many years later.
It's not the first example of synergy effect, of course (as people were selling spin-off cue sheets of popular songs even in the earliest days of cinema), but it's the first to have this kind of impact.
I know you like to say "oh, I know something earlier! I know something earlier!" all the time - even if it goes against every written film history, but you often seem to miss the point. Because the point is not what was THE very first thing of something. The point is what made an immaculate impact on the industry for whatever reason, what is referenced in history as influencing a particular way of thinking about movie music.
Not sure exactly what to make of The Sheriff's (Gary Cooper) apologizing to the packed Church when he pleads for help in seeking Deputies. No one will help him. He has to apologize to The Pastor and the congregation for not being a church-goer. The Pastor passes judgement on him for not even getting married (one hour prior) in his church , untill Cooper explains his new wife was Quaker, then the Pastor changes his mind and softens.
It was scenes like this that caused Howard Hawks to revile "High Noon." In his mind, a true professional lawman wouldn't be begging the townspeople he was sworn to protect for their help. Hawks, in part, made "Rio Bravo" as his "response" to "High Noon." He pointedly included a scene where Sheriff John T. Chance (John Wayne) meets an old friend Pat Wheeler (Ward Bond). Seeing that Chance's only professional help is the crippled and elderly deputy, Stumpy (Walter Brennan), and the shaky Dude (Dean Martin), whom the townsmen ridicule and call Borochón , which means “drunk,” Wheeler offers his services to Chance, but Chance refuses, unwilling to risk the lives of “well-meaning amateurs.” This was much more in keeping with Hawks' code of professionalism.
Never liked the Golden Age too much, but I was well impressed by Tiomkin's muscular score for this one. I can envision it as the equivalent of Broughton's Tombstone at its time.
One of my all time favorite movies and scores. This movie, in fact, was the first time I watched a movie and took particular note of the music. Dimitri Tiomkin was therefore the first feature film composer I could name.
I watched this movie way back as a kid with my dad (himself a film buff). Before the movie started, my dad mentioned it is a good movie, and I was wondering what makes a movie "good". He said many aspects, like screenwriting, actors, cinematography, music.... "Music?", I wondered. He said, yes, music is very important and sets the atmosphere of a movie. So when the movie started, I really took note of the score. I guess it was a pivotal moment in my life, because years later, I ended up on this board.
Seems to me that, before HIGH NOON, yes, films did have songs that became immensely popular. But they originated as part of a film score; they didn't dominate it, especially in the main title.
After HIGH NOON, it seemed in the 50's that every film had to have some kind of pop song over the main titles. Producers, seeing that popular songs were an additional source of income, demanded it. Consequently, film composers often had to incorporate the theme from a song not written by them into the structure of a film score. (See Alfred Newman's scores for LOVE IS A MANY SPLENDORED THING, A CERTAIN SMILE, and APRIL LOVE. all of which had music by Sammy Fain and lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. Fain also wrote the music for the title song to THE BEST OF EVERYTHING, which was the center of Newman's orchestral score.)
But Newman wasn't the only one. Victor Young composed a score around Jule Styne's song THREE COINS IN THE FOUNTAIN.
It got to the point where there were no main titles anymore, just a song over the credits. (At least Alex North got to write the music for pop songs in his scores, like UNCHAINED and THE LONG HOT SUMMER, but that seems rare. Bernard Herrmann wasn't so lucky, having to give up the main title for his JOY IN THE MORNING for a pop song sung by star Richard Chamberlain.)
This trend seemed to culminate with Henry Mancini's work on BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S, where the score is full of pop numbers, particularly "Moon River," a monster hit at the time. After that, orchestral film scores seemed to be eclipsed completely, until a revival by one John Williams, with his score for STAR WARS, whose main theme, just the theme, no lyrics, made #1 on the radio pop charts. Orchestral scores had returned, but not without a lot of casualties along the way.
