This is great to see as I grew up I would believe the same time as the writer. I am beginning to love Mr. Newman's music. Hope they remember Alfred Newman at the Oscars but they let John Williams' 80th anniversary on this planet go last year. They are more interested in edgy junk than real "classical" composers or people with class.
Love Greatest Story Ever Told and have it in my head along with other music that I love.
This article triggered some fantastic memories for me as well. I recall Christmas day 1953 venturing to the Spooner theater to see "The Robe" along with my younger brother. To this day I will always remember the score as it brings me back to that wonderful day. Great article-wonderful writing!
Now, I may have missed it, because I was reading this article rather quickly, but I feel like there is always one LP that Alfred Newman and Ken Darby did that has been really overlooked. Hasn't anyone ever heard of the LP The Magic Isles, The Music of Hawaii (I am not at home now, so the title may have a word or two that is incorrect)? I have this LP, and once I started to become more aquainted with Newman's music, I have loved listening to it (the LP [along with The King and I soundtrack LP] was in a large collection of other LPs that belonged to my Grandma, and I took all her LPs [with her permission] when she had to be moved; thank God!), but I have never seen it mentioned on any of the film score sites. I would love to see it remastered for CD (mainly for selfish reasons, since my LP skips in a couple of places, interrupting the flow of the music), because I am sure that it would be an exciting discovery for those who have never heard it, as well as a major relief for those who own the LP. Now I am well aware that it is not a movie soundtrack, but if FSM released an exciting CD of Maurice Jarre's beautiful concert works, I figure another film score site (since FSM does not release new CDs anymore) would look at this particular Newman/Darby gem. If I am wrong about this LP being overlooked, I do apologize for my presumptiousness. Either way, I hope it is something that will be considered.
Now, I may have missed it, because I was reading this article rather quickly, but I feel like there is always one LP that Alfred Newman and Ken Darby did that has been really overlooked. Hasn't anyone ever heard of the LP The Magic Isles, The Music of Hawaii (I am not at home now, so the title may have a word or two that is incorrect)? I have this LP, and once I started to become more aquainted with Newman's music, I have loved listening to it (the LP [along with The King and I soundtrack LP] was in a large collection of other LPs that belonged to my Grandma, and I took all her LPs [with her permission] when she had to be moved; thank God!), but I have never seen it mentioned on any of the film score sites. I would love to see it remastered for CD (mainly for selfish reasons, since my LP skips in a couple of places, interrupting the flow of the music), because I am sure that it would be an exciting discovery for those who have never heard it, as well as a major relief for those who own the LP. Now I am well aware that it is not a movie soundtrack, but if FSM released an exciting CD of Maurice Jarre's beautiful concert works, I figure another film score site (since FSM does not release new CDs anymore) would look at this particular Newman/Darby gem. If I am wrong about this LP being overlooked, I do apologize for my presumptiousness. Either way, I hope it is something that will be considered.
I agree, The Magic Isles is an excellent LP. Over the past years on this board it has indeed been discussed. Another great Newman/Darby LP very much like it is Ports of Paradise.
There will never be anyone like ALFRED NEWMAN again.
I agree, Alfred Newman was a giant in not only his great original scores but also as an arranger for musicals and conducting, all while running the Fox music department! I hope we will see a few more Alfred Newman cds in the future starting with Nevada Smith!
I agree, The Magic Isles is an excellent LP. Over the past years on this board it has indeed been discussed. Another great Newman/Darby LP very much like it is Ports of Paradise.
I agree, The Magic Isles is an excellent LP. Over the past years on this board it has indeed been discussed. Another great Newman/Darby LP very much like it is Ports of Paradise.
..... Now I am well aware that it is not a movie soundtrack, but if FSM released an exciting CD of Maurice Jarre's beautiful concert works, I figure another film score site (since FSM does not release new CDs anymore) would look at this particular Newman/Darby gem.....
gbays27280.....I also second your call for a release of the Newman/Darby MAGIC ISLANDS album. This, and the aforementioned PORTS OF PARADISE album were very popular 50 years ago (Wow!.....Fifty Years Ago!) in the late 1950s-early 1960s for their beautiful arrangements, lush, full orchestral scoring, and musical concepts.
They were not movie soundtracks---to be sure---but they sound like movie soundtracks and, in fact, if you listen carefully, you can hear that, in the musical "bridges," they DO contain musical phrases and melodic elements from some of the "tropical" films which had been previously scored by Newman over the years.
Among the underscore "quotes" are bits and pieces of MR. ROBINSON CRUSOE (1931) and THE HURRICANE (1936), TRADE WINDS (1938), SON OF FURY (1942), and Amfitheatrof's BIRD OF PARADISE (1951).
As to the songs, I seem to recall that at least the following were included: "The Moon of Manakoora" (from THE HURRICANE......and MR. ROBINSON CRUSOE), "Blue Tahitian Moon" (from SON OF FURY), Darby's "Love Song of Kalua" (from BIRD OF PARADISE), and "Trade Winds" (from TRADE WINDS).
I've always wished that someone would record a compilation of suites of Newman's "tropical" scores in modern stereo sound for soundtrack lovers' consumption. I suppose now the only viable company who could (or would) do this would be Silva Screen, but Newman is, sadly, no longer very relevant or popular, so who knows.
Maybe you could sell it to the masses as ALFRED NEWMAN'S LOUNGE MUSIC FROM THE SOUTH SEAS, and make some money.
My story is much like yours substituting HOW THE WEST WAS WON for THE ROBE. And even though I grew away from him to explore other newer composers or other Golden Age gods like Korngold, Herrmann, Waxman and Rozsa, it is amazing how I kept coming back to Alfred. AND he seemed such a great guy! He was a hard taskmaster on the soundstage but otherwise there are tons of "nice" stories about him, about as many as there are "cranky" ones about Bernard Herrmann. Speaking of which I couldn't imagine Herrmann agreeing to collaborate on a score, like he did on THE EGYPTIAN, unless there was a great deal of respect musically speaking. Alfred seemed to have it all and to have the likes of Gershwin and Irving Berlin getting you major film jobs says a lot.
And then there were the stories like Lionel Newman's one of being on the STAR WARS recording stage and insisting on miking the way Alfred had developed during the 50s. Alfred was crazy about the new stereo technology and wanted to get the most out of it. (sure enough I did the headphone test and compared it to all the other STAR WARS films. Alfred's miking is the best!)
Or the one David Newman told me when I suggested his father for one of those 3 year concert series. He told me the more he looked into Alfred's work the more difficult it seemed. There is a way Alfred had his strings play that is really tricky. He wants to do him justice to him and hopes someday to be up to that challenge!!!
Then there are how many Silver Age composers had mentioned Alfred Newman encouraging, mentoring or recommending them for jobs. The list includes John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Lalo Schifrin and many more.
AND when many a composer sometimes slowly fades off, Alfred seemed to be on top until the end. The last films he worked on were: AIRPORT, FIRECREEK, CAMELOT, NEVADA SMITH, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD and HOW THE WEST WAS WON! In other words after he retired from Fox every major studio wanted him and used him for major projects.
If you haven't heard his famous stuff, treat yourself to WUTHERING HEIGHTS, THE HUNCH BACK OF NOTRE DAME, CAPTAIN FROM CASTILLE, ANASTASIA, NEVADA SMITH, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, AIRPORT and all the others. But when I started digging into his more obscure stuff and kept finding gems I knew I found my Golden Age favorite. Damn, listen to this unreleased stuff and tell me it isn't topnotch!
But your inclusion of RAMONA is very interesting, Morricone. I saw a beautiful nitrate Technicolor print of this many, many years ago, and had forgotten that Newman was involved.
Looking over Newman's IMDB credits, it appears that this 1936 release is the first "official" 20th Century-Fox film Alfred Newman ever scored.
During the 1930s period Newman was based at United Artists Studio in Hollywood and primarily serviced the larger independent producers working there---mainly Samuel Goldwyn, Darryl Zanuck and his 20th Century Pictures, and Walter Wanger's production company---as well as a few other scattered independents---all of whom shot and scored their films on the UA lot, and then released them via United Artists' distribution channels.
I always tend to think of Newman being at 20th Century-Fox forever, but, in fact he was only there about 20 years---from ca.1940-1960.
Newman did scores for RKO Radio, Universal, MGM, 20th Century-Fox, 20th Century Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn, Walter Wanger, Selznick-International, Paramount, and Warner Bros. About the only ones I can think of that he DIDN'T work for are Columbia, Monogram/Allied Artists, Hal Roach and Republic. Any others?
But your inclusion of RAMONA is very interesting, Morricone. I saw a beautiful nitrate Technicolor print of this many, many years ago, and had forgotten that Newman was involved.
Looking over Newman's IMDB credits, it appears that this 1936 release is the first "official" 20th Century-Fox film Alfred Newman ever scored.
During the 1930s period Newman was based at United Artists Studio in Hollywood and primarily serviced the larger independent producers working there---mainly Samuel Goldwyn, Darryl Zanuck and his 20th Century Pictures, and Walter Wanger's production company---as well as a few other scattered independents---all of whom shot and scored their films on the UA lot, and then released them via United Artists' distribution channels.
I always tend to think of Newman being at 20th Century-Fox forever, but, in fact he was only there about 20 years---from ca.1940-1960.
Newman did scores for RKO Radio, Universal, MGM, 20th Century-Fox, 20th Century Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn, Walter Wanger, Selznick-International, Paramount, and Warner Bros. About the only ones I can think of that he DIDN'T work for are Columbia, Monogram/Allied Artists, Hal Roach and Republic. Any others?
I can't think of any others but thanks for the background. As usual your info is fascinating. I almost forgot there was a UA lot. How long was it active for UA?
All this was to point out even his 1936 music sounds wonderful albeit in patches from this sampling. Someone proposed an Alfred Newman at Fox box that I thought might sell surprisingly well. Too much great stuff not to.
I agree, The Magic Isles is an excellent LP. Over the past years on this board it has indeed been discussed. Another great Newman/Darby LP very much like it is Ports of Paradise.
A slight correction must be made in order. 20th Century Pictures was NEVER renamed 20th Century-Fox but actually merged with the struggling Fox Pictures in 1935 to form the new company. The fanfare, however, was composed by Newman and got the "Cinemascope" extension for "How To Marry A Millionaire".
But your inclusion of RAMONA is very interesting, Morricone. I saw a beautiful nitrate Technicolor print of this many, many years ago, and had forgotten that Newman was involved.
Looking over Newman's IMDB credits, it appears that this 1936 release is the first "official" 20th Century-Fox film Alfred Newman ever scored.
During the 1930s period Newman was based at United Artists Studio in Hollywood and primarily serviced the larger independent producers working there---mainly Samuel Goldwyn, Darryl Zanuck and his 20th Century Pictures, and Walter Wanger's production company---as well as a few other scattered independents---all of whom shot and scored their films on the UA lot, and then released them via United Artists' distribution channels.
I always tend to think of Newman being at 20th Century-Fox forever, but, in fact he was only there about 20 years---from ca.1940-1960.
Newman did scores for RKO Radio, Universal, MGM, 20th Century-Fox, 20th Century Pictures, Samuel Goldwyn, Walter Wanger, Selznick-International, Paramount, and Warner Bros. About the only ones I can think of that he DIDN'T work for are Columbia, Monogram/Allied Artists, Hal Roach and Republic. Any others?
I can't think of any others but thanks for the background. As usual your info is fascinating. I almost forgot there was a UA lot. How long was it active for UA?
All this was to point out even his 1936 music sounds wonderful albeit in patches from this sampling. Someone proposed an Alfred Newman at Fox box that I thought might sell surprisingly well. Too much great stuff not to.
Yes! We need an "Alfred Newman at Fox" box. If only 1,000 copies were made I think it would sell out quickly like the "Bernard Herrmann at Fox" box did. I think what would help sell a Newman box would be his scores to westerns, action, adventure & epic films.
