 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I contributed.
I think this is a worthy project, and I’ll probably get every recording they release.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
When it comes to westerns, that Roger mentions Face of a Fugitive and Black Patch ahead of titles like VERA CRUZ, HONDO and WHITE FEATHER has me really wondering.
Intrada has released a LOT of Goldsmith and a LOT of Friedhofer. They know that Goldsmith tends to sell much better no matter the title. I'm with you in wanting those Friedhofer scores -- he's one of my favorite film composers too!
But sadly you shouldn't hold your breath for any Friedhofer to get re-recorded ever again. John Morgan told me the Friedhofer album that he and Bill Stromberg put out for Marco Polo was one of the worst-selling (if not THE worst-selling) in their entire series. And that was decades ago when these things tended to sell much better than they do today. I wish it were otherwise, and I'm glad Friedhofer has at least sold well enough to continue releases of his original recordings to some degree.
But Vera Cruz? Hondo? White Feather? I'm sorry to break it to you, but it's hopeless unless you're going to fund those yourself. Are any of those films particularly better known today than Black Patch or Face of a Fugitive? I very much doubt it. And at least the latter two scores have Goldsmith's name on them. I love those scores of course and I'm not even saying they're better than the Friedhofers, which I also love, but I can guarantee you they will sell better.
Now maaaaybe Joan of Arc might be the one Friedhofer that might happen. Historical epics are a popular film music genre (like westerns), but more importantly, this is a longtime holy grail of Doug Fake's...if it's a favorite of the label head, it may still happen despite having potentially poor sales prospects. And if it does happen I will be THERE.
I still maintain that The Mark of Zorro may be a Friedhofer score that would sell better (well, he co-composed it uncredited with Alfred Newman who got main billing). People see "Zorro" and think "swashbuckling fun" and I think it would have sales potential based on the title beyond maybe any other scores by either composer (even better ones).
I will admit that I am disappointed by Intrada's first selection. I'm not wild about Tiomkin in general but I particularly dislike his work for Hitchcock. That said, this is the Tiomkin Hitchcock score I dislike the least. It's fine and doesn't detract from the film for the most part. I would never buy this score normally, but since it's to support a new Kickstarter venture on Intrada's part, I will chip in my $25 and hope that for the next one they consider one of the non-Hitchcock scores they listed (or at least Frank Skinner's Saboteur, which they also mentioned -- even though a Frank Skinner re-recording sounds like even more of a long shot, Hitchcock or no).
If this is successful and Intrada decides to take on Shadow of a Doubt next, I will NOT be able to bring myself to support that choice...probably my most disliked score for a Hitchcock film, one of my most disliked film scores of all time in fact.
Yavar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
But Vera Cruz? Hondo? White Feather? I'm sorry to break it to you, but it's hopeless unless you're going to fund those yourself. Are any of those films particularly better known today than Black Patch or Face of a Fugitive?
This is really pure exaggeration. At least VERA CRUZ by Robert Aldrich is one the most famous, entertaining and beloved Western from the 50s with the two stars Burt Lancaster and Gary Cooper in two of their best performances ever. How can anyone ever forget that great Western? It is still a very beloved picture for example here in Germany and still shown now and then on TV here. Read all the articles which have been written about this popular film and its director throughout all the last decades. HONDO and WHITE FEATHER may be less famous nowadays, but certainly not VERA CRUZ.
On the other hand, FACE OF A FUGITIVE and BLACK PATCH are forgotten obscurities which no one knows today anymore except of course the Goldsmith fans who are mostly on this board.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Those three Friedhofer-scored films may have been more prominent in their day, or even 30 years ago. But in 2018? They are not How the West Was Won or The Magnificent Seven or Shane. Their titles will have no special draw to overcome the general and tragic apparent apathy towards Friedhofer's music...at least that's clear to ME. You're certainly free to disagree!
I would LOVE to be proven wrong, and I would eagerly contribute to a kickstarter for literally any otherwise-lost Hugo Friedhofer score.
Yavar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Those three Friedhofer-scored films may have been more prominent in their day, or even 30 years ago. But in 2018? They are not How the West Was Won or The Magnificent Seven or Shane.
I am not just talking about soundtrack fans where you may be right, but about fans of the Western genre in general. And it is absolutely clear that VERA CRUZ is a true classic there. And as I said, the other two Friedhofer titles of course to a much lesser extent nowadays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In contrast, FACE OF A FUGITIVE and BLACK PATCH are forgotten obscurities which no one knows today anymore except the Goldsmith fans which are mostly on this board.
Reportedly the written scores still exist and both scores require not so large orchestras. So a re-recording of these two needs not the funds of a big epical score.
True, though for the present comparison I'm not sure that the Friedhofer scores utilize much larger orchestras...probably a bit larger since they were bigger budgeted more A-list films, but they weren't big epics.
Yavar
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
