The chat down the pub last night incorporated COOL HAND LUKE, which got us jabbering about other films directed by Stuart Rosenberg that featured a music score by Lalo Schifrin. While not quite in the Spielberg/Williams or Burton/Elfman numbers/collabs (although it is the same number as Hitchcock and Herrmann), Lalo still scored nearly half of the films Rosenberg directed, starting with his first feature (TV film) A SMALL REBELLION (they may have worked together on TV shows before that, as Rosenberg did a lot of TV stuff in the late 50's and during the 60's). The classic (film AND score) COOL HAND LUKE would follow and then WUSA, VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED, LOVE & BULLETS, THE AMITYVILLE HORROR and BRUBAKER (another great prison movie, albeit underrated in comparison to COOL HAND LUKE).
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR is also a classic of Horror film scoring, imo. Rosenberg also worked with film score greats DeVol, Hamlisch (twice), Alex North, Michael Small, Dave Grusin and James Horner. Any thoughts/opinions on this collaboration?
Good thread! WUSA was one of close to 20 films that Schifrin scored 70--72, only a couple of which were released on LP at the time, and only a few more since then. I have a thread somewhere on the dearth of soundtrack releases by major composers during those three years.
WUSA starred Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, something about a radio station, never saw the film, so no idea what the music is like. Anybody?
If I had to pick one Schifrin score, it would be Cool Hand Luke. I'm sure it was this score that got him The Reivers assignment and prompted WB producers to want him for The Wild Bunch (Peckinpah insisted on Fielding).
THE AMITYVILLE HORROR is my go-to "Halloween atmosphere" music. There's a really bewitching, autumnal quality to that theme. Also admire the incredibly dense string writing for the scary happenings. Credit the Academy for giving it a nomination despite the less-than-prestigious nature of the film, something that would never happen nowadays.
Oh gosh. I LOVE the cimbalom (and Schifrin's use in The Eagle Has Landed is a favorite of mine, particularly in-film) but I'd never run across this one before -- thank you!
