Host/conductor Mauceri replicates a symphony orchestra playing to film images to produce the film's score, and talks with historians, technicians and David Raksin about the process during the 30's and 40's.
Director: Joshua Waletzky
Stars: John Mauceri, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Alfred Newman, David Raksin, Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin, Franz Waxman.
Note: of the 6 composers listed above as the stars, only Raksin and Steiner did not work on a Hitchcock film.
I find it odd that the doc'y talks as though the process discussed has passed. In '95 they were still using film to capture movies, and many films are/were still scored with original music, so I don't understand the idea that this is old and gone.
Mauceri emphasizes (by stating it more than once) that symphonic orchestras that perform in concert would disparage such melodic music as was used in film. But it communicates emotion and/or action, so it's perfect for film.
Film clips utilized:
- ch 2. Laura (1944), features several scenes from this film
- ch 3. Bride of Frankenstein (1935), excerpts scenes that demonstrate the use of Franz Waxman's score
- ch 4. Gone with the Wind (1939), excerpts scenes with Scarlett O'Hara to demonstrate the use of the Tara theme by Max Steiner
- ch 6. The Half-Naked Truth (1932), excerpt of Lupe Velez singing/dancing, Max Steiner conducting
- ch 6. The Palm Beach Story (1942), excerpt of Victor Young underscoring action
- ch 6. The Informer (1935), excerpts nighttime street scene with Katie to demonstrate the use of Max Steiner's score
- ch 7. Casablanca (1942), excerpts scenes that demonstrate the use of the song "As Time Goes By" and Max Steiner's score
- ch 8. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), features the duel between Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone
- ch 9. The Song of Bernadette (1943), features the "trash-dumping" scene, among others
- ch 10. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), excerpts the scaffold scene to demonstrate the use of Alfred Newman's score
- ch 11. Johnny Belinda (1948), excerpts scenes surrounding the rape to demonstrate the use of Max Steiner's score
- ch 12. How Green Was My Valley (1941), excerpts scenes with Huw and Angharad to demonstrate the use of Alfred Newman's score
- ch 13. Red River (1948), excerpts scenes from near the film's end to demonstrate the use of Dimitri Tiomkin's score
- ch 14. more of Laura (1944), features several scenes from this film
IMDb Contributions: 2 images, plot outline, 2 movie connections, 5 cast (interviewees).
Favorite anecdotes:
- Korngold at first refusing to score Robin Hood, but being forced by the Anschluss to stay in the US and (supposedly) realizing the theme of rescuing England from the clutches of Prince John was parallel to Austria/Germany.
- Raksin's inspiration for Laura's theme was his sadness over the dissolution of his marriage by letter from his wife on the other coast.
Previously rated 8, I stand by that today. Just the pleasure of hearing the melodies selected and seeing the film clips is sufficient, but the narrative of the doc'y is also good.
KQED & more, dir. Waletzky; 8
