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Has anyone here heard 'Storia Di Una Donna' (1970)?


Sandor

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story_woman.jpg

In my mind, one of the most 'mysterious' scoring assignments of John Williams' career and certainly a score I long to hear.

I haven't even heard a single note of the Story Of A Woman score, so I'm dying to hear information on the piece from members who have.

What's the score like? Is it any good? To what score can it be compared?

Thanks a lot for any information on this score!

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Why is that everytime that one of this misterious things come around, I hear my name?

Anyway, I feel honored that I do, and I'm happy to contribute...

I do have the Ornella Vanoni performed song (and let me express my gratitude to both Markus Hable and Maurizio Cacheto, whose efforts helped me in getting it) and it sounds... well... a bit like eurovision kind of songs. It has some hints that are clearly Williams, but if i didn't knew, I might even go by it without noticing.

Yet, is a very catchy tune.

As for the score, sadly I never heard it but saw it described at FSM forum:

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/post...9&forumID=1

(by the way, I remember another post were the score was discussed but can't find it).

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Why is that everytime that one of this misterious things come around, I hear my name?

Anyway, I feel honored that I do, and I'm happy to contribute...

:thumbup: you are as humble as the man himself

I'll take that as a compliment :happybday:

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I remember glancing over this movie title on the IMDb page before, and dismissed it as one of the many strange listings that weren't accurate. I wasn't aware that this movie actually has a Williams score, you know.....in reality.

Now I want to hear it too. Is this move on DVD? Can the score be ripped at all? Is there a training montage sequence?!

Tim

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I remember glancing over this movie title on the IMDb page before, and dismissed it as one of the many strange listings that weren't accurate. I wasn't aware that this movie actually has a Williams score, you know.....in reality.

Now I want to hear it too. Is this move on DVD? Can the score be ripped at all? Is there a training montage sequence?!

Tim

As far as I know the film has never been released in any form -- certanly not in DVD :rolleyes:

I guess that the best one could get at this point would be a taping from a TV broadcast... But to this day haven't had the luck of running into someone who has such a thing.

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How about that FSM poster who has taped it off the TV?I'm surprised you have not tried to trade with him.It would be cool if the Audio could get transfered to MP3,just to get an idea of what it sounds like

K.M.

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  • 5 years later...

Good luck! I know Thor searched for it quite extensively without results. I too have searched several archives here in Italy (film was shot here and co-produced by Italian film company together with Universal), but nothing came up.

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I have just contacted the Director's grandson (who is also a director/producer), and see how it goes (if he has any idea where we can find this film which seems to be lost)

You managed to find his contact info? I tried that too, but never succeeded. Good work!

I also tried to contact Swedish actress Bibbi Anderson through her agent, one of the film's stars, but never heard back.

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Why did anyone ask me before? Yes, I´ve heard 'Storia Di Una Donna', I liked very much and and I have on my YouTube playlist!! :)

The song composed by John Williams and sung by Ornella Vanoni "Uno di Qua L'Altro Di Là" whose melody can be heard throughout the score is on iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple.com/br/album/uno-di-qua-laltro-di-la/id294719193?i=294719260

A serious candidate for an album release! (Y)

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Thanks a lot for sharing, that is pretty interesting to listen to. It's like a companion score to Jane Eyre, yet it sounds unlike anything else by Williams

Few questions:

Is there only 10 minutes of music?

How did you rip the score?. It's pretty clean of dialogue and sounds effects

I hear a lot of compression, did you upload it in the best quality you had?

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Wow, thank you for posting this!

I've already listened to it three times. This movie is impossible to find and I've often wondered about it and its music.

From the very start there is a great theme very similar to one from Close Encounters. It makes it familiar and new at once. Beautiful work.

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I may be in the minority here, but I don't need to hear every score Williams has ever done, and certainly not those from the 60s/70s. If I hear parts of it some time, okay, but I don't seek them.

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Few questions:

Is there only 10 minutes of music?

How did you rip the score?. It's pretty clean of dialogue and sounds effects

I hear a lot of compression, did you upload it in the best quality you had?

Ok, he'll reply too I guess but:

I think he isn't the uploader of that video.

I assume there's more than 10 minutes. It's just 10 minutes which were "cleaner" than other music in the film.

From what i remember (because we know the existence of this for quite some time), someone recorded the music from TV when the film was broadcasted. I don't remember who it is..

edit:

Oh, here i found the FSM thread in which there are some more information:

http://www.filmscore...mID=1&archive=0

apparently it was a guy Kev that had the tape (still remember it's recorded from TV) and Stephan has created the suite.

* * *

Still no reply from the director's grandson.

He has a linked profile and twitter account too.

But i contacted him through his site.

Maybe the other ways were more direct?

Anyway, after some days I'll try linked probably.

I don't have a twitter account..

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Why did anyone ask me before? Yes, I´ve heard 'Storia Di Una Donna', I liked very much and and I have on my YouTube playlist!! :)

The song composed by John Williams and sung by Ornella Vanoni "Uno di Qua L'Altro Di Là" whose melody can be heard throughout the score is on iTunes Store: https://itunes.apple...193?i=294719260

A serious candidate for an album release! (Y)

Jarbas, I think all of us hardcore fans have that youtube suite as well as the song.

The thing, however, is that we want to know a) if there's more music so as to fill out a whole album and b) whether the film itself is possible to find for a viewing.

As for the youtube video, I did a lot of research about that. I contacted Stephan, who didn't have it -- he only uploaded the suite. The Kev guy didn't have it either.

I may be in the minority here, but I don't need to hear every score Williams has ever done, and certainly not those from the 60s/70s. If I hear parts of it some time, okay, but I don't seek them.

Actually, I think you are in the MAJORITY here on the board (and elsewhere) in that sentiment.

It seems to be a minority of us who obsess about these old and obscure things. Us completists who have long since ventured past the big titles on his resume and want to explore more of the hidden treasures from the past.

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Yes, I didn't upload it. I found that suite at the YouTube some years ago.

Maybe Mike Matessino, Lukas Kendall, Nick Redman or others can bring it to light someday.

Wow, thank you for posting this!

I've already listened to it three times. This movie is impossible to find and I've often wondered about it and its music.

From the very start there is a great theme very similar to one from Close Encounters. It makes it familiar and new at once. Beautiful work.

Yes that piano part reminds me Close Encounters too!

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I did extensive research to find a copy or even just information about both film and score throughout the years.

I know Matessino searched for master tapes of this score without results (at least so far). It appears the score was recorded in Rome, Italy, somewhere in 1968 under the supervision of Stanley Wilson (who was then Universal Pictures music supervisor). Williams was unable to attend the sessions because he was in London to record Goodbye Mr Chips.

The orchestral backing of the vocal version sung by Ornella Vanoni was however conducted by JW in Los Angeles, but that was probably produced in a different timeframe for the 45rpm single release.

Another thing most people don't know is that Alan & Marilyn Bergman wrote the original lyrics of the song, which were then translated/adapted in Italian by Antonio Amurri.

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Excellent information, Maurizio. (Y)

Another alternative would be a new recording based in the sheet music book that Williams should have - I think - in your personal library.

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  • 4 months later...

Another alternative would be a new recording based in the sheet music book that Williams should have - I think - in your personal library.

How didn't anyone thought of that?

As much as I don't like rerecordings, this would be the only way as it seems to listen to the score (apart from the film i mean).

But I doubt Williams would give the sheet music for a rerecording, even more if he doesn't think highly of it.

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Damn, I thought this was news about a new source for the score beyond the youtube thingie.

The only way it could be rerecorded is if someone found the film, listened to the score intently, made sketches (John Morgan-style) and rerecorded it. But as you all know, the film seems to as lost as those old DOCTOR WHO episodes.

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But as you all know, the film seems to as lost as those old DOCTOR WHO episodes.

Thor, have faith as I do! ;) ;)

back to the music:

but since John Williams will have the score in his home, why should anyone make the score from scratch?

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But as you all know, the film seems to as lost as those old DOCTOR WHO episodes.

Thor, have faith as I do! ;) ;)

back to the music:

but since John Williams will have the score in his home, why should anyone make the score from scratch?

Because the alternative is to break into his house to get it? ;)

Seriously, though, I don't know what's holding a recording up. Could be Williams. Could be other things. My favourite question to Williams would be about his early days and whether or not he's proud or embarrased about the interest in it. STORIA DI UNA DONNA would fall into that category. So would THE KATHERINE REED STORY (I assume he has the sketches for that too).

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well, the Storia di una Donna score seems to be much better than other early scores of his that have been released.

and if he doesn't want it to be released, neither we could have the solution you propose (someone listening to the music and reconstruct the score by ear). It would still need Williams' approval.

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well, the Storia di una Donna score seems to be much better than other early scores of his that have been released.

and if he doesn't want it to be released, neither we could have the solution you propose (someone listening to the music and reconstruct the score by ear). It would still need Williams' approval.

Does he have that right? To veto a rerecording, I mean (even if that rerecording was constructed from the film and not from the score sheets)?

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Oh, I thought every Williams score released in any form, would need his approval.

Not true at all.

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  • 6 months later...

Well, I guess there's no point now, but I thought to share this information.

There was a guy that was selling the film in 35mm 4 years ago.

http://forum.nocturno.it/index.php?topic=15522.0

I contacted him and unfortunately it's not available anymore.

had I known sooner.. :(

(I asked him if he remembers the buyer, but haven't got a reply yet

edit: he doesn't remember)

Maybe I would have bought the film and get it converted to digital form.

Although I'm not sure how much this would cost.

(i found though some shops here that do it)

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It might be nice to note that since I started the topic 10 minutes of music from the score has been published on YouTube:

http://youtu.be/f63NOnUaCiA

Yeah, that was posted back in 2010. I think most of us are aware of it (in fact, I think we've mentioned the video before). That crummy-sounding TV/video transfer with sound effects is all we have access too beyond the Varnoni song, of course.

However, what is even more important now is to get hold of the FILM itself. I'm glad to see filmmusic still trying to find it -- I gave up after some extensive research a couple of years ago.

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  • 2 months later...

Occasionally, I remember to search again for this film.

This time I wrote to National Film archive of Italy.

The Cineteca Nazionale (National Film Archive) preserves the heritage of Italian cinema (consisting of about 120,000 films, of which 2000 are available for circulation) and concerns itself with the conservation, restoration and enlargement of the archive.

Let's see how that goes...

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Never thought of that. Good idea! Although the film was a co-production between the US and Italy.

By the way, I recently got in contact with Bercovici's grandson (who is actually also a film composer) and asked him about this. He asked his father (the director's son), but none of them could help me. :(

At one point, I considered asking the star Bibi Andersson, but I doubt she would have been much help. Besides, she suffered a stroke a few years ago, so I wouldn't bother her with such petty concerns.

Unfortunately, there aren't many left of the original cast and crew to ask.

Has someone ever received any response from Universal or NBC? I tried once, but never got through.

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What do you mean they couldn't help?

They didn't know the whereabouts of the film?

(yeah, i don't think any of the actors would know anything either. Those would be the last to know, after the directors, producers etc.)

I wish I could contact that member at imdb, that says he saw it in cable TV some years ago.

I think I sent him a message through imdb, but never got a reply.

Well, the imdb system is a bit peculiar, maybe he didn't saw it anyway..

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Actually, I didn't get much info from them. The director's grandson said this:

Hello,

I am indeed his grandson, and I asked my father and he wrote this:

"Yes, Nardo wrote and directed “Story of a Woman.” It was made by Universal Studios and he probably can’t find it because he’s searching for the Italian title."

Probably not helpful, but good
luck to you!

Cheers,
JB

I sent him a follow-up mail asking if they had some sort of copy in their possession, but received no response.

This film is so rare and mythic, it's something Indiana Jones himself would have trouble locating. :)

TJ

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  • 2 weeks later...

The Italian Film archive's response:

unfortunately we have no elements of this film by Leonardo Bercovici in our archive. Though it is a co-production USA/Italy, I am not sure that it has never been released in Italy. Maybe you should contact the Universal Pictures, which is the theatrical distributor.

I can't believe how rare is this film!!! Does it exist? Maybe it's in our imagination? Maybe that youtube video with Williams music is a massive dillusion we all have?

:mrgreen:

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