Sandor 459 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 With some very interesting releases these past couple of years covering the early filmscoring years of John Williams I find myself listening to some pieces more than usual as of late. Though his greatest artistic successes would come in later years (say, post 1974), there are certain compositions that gave a glimpse of the talent he would later expose fully.This thread is designed to discuss these early gems. I find the track The Gimbel's Robbery' from the Fitzwilly soundtrack (1967) very well constructed and the classical flavour enjoyable. I was wondering; did Williams model his piece after an existing classical composition (like some of the music from Home Alone was inspired by The Nutcracker)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josh500 1,602 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I gotta be honest, I don't know a single score from that period, except for the main title from The Reivers.So, for me, it has to be that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TownerFan 4,548 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I find the track The Gimbel's Robbery' from the Fitzwilly soundtrack (1967) very well constructed and the classical flavour enjoyable. I was wondering; did Williams model his piece after an existing classical composition (like some of the music from Home Alone was inspired by The Nutcracker)?Well, it's not a direct lift, but the piece has a very strong Prokofiev-esque tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Breathmask 480 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 *looks at collection*Nope, can't participate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 152 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 How To Steal A Million Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hlao-roo 388 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 How To Steal A MillionI think Roald is looking for more than an unannotated filmography of this period... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 152 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I'll write my feelings about it later, I can't really at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrScratch 292 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 My favorite pre-Reivers scores are Not With My Wife, You Don't! and Fitzwilly, both incredibly fun scores. I like JWs songs from the 60s as well. For the most part I don't care for his songwriting in the 70s and beyond, though there are a couple exceptions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 5,273 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 The most fun/camp/cheesy Williams-scored film scene in the 60's has GOT to be this one from the lacklustre comedy BACHELOR FLAT (recently released on Intrada): LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hlao-roo 388 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 The most fun/camp/cheesy Williams-scored film scene in the 60's has GOT to be this one from the lacklustre comedy BACHELOR FLAT (recently released on Intrada): LOL!What are you doing here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 5,273 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 I stop by once in a blue moon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hlao-roo 388 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Are you going to post a link showing us where we discussed this topic before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 5,273 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Nah. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam S. 0 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 The Reivers is probably my favorite. It shows how good of music he could have been writing if hadn't been pigeonholed into slight comedies. Heidi has some nice music. The 60s comedies are interesting in the sense that he throws out a lot of different musical ideas. They're actually very rich scores musically in his development of different melodies and ideas but just so cheesy that its easy to not notice. The theme that Roald mentions is a highlight as well. - Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,095 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Cinderella Liberty is my favorite of the "Jazzy Johnny" days. I love it from start to end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Breathmask 480 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 But it's not from 1959 - 1969... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,088 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Good topic, Roald - indeed, I had been thinking of starting just such a thread so you have saved me the bother! Perhaps two of my favourite Williams cues from his 60s scores are Sloan Strolls from Diamond Head and the cue On His Own from The Rare Breed when James Stewart's character searches for a Hereford calf in the depths of winter. Both look forward to the 'Williams sound' that is prevalent in his late 70s / early 80s scores.There is a lot of other good stuff in his 60s scores and I have a particular fondness for The Plainsman (albeit garnered from just a handful of TV viewings). My favourite cues are for the chase scene right at the beginning of the movie when Wild Bill Hickock is chased by Cheyenne Indians before being rescued by a hilariously blacked-up Simon Oakland (Kolchak's boss in The Night Stalker) and a scene later in the movie when the Cavalry ride into a Cheyenne ambush in a canyon; I have always thought of the latter as something of a precursor to Williams' Desert Chase from that famous 1981 blockbuster.There is also plenty of stuff I enjoy from his numerous comedy scores of the period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Mark 2,924 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 Lost in Space, without a doubt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,095 Posted July 16, 2009 Share Posted July 16, 2009 But it's not from 1959 - 1969...Ah right. Well, then Fitzwilly would be my favorite. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 5,273 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 There is a lot of other good stuff in his 60s scores and I have a particular fondness for The Plainsman (albeit garnered from just a handful of TV viewings). My favourite cues are for the chase scene right at the beginning of the movie when Wild Bill Hickock is chased by Cheyenne Indians before being rescued by a hilariously blacked-up Simon Oakland (Kolchak's boss in The Night Stalker) and a scene later in the movie when the Cavalry ride into a Cheyenne ambush in a canyon; I have always thought of the latter as something of a precursor to Williams' Desert Chase from that famous 1981 blockbuster.Now WHERE have you been able to see this film?! I've been searching high and low for this, but unsuccessfully. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandor 459 Posted July 17, 2009 Author Share Posted July 17, 2009 Thanks for the comments so far. Another interesting piece is the source cue Piano Bar from A Guide To The Married Man. It has a really beautiful atmospheric melody line and I find myself returning to that cue very often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Omen II 1,088 Posted July 17, 2009 Share Posted July 17, 2009 Now WHERE have you been able to see this film?! I've been searching high and low for this, but unsuccessfully.The Plainsman has been screened two or three times on the UK terrestrial TV Channel 5 during the past few years, Thor; I remember being quite excited (in a Williams fanboy sort of way!) when I saw it in the TV listings one day a few years back. I found the movie quite enjoyable, certainly better than I had expected from the official reviews I had read, although the performance by Abby Dalton as Calamity Jane is just so over-the-top you almost need earplugs when she's on screen. It's a real hoot to see Leslie Nielsen appear near the end as a pre-Little Bighorn Custer, complete with laughable stuck-on ZZ Top-style facial hair.I did video it last time it was on but I can't for the life of me find which tape it was on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ollie 859 Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Penelope is my favorite. That damn title song is so catchy, for that matter you might as well ad John Goldfarb too. There's just something about Shirley MacLaine warbling the title song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 152 Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I only own a few scores from this time period (How To Steal A Million, Bachelor Flat, Lost in Space, Checkmate, and None But the Brave), and my favorite is How to Steal A Million. It's got a really great energy behind it. The "Main Title" is an energetic and quirky tune that's very springy and lighthearted. "Can Can" is another fun one, with some nice trumpet playing. "Nicole" is breathtaking, with a fantastic use of choir and orchestra together. Very tender and very pretty. I would recommend this score to anyone by itself, but when you add the fact that you also get Williams' Bachelor Flat if you buy Intrada's release, which has some excellent (but short) highlights (mostly anything that involves Tuesday's Theme and the other comical theme of the film).After that I'd order Checkmate. It's got some really nice jazz music, and it's a style that I've never heard from the maestro (although I hear it was quite common coming from JW at that time). It's very fun to listen to.The other two, Lost in Space and None But the Brave fail to interest me. Both have a great main theme(s), especially the former, but both tend to bore me beyond those themes. These two collect dust, possibly more so than any other JW scores I own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,017 Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 After that I'd order Checkmate. It's got some really nice jazz music, and it's a style that I've never heard from the maestro (although I hear it was quite common coming from JW at that time). It's very fun to listen to.What kind of jazz?I only own a few scores from this time period (How To Steal A Million, Bachelor Flat, Lost in Space, Checkmate, and None But the Brave), and my favorite is How to Steal A Million. It's got a really great energy behind it. The "Main Title" is an energetic and quirky tune that's very springy and lighthearted. "Can Can" is another fun one, with some nice trumpet playing. "Nicole" is breathtaking, with a fantastic use of choir and orchestra together. Very tender and very pretty. I would recommend this score to anyone by itself, but when you add the fact that you also get Williams' Bachelor Flat if you buy Intrada's release, which has some excellent (but short) highlights (mostly anything that involves Tuesday's Theme and the other comical theme of the film).That sounds nice, thank you for the recommendation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 152 Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 After that I'd order Checkmate. It's got some really nice jazz music, and it's a style that I've never heard from the maestro (although I hear it was quite common coming from JW at that time). It's very fun to listen to.What kind of jazz?Er, I don't quite know enough about jazz to label it, but I guess I could say...crime jazz? I can say that it's different than the jazz Williams has written for scores like CMIYC, Cinderella Liberty, Eiger Sanction, and bits of 1941 and HA2. Samples can be heard here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Parker 3,017 Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Oh, like Henry Mancini! John Williams was probably very much influenced by his work, since he played so much of it back then. I should probably get this album....EDIT: (Upon listening to all of the samples) I am definitely getting Checkmate now. I was probably a fan of Henry Mancini before I was a fan of John Williams, and one can really hear the former's influence on this score. I hope I will someday be able to write music this good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 152 Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Good purchase. Rhythm in Motion is also a good listen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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