Ealing Studios Scores anyone?

[Groovygoth666 663]

I love the classic Ealing Studios films, although I've only seen the more famous one's, but the lack of any real/definitive release of scores for any of them is baffling. 

 

I was wondering if there's anyone else that enjoys these films and their scores?

[Omen II 1,235]

I watched a lot of the George Formby and Will Hay films with my Dad when I was little, so I have an affection for many of the Ealing films.  They are quintessentially British and a reminder of a bygone age.

 

Many of the best scores from the Ealing films are actually quite well represented in rerecordings, especially in the Chandos Movies series.  Their discs of Georges Auric and Alan Rawsthorne are two of my favourites and feature a healthy selection of scores from Ealing Studios films.  The Georges Auric CD includes such classics as Dead of Night, Hue and Cry, The Titfield Thunderbolt, The Lavender Hill Mob and others, while the Rawsthorne CD includes The Captive Heart, The Cruel Sea, Saraband for Dead Lovers and more.  For me, this is the best way to hear this music without the constraints of 1930s-1950s monaural recording technology.

 

There are also complete recordings of Ralph Vaughan Williams's Scott of the Antarctic and John Ireland's The Overlanders available on the Dutton Vocalion label, both of which I highly recommend.  Incidentally, I was lucky enough to hear The Cruel Sea performed at one of the BBC Proms concerts at the Royal Albert Hall just last month.

 

 

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,515]

These are classic films, with classic scores.

My favourite Ealing, is PASSPORT TO PIMLICO.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Might be obvious, but my favorite Ealing film is Kind Hearts and Coronets.  As I remember though that movie is very sparsely scored even for the era.

[Groovygoth666 663]

@Omen II These films are indeed quintessentially British, it was also my dad who introduced me to them, we had a VHS with the Lavender Hill Mob, Titfield Thunderbolt and Kind Hearts and Cornets that was recorded from when they where on the BBC back in the 80's (that makes me feel old to say!). I have the George Auric cd, but listening to the others you've linked I'll definitely have to check them out. 

 

@Naïve Old Fart Passport to Pimlico has one of my favourite quotes in a British film, "We always were English and we always will be English and it's just because we ARE English that were're sticking up for our right to be Bergundians."

 

 

 @Disco Stu Kind Hearts is my second favourite, after Titfield Thunderbolt, such a brilliant and dark film, unfortunately missed the 70th anniversary showings last year, and yes it is sparsely scored, but I'm not sure it's a film that really needed anymore than it already had?

 

Another question, as I've only really seen the more famous comedies, what films would people recommend as vital viewing from Ealing's wide variety of films?

 

 

 

[Thor 7,493]

On 10/10/2021 at 10:44 PM, Naïve Old Fart said:

These are classic films, with classic scores.

My favourite Ealing, is PASSPORT TO PIMLICO.

 

Good choice. It's also my favourite score of 1949!

 

Alas, I've seen few of the actual "classic" films. I think maybe only THE LADYKILLERS and SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC.