Movie Tournament: Classic Film Scores (1 Viewer)

[Evan Case]

I'll second Pather Panchali.
I too must regretfully abstain as I've somehow yet to see Ivan the Terrible.
Additionally, I only saw King's Row once five years ago (I think on TCM or the then decent AMC) so my memory of the score is generally limited to the four cues on my Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold cd. Even abridged on cd, it's amazing to hear how effortlessly Korngold can move from the playfulness of "The Children" to the unabashed emotionalism of "Randy and Drake." And of course, there's the "Main Title," an obvious and acknowledged inspiration for John Williams' Star Wars theme.
Evan

 

[Agee Bassett]

Updated.
For those who are abstaining on account of Kings Row, I offer my strongest urgings that you endeavor to see it; even notwithstanding the brilliant Korngold score. It might not be too inaccurate to term it the greatest Douglas Sirk film not directed by Douglas Sirk.

 

[Evan Case]

Is it not also generally recognized as containing Ronald Reagan's finest performance?

Evan

 

[Agee Bassett]

Indeed. Although that might not be as compelling a testimonial for some as it might be for others.

 

[george kaplan]

Biting my tongue. I so want to respond to this, but it isn't worth getting kicked out of HTF, although it almost is.

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

If it were Prokofiev's NEVSKY, the vote would be obvious, but in this case:

KING'S ROW, Korngold

 

[Agee Bassett]

Surely this bracket hasn't stumped the entire voting multitude?

Edit: Thank you, Peter!

 

[Jan H]

I've seen King's Row and love the score. Unfortunately, nyet on "Ivan".

 

[Lew Crippen]

Korngold's King's Row
Nominate:
To Kill a Mockingbird (Elmer Bernstein—some would say his best)
Second:
Woman of the Dunes (Toru Takemitsu)

 

[Agee Bassett]

Updated.

 

[george kaplan]

OK,

I'll nominate:

The Apartment
The Odd Couple

 

[Agee Bassett]

Updated.
A disappointingly sparse ballot witnesses Kings Row snap it up 2-0. Personally speaking, I hope the large number of abstainees is more indicative of the bracket pairing than any ostensible obscurity of the film/Korngold score; for neither deserve anything resembling anonymity. As Evan points out, in merely one of many of this brilliant score’s artistic inspirations, its main theme served as a strong influence on John Williams’ Star Wars.
Must also give a shout out to Prokofiev’s Ivan the Terrible--not only a perfect complement to Eisenstein’s bizarre, baroque visual opera, but a superb, dazzlingly-textured work in its own right. Not many film scores I would rank ahead of it (perhaps not even the claimant of this last bracket's honors).
Moving on to bracket 7…
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ROUND 1; Bracket 7:

Laura (David Raksin)
vs.
Portrait of Jennie (Dimitri Tiomkin)

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[Ric Bagoly]

abstain (no Jennie)

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Gotta go with Mr. Raksin's LAURA on this round.
The Big T's Jennie is a winner too, as is Herrmann's theme...

 

[Justin Doring]

I regret to say that I've never heard Tiomkin's Portrait of Jenny, but for what it's worth I've always found Laura to be an overrated score. I do, however, like Raksin's grand "Whitefriars" theme from Forever Amber.

I'll take Korngold's King's Row over Prokofiev's Ivan the Terrible, but if it was Alexander Nevsky, it would be the other way around. There's much more to the brilliant score than just the influential Main Theme.

In addition to the above-mentioned fact that the Main Theme to King's Row is basically the Main Theme to Star Wars, Korngold composed the Main Theme to King's Row after hearing the title of the film, but he didn't bother to inquire what the film was about, hence the regal splendor that is the Main Theme!

I'll second To Kill a Mockingbird, which is indeed one of Bernstein's finest scores.

 

[Lew Crippen]

abstain

I'll take Korngold's King's Row over Prokofiev's Ivan the Terrible, but if it was Alexander Nevsky, it would be the other way around. There's much more to the brilliant score than just the influential Main Theme.

I agree that Nevsky's score is better than Ivan's, but I might still choose King's Row.

Perhaps I won't have to choose.

 

[Agee Bassett]

Wild-card/nom/composer list updated.
The 32 wild-cards:

• Aguirre: The Wrath of God (Popul Vuh)
  The Bicycle Thief (Alessandro Cicognini)
  Cape Fear (Bernard Herrmann)
  City Lights (Charles Chaplin, Arthur Johnston, Jose Padilla)
  El Cid (Miklos Rozsa)
  Fahrenheit 451 (Bernard Herrmann)
  Godzilla (Akira Ifukube)
  The Great Escape (Elmer Bernstein)
  Nights of Cabiria (Nino Rota)
  Pather Panchali (Ravi Shankar)
  The Sand Pebbles (Jerry Goldsmith)
  The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (Bernard Herrmann)
  Spartacus (Alex North)
  A Streetcar Named Desire (Alex North)
  To Kill a Mockingbird (Elmer Bernstein)
  Woman in the Dunes (Toru Takemitsu)

Current unseconded nominations:

• Taras Bulba
  Young Frankenstein
  Jules and Jim
  Paths of Glory
  The Alamo
  Touch of Evil
  Charade
  The Apartment
  The Odd Couple

Composer slots filled, leaders:

• Bernard Herrmann: 9
  Dimitri Tiomkin: 6
  Erich Wolfgang Korngold: 5
  Max Steiner: 5
  Miklos Rozsa: 5

OK, we're halfway to our alloted 32 wild-cards. So far, only Justin and george have exhausted their alloted 5 noms (Brook, 4; Lew, 3; Evan, 3; all others, 1); and everyone but Justin (1 left) still has at least a couple seconds left. So, everyone feel free to continue nominating/seconding.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

abstain

 

[SteveGon]

:frowning: I'm afraid I'll have to abstain as well - no Portrait of Jennie for me.
I will second The Apartment.

 

[Agee Bassett]

It’s unanimous for Laura. I tend to agree with Justin’s view that the score is a bit overrated; leaning as it does so heavily upon its justifiably classic, but overreiterated main theme. To cut Raksin a break, however, he was given only a couple weeks to write it, under trying emotional circumstances—quite an achievement.
For those who haven’t checked out Portrait of Jennie, endeavor to do so. To this viewer, the terrific performances, magnificent photography, and haunting Tiomkin score (modeled on themes by Debussy) more than compensate for the absurdity of the story. Never again can I hear Arabesque or Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun without seeing images of Jennie in my mind’s eye. (Incidentally, as Peter notes, the main original theme was composed by Bernard Herrmann, who had to leave the project due to its overstretched production schedule.)
Okay, bracket 8 sees a pairing which is primed to return a little of the momentum to this tourney:
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ROUND 1; Bracket 8:

Spellbound (Miklos Rozsa)
vs.
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)

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