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Kritzerland is proud to present a new limited edition world premiere release – two great scores on one CD:
O. HENRY’S FULL HOUSE
Composed and Conducted by Alfred Newman
and
THE LUCK OF THE IRISH
Composed by Cyril Mockridge
O. Henry was a master writer and was known for his ironic "twist" endings. In O. Henry’s Full House, an anthology film from Twentieth Century Fox, we get five of his stories, some of which remain famous to this day: “The Cop and the Anthem,” “The Clarion Call,” “The Ransom of Red Chief,” “Gift of the Magi” and “The Last Leaf.” The film had five separate directors—Henry Hathaway, Henry King, Henry Koster, Howard Hawks and Jean Negulesco—and an amazing all-star cast, including Charles Laughton, Marilyn Monroe, Richard Widmark, David Wayne, Jean Peters, Farley Granger and Jeanne Crain.
As with so many Fox films, Alfred Newman also has to be recognized as one of the leading players. Ably assisted by his close collaborator, vocal director Ken Darby, Newman brings his customary sensitivity to every sequence, and this is some of the most beautiful music he ever wrote. It’s a classic Newman score, filled with his exquisite themes, none more so than his masterful “The Last Leaf.”
The Luck of the Irish was directed by Henry Koster, and starred Tyrone Power, Anne Baxter, Lee J.Cobb and Jayne Meadows, with the delightful Cecil Kellaway as Horace, a leprechaun. The music for the film was composed by Cyril J. Mockridge and was conducted by Alfred Newman. Like David Buttolph and David Raksin, Mockridge served Fox as a workhorse and jack-of-all-compositions. Although he occasionally got to score projects which went on to become classics—such as Miracle on 34th Street and How To Marry a Millionaire—he never wrote a lovelier or more entertaining composition than he gave to Irish, an all-but-forgotten comedy/fantasy. His music perfectly follows every footstep of the physical and spiritual journey of the characters, and is a delight from start to finish.
This is the world premiere release for each of these scores, lovingly mixed and mastered by Mike Matessino from the elements in the Fox vaults. The sound is excellent and is an early example of the push-pull miking techniques of the time, resulting in a beautiful stereo presentation.
O. Henry’s Full House/The Luck of the Irish is limited to 1000 copies only and is priced at $19.98, plus shipping.
CDs will ship by the last week of March, but we’ve been averaging three to five weeks early in terms of shipping ahead of the official ship date. To place an order, see the cover, or hear audio samples, just visit www.kritzerland.com.
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bought one.
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How do you get this stuff to sound so great!
I am an Alfred Newman completest so bought mine!
If you are an Alfred Newman completest then I hope you will support my desire for the original short score to THE GUNFIGHTER somewhere on a future Kritzerland CD.
Yes! I support this! 
It's a GREAT main title and end title. Bruce, can you add this to a future Fox golden age CD?
Actually, you could probably record the main and end titles off the actual film, and it would sound about as good as the isolated tracks. (Perhaps not as sure about the end title, but, as I recall, the main title would stand pretty well on its own.)
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And, yes, I've already grabbed O.HENRY, as soon as I noticed it listed at SAE.
Marvelous release!
I'm a Newmaniac; so I buy everything Newman...
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Posted: |
Feb 24, 2014 - 11:43 AM
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By: |
JB Fan
(Member)
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And, yes, I've already grabbed O.HENRY, as soon as I noticed it listed at SAE.
Marvelous release!
I'm a Newmaniac; so I buy everything Newman...
EVERY Newman? You mean, that it's not matter to you, whom to buy - Alfred, David, Thomas, Randy...
Or you buy everything from Alfred Newman? 
Oh, and yes - samples is really fine! In my wish-list now, and I probably know, when and where I will order this...
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Well, if it's the ONLY way to get the music, I'm for it.
Oh, and I'm an (Alfred) Newmaniac, though I enjoy much of the music of others in the clan.
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(FULL DISCLOSURE - emphasis on the first syllable of the second word. I have the honor of being the author of the liner notes for this disc. Thanks again, Bruce!)
As it happens, in the O. HENRY film, the Main Title's final triumphant chord (not heard in the website's abridged sample) dovetails with horses' hooves and the clanging bell of a paddy wagon. This hasn't kept me from weeping at the beauty of this music lo these many years, but I'll be very glad finally to be able to hear this glorious tune without the sound effects -- and in stereo. (The Kritzerland deadline did not permit me to hear the complete CD, but the clips on the website indicate that I will not be disappointed with the final product.)
It's a lifelong dream of mine to have Newman's O. HENRY available on an album, and it does my heart good to see so many enthusiastic "Newmaniacs" lining up to place their orders. That said, I must also urge everyone within the sound of my voice and the 20th Century Fox Orchestra to listen just as intently to Newman conducting the work of his colleague, Mr. Mockridge. Personally, I think the two scores, with their respective Celtic inspirations, complement each other beautifully, and I've always thought of LUCK OF THE IRISH as the greatest Alfred Newman score ever composed by somebody other than Alfred Newman. See what you think. I'm very anxious to hear your reactions -- but not as anxious as I am to hear the CD!
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Really great samples, to films I'm unfamiliar with. I'm looking forward to the CD!
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Thanks for another installment of Golden Age treasures! I am familiar with Irish -- not so much with O. Henry but the sample sound amazing. Great stuff -- we are having a heckuva start for the New Year so far.
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