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Posted: |
Oct 9, 2013 - 11:52 AM
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By: |
leslie
(Member)
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Some of those admirers of Elmer Bernstein who are fond of his very fine 1959 album of "Themes from The General Electric Theatre " might be unaware that two of the ten shows whose music is featured on the album have popped up on YouTube , although both their visual and sonic quality leave much to be desired.
The twoepisodes feature Bernstein in his 'romantic melodrama' mode ( as in Pompeys Head, From the Terrace, Some Came Running, Kings Go forth, By Love Possessed et al ) and both are generously scored, in terms of quantity of music, by the composer.
'And One Was Loyal'. with Joan Crawford , Tom Helmore, Robert Douglas and Alan Napier has a brassy opening theme and richly expressive music for the love scenes - from beginning to end it is quintessential 1950s Bernstein, particularly a highly dramatic sequence involving a deadly snake.
'Nobodys Child' is a very sentimental and yet touching story which features programme host, Ronald Reagan and, interestingly, journalist Sheila Graham of Beloved Infidel fame and who played such a significant role in the latter part of Scott Fitzgerald's life. This also has some lovely music by Bernstein.
If you can adjust to the qualitative limitations of these archival shows, I think you will find them well worth watching.
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Posted: |
Oct 9, 2013 - 12:50 PM
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By: |
leslie
(Member)
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Thanks for that information, Leslie. I'll check those out.
I was rather hoping that you were going to tell us that someone was announcing a release of that wonderful album! Maybe some day...
Thank you for your kind response, Dana. Just in case you didn't know this, the album is currently available as a download on itunes, at least in the UK where I'm based.
My own " ... Maybe some day " would be the release of suites from the original Revue studio mastertapes of these glorious scores, assuming they are safely stored in a Universal vault somewhere.
Incidentally, well over ten years ago now, when my family and I were on a trip to New York, I popped in to the Museum of Television and booked a viewing of two Bernstein - scored GE Theatre episodes. One is featured on the Columbia album, the charming Ernie Kovacs episode, The World's Greatest Quarterback ; this slight and rather inconsequential story is made into something very special by the composer's music. The other segment was a World War Two story, featuring Sammy Davis, Jr and entitled Auf Wiedersehen. This had a sparser scorewhich included a march theme in the tyle of the Grand March fronm Kings Go Forth plus adelcate little German-style waltz. I presume these two recordings are still available in the Museum
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I will check those out. Thanks for the information.
I know the music from Nobody's Child. It has one of the most gorgeous melodies ever composed. It is a heart-rendering theme.
Many thanks for your welcome response, Joan. Bernstein really appeared to respond in a completely unfettered and heartfelt way to any film involving children eg To Kill A Mockingbird, World of Henry Orient and so on and that is certainly the case here where his music transmutes the base metal of what could be seen an an overly saccharine story into pure gold. I am sure it will come close to bringing a tear to your eye. It did to mine!
Nice thread Leslie, I love the old GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATRE LP, and I was lucky enough to see a number of episodes on Irish tv, way back in the 1960s. Today I was listening to the wonderful La La Land release of True Grit and I don't mind admitting that more than a few tears were streaming down my cheeks. Wonderful Elmer, his music has brought such pleasure to so many of us including especially my pals here Dana and Joan (and also of course Mike and Mark) over the years.
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I have a beautiful CD transfer of the LP done by a friend and listen to it quite often. The album deserves a release as well as some of the other scores done for the show by such composers as Jerry Goldsmith. Wouldn't that be nice?
And I must say, Niall, I'm jealous. You are already listening to True Grit in Ireland and I am still waiting on my copy.
Yep, and I also have The Miracle which arrived yesterday!!! Here's something else to make you even more jealous, I have a fantastic new DVD of a recent Full Circle gig...in HD, including all the people you met, it was Ken's 70th birthday bash! In fact me and my friend Nobby were in The Stillorgan Orchard and were briefly talking about you last Saturday night...about your famous visit to The Playwright...remember? The boys are playing again this Saturday...when you coming over for a return visit?
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Posted: |
Oct 9, 2013 - 4:04 PM
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By: |
leslie
(Member)
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I will check those out. Thanks for the information.
I know the music from Nobody's Child. It has one of the most gorgeous melodies ever composed. It is a heart-rendering theme.
Many thanks for your welcome response, Joan. Bernstein really appeared to respond in a completely unfettered and heartfelt way to any film involving children eg To Kill A Mockingbird, World of Henry Orient and so on and that is certainly the case here where his music transmutes the base metal of what could be seen an an overly saccharine story into pure gold. I am sure it will come close to bringing a tear to your eye. It did to mine!
Nice thread Leslie, I love the old GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATRE LP, and I was lucky enough to see a number of episodes on Irish tv, way back in the 1960s. Today I was listening to the wonderful La La Land release of True Grit and I don't mind admitting that more than a few tears were streaming down my cheeks. Wonderful Elmer, his music has brought such pleasure to so many of us including especially my pals here Dana and Joan (and also of course Mike and Mark) over the years.
Thank you for a lovely response, Niall. By sheer coincidence, I was also listening to the La La Land release today and I am also looking forward to the arrival of The Miracle.
I don't know if you ever met Elmer Bernstein. I was very privileged in that regard, having met him twice and having enjoyed two telephone conversations wth him. he would certainly have appreciated your comments about his work.
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I will check those out. Thanks for the information.
I know the music from Nobody's Child. It has one of the most gorgeous melodies ever composed. It is a heart-rendering theme.
Many thanks for your welcome response, Joan. Bernstein really appeared to respond in a completely unfettered and heartfelt way to any film involving children eg To Kill A Mockingbird, World of Henry Orient and so on and that is certainly the case here where his music transmutes the base metal of what could be seen an an overly saccharine story into pure gold. I am sure it will come close to bringing a tear to your eye. It did to mine!
Nice thread Leslie, I love the old GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATRE LP, and I was lucky enough to see a number of episodes on Irish tv, way back in the 1960s. Today I was listening to the wonderful La La Land release of True Grit and I don't mind admitting that more than a few tears were streaming down my cheeks. Wonderful Elmer, his music has brought such pleasure to so many of us including especially my pals here Dana and Joan (and also of course Mike and Mark) over the years.
Thank you for a lovely response, Niall. By sheer coincidence, I was also listening to the La La Land release today and I am also looking forward to the arrival of The Miracle.
I don't know if you ever met Elmer Bernstein. I was very privileged in that regard, having met him twice and having enjoyed two telephone conversations wth him. he would certainly have appreciated your comments about his work.
Hi Leslie, yes, I did infact meet Elmer on four seperate occasions, the first time was in Dublin in 1970 when he and the legendary Henry Mancini conducted a famous midnight concert at The Gaiety Theatre. Elmer Bernstein was a true gentleman. I'm still and will always be amazed at how nice he was to me back then, a seventeen year old star-struck youngster...and I had already been a lover of his music for ten years at that stage! I am so grateful that I did get the chance to tell him of my love for his music. To me he is the best ever composer for films, a great composer in general.
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Posted: |
Oct 9, 2013 - 4:51 PM
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By: |
mgh
(Member)
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I have a beautiful CD transfer of the LP done by a friend and listen to it quite often. The album deserves a release as well as some of the other scores done for the show by such composers as Jerry Goldsmith. Wouldn't that be nice?
And I must say, Niall, I'm jealous. You are already listening to True Grit in Ireland and I am still waiting on my copy.
Yep, and I also have The Miracle which arrived yesterday!!! Here's something else to make you even more jealous, I have a fantastic new DVD of a recent Full Circle gig...in HD, including all the people you met, it was Ken's 70th birthday bash! In fact me and my friend Nobby were in The Stillorgan Orchard and were briefly talking about you last Saturday night...about your famous visit to The Playwright...remember? The boys are playing again this Saturday...when you coming over for a return visit?
I remember my night at The Playwright very well; it was my birthday and one of the best nights of my life. The boys played a knockout version of Walk on the Wild Side.
God, I would love to come back.
I hope you are well and still raising your usual hell, old friend. Lift a glass for me.
p.s. I remember I brought a bottle of Eagle Rare over for you, then ended up drinking most of it. Are you sure you want me to come back?
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I have a beautiful CD transfer of the LP done by a friend and listen to it quite often. The album deserves a release as well as some of the other scores done for the show by such composers as Jerry Goldsmith. Wouldn't that be nice?
And I must say, Niall, I'm jealous. You are already listening to True Grit in Ireland and I am still waiting on my copy.
Yep, and I also have The Miracle which arrived yesterday!!! Here's something else to make you even more jealous, I have a fantastic new DVD of a recent Full Circle gig...in HD, including all the people you met, it was Ken's 70th birthday bash! In fact me and my friend Nobby were in The Stillorgan Orchard and were briefly talking about you last Saturday night...about your famous visit to The Playwright...remember? The boys are playing again this Saturday...when you coming over for a return visit?
I remember my night at The Playwright very well; it was my birthday and one of the best nights of my life. The boys played a knockout version of Walk on the Wild Side.
God, I would love to come back.
I hope you are well and still raising your usual hell, old friend. Lift a glass for me.
p.s. I remember I brought a bottle of Eagle Rare over for you, then ended up drinking most of it. Are you sure you want me to come back?
We still have the remainder of that bottle of Eagle Rare in the drinks cabinet...we'll finish it when you return...but make sure you bring another full bottle! The band still remember you as "The Man from Virginia" because you came all the way from America to hear them play for your birthday! I still have a recording of your visit to The Playwright that night on video...it's a frightening cinéma vérité classic...I only watch it after a sufficient consumption! The boys play on the second Saturday of every month so you have November and December coming up...sure come on over! I'm still lifting a few glasses from time to time...but not as many, hic!
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