CAHILL: UNITED STATES MARSHAL Composed and Conducted by ELMER BERNSTEIN INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 229
Elmer Bernstein had been in high demand for western film scores since his work on 1960’s The Magnificent Seven, and from 1961 to the end of John Wayne’s career, Bernstein scored more westerns for Wayne than any other composer. Like True Grit, Cahill: United States Marshal boasted a song, although this one is not featured in the film’s opening credits. “A Man Gets To Thinkin’” was written to Bernstein’s melody by lyricist Don Black and performed by Charlie Rich. Bernstein’s wistful melody had to do more than simply provide the robust, feel-good vibe and energy typical of the composer’s main titles for the Duke’s films—in Cahill the melody not only characterizes the marshal’s indomitable spirit, it also provides a thoughtful illustration of his relationship with his sons and the backbone for the Charlie Rich song, with its lyrics of regret and familial longing.
Bernstein opens Cahill: United States Marshal in typically boisterous fashion, as Cahill faces down a hostile party of five outlaws. After asking the men if they want to surrender, Cahill easily shoots down four of them, and the main title begins on a freeze frame of gunfire bursting from his shotgun as he takes aim at the fifth. After a horn fanfare and an energetic rhythmic figure spun off from his main melody, Bernstein’s warm theme for Cahill takes over and accompanies the marshal as he rides down from the mountains with his injured captives in tow.
This album features a brand new stereo mix of the score derived from 2" 16-track elements—which results in stereo separation and instrumental detail that are quite unusual for a score from this period. Some of Bernstein’s unusual orchestration effects, like the use of a slide whistle and an electric organ late inare more discernable due to the advanced recording techniques. Bernstein’s music bursts with energy and melodic flair -- his inimitable western style has never sounded better.
Wayne plays J.D. Cahill, a rugged lawman and widower whose dedication to the law has cost him dearly in his relationship with his two sons. While Cahill is off tracking down some thieves in the mountains, Danny and Billy Joe become involved with a gang of bank robbers led by Fraser (George Kennedy). Fraser arranges for Danny to be jailed with his gang after a bar fight and has Billy Joe set a diversionary barn fire and free the gang so that they can rob a bank in the ensuing confusion. Freeing and deputizing Danny, Cahill eventually uses his sons to flush Fraser and his gang out in the open before a group of innocent men can be hanged for the robbery.
"Intrada was given access to entire scoring session masters, recorded on 2" 16-channel tape, one of earliest scores recorded in then state-of-the-art multi-track format. This allowed creation of brand new stereo mixes of every cue in magnificent, vibrant audio with instrumental details as clear as if recorded today!"
Indeed - the samples sound absolutely fantastic! Consider this one ordered.
Not familiar with this one at all....in fact - never heard of it....but I likes me some Bernstein...especially Western-style Bernstein...*toddles off to find a DVD*
Not familiar with this one at all....in fact - never heard of it....
CAHILL is not one of Wayne's more recognized films, and didn't do well at the boxoffice by Wayne's standards of the 1970s. Here are the appromimate grosses of his early 1970s films:
1970 - RIO LOBO - $4.2 mil 1970 - CHISUM - $6.0 mil 1971 - BIG JAKE - $7.5 mil 1972 - THE COWBOYS - $7.5 mil 1973 - THE TRAIN ROBBERS - $2.8 mil 1973 - CAHILL, UNITED STATES MARSHAL - $3.9 mil
We now have the scores for all of the above except the two Dominic Frontiere films: CHISUM (which is reportedly lost) and THE TRAIN ROBBERS.
Instant purchase! Love this Bernstein era and sound.
Me too, I've got COMANCHEROS! My 2nd FSM CD after FANTASTIC VOYAGE. MAGNIFICENT SEVEN must be near the top of Elmer's westerns, too bad it's got that tiny monaural sound, but the performance is highly engaging.
Not familiar with this one at all....in fact - never heard of it....
CAHILL is not one of Wayne's more recognized films, and didn't do well at the boxoffice by Wayne's standards of the 1970s. Here are the appromimate grosses of his early 1970s films:
1970 - RIO LOBO - $4.2 mil 1970 - CHISUM - $6.0 mil 1971 - BIG JAKE - $7.5 mil 1972 - THE COWBOYS - $7.5 mil 1973 - THE TRAIN ROBBERS - $2.8 mil 1973 - CAHILL, UNITED STATES MARSHAL - $3.9 mil
The thing about those grosses is that some of those films, like The Cowboys, were clearly very expensive, whereas Cahill was clearly very cheap. It was short, mostly shot on a sound stage, and for long stretches only the two boys are on screen. It's really more like an episode of The Virginian than a movie, and seems to have been something Wayne did between gigs, as it were.
You can't beat an Elmer western. Back in 1960 it was his Magnificent Seven that got me into film scores in a big way. Greatly looking forward to this cd.
I find it utterly amazing the amount(number of hours) of great music that has been written by two of my favorite composers; Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein. "Cahill U.S. Marshall" is a fine example of why Bernstein is "the king of westerns".
I find it utterly amazing the amount(number of hours) of great music that has been written by two of my favorite composers; Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein. "Cahill U.S. Marshall" is a fine example of why Bernstein is "the king of westerns".
I find it utterly amazing the amount(number of hours) of great music that has been written by two of my favorite composers; Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein. "Cahill U.S. Marshall" is a fine example of why Bernstein is "the king of westerns".
Hi RM! Goldsmith is pretty good at westerns too.
Hey Henry, yes, I agree proberly second to Bernstein, and for me that is very high praise.
I find it utterly amazing the amount(number of hours) of great music that has been written by two of my favorite composers; Jerry Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein. "Cahill U.S. Marshall" is a fine example of why Bernstein is "the king of westerns".
Hi RM! Goldsmith is pretty good at westerns too.
Hey Henry, yes, I agree proberly second to Bernstein, and for me that is very high praise.
Last summer I got Goldsmith's RIO CONCHOS and just can't get enough of it.
