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All About Eve/Leave Her to Heaven (1950/1945)
Music by Alfred Newman
All About Eve/Leave Her to Heaven All About Eve/Leave Her to Heaven
Click to enlarge images.
Price: $14.95
Limited #: 3000
View CD Page at SAE Store
Line: Golden Age
CD Release: November 1999
Catalog #: Vol. 2, No. 7
# of Discs: 1

Alfred Newman's music graced many fine films from the 1940s, '50s and '60s, but none was more celebrated than the classic All About Eve. Directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, Eve starred Bette Davis in her defining role, that of a cantankerous aging starlet. The film was a witty dissection of the backstage lives of a crowd of theater people who find an overly ambitious newcomer wedged into their midst. Packed with more than its share of clever dialogue and relevant statements on relationships, Eve was a smash success with both critics and filmgoers.

In 1950 Newman was fresh off his successes with Prince of Foxes and Twelve O'Clock High. The composer treated Eve with his usual sense of emotional delicacy, but here with a theatrical sense of placement and a chamber-sized scope. The music's warm emotional presence is continually threaded with subtle intertwining details and clever thematic developments. The tone of the writing drifts between bravura fanfares and bittersweet fragility, but Newman cleverly connects everything with a series of interrelated themes that practically "act out" the film independent of the picture. Film Score Monthly's new Golden Age release presents Newman's entire mono score in film order with two cues—including the score's mellifluous finale—repeated in stereo as a bonus.

Coupled with All About Eve is Newman's dark, brooding score to Leave Her to Heaven (1945), a psychological thriller featuring Gene Tierney as a woman violently obsessed with love. This score shows Newman at his most macabre with devilish flute solos and thudding timpani patterns. The main theme is an ominous set of bass chords, making it the perfect flipside to All About Eve's florid writing. Newman's short score is also presented in its entirety and in chronological order.

This Golden Age release marks the first time Newman's classic original recordings have appeared on CD, complete with the unsurpassed 20th Century Fox Studio Orchestra and Newman's inimitable conducting style. Packaging includes a deluxe booklet complete with film stills and liner notes by Doug Adams.

Alfred Newman Scores on FSM
About the Composer

Alfred Newman (1901-1970) is one of the most important figures in the history of movie music, a nine-time Oscar winner (with 45 nominations overall) who was head of music at Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s and '50s. His influence as a composer and executive cannot be overstated; he invented the "Newman System" of synchronizing music to picture and is the patriarch of the Newman family of composers and musicians (Lionel, Randy, David, Thomas and others). Just a sampling of his work as a composer includesHow Green Was My Valley, Captain From Castile, All About Eve, The Robe and The Diary of Anne Frank.IMDB

Comments (12):Log in or register to post your own comments
I saw All About Eve on DVD via Netflix a short while back, and I was struck by the score.

Absolutely gorgeous !!!

I don't usually listen to Golden Age scores, but this is something a little different to me.

There's a dark edge to the score that really fits Eve's character.

Alfred Newman at his best. I just wish the FSM CD was still available. I had to get this on Amazon MP3.

Two great Newman scores.

All About Eve is great. All of the theives are variations on the "theater" theme heard in the Main title. this was not Newmans idea, but director Joe Mankiewiczs.


Ive never been a massive Newman fan but bought this CD when it came out because All About Eve was one of his scores that I really liked enough to buy on CD. A few months ago I watched its companion score Leave Her to Heaven - I absolutely loved it (and the movie)..... I found myself rewatching over and over the scene where Tierney scattered her fathers ashes, mainly for the wonderful score. I'm slowly becoming a Newman convert and looking to expand my small ten CD or so Newman collection. Any recommendations would be appreciated.

What are the other Newman CDs in your collection, Mark? As for recommendations, I would strongly suggest The Prisoner of Zenda, David and Bathsheba, The Robe (preferably the LLL if you can find it for a decent price), The Diary of Anne Frank, How the West Was Won, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Kritzerland’s recent Henry King at Fox set which contains The Black Swan, Captain from Castile, Prince of Foxes (greatly expanded from the original FSM), The Gunfighter, and Love is a Many Splendored Thing.

What are the other Newman CDs in your collection, Mark? As for recommendations, I would strongly suggest The Prisoner of Zenda, David and Bathsheba, The Robe (preferably the LLL if you can find it for a decent price), The Diary of Anne Frank, How the West Was Won, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Kritzerland’s recent Henry King at Fox set which contains The Black Swan, Captain from Castile, Prince of Foxes (greatly expanded from the original FSM), The Gunfighter, and Love is a Many Splendored Thing.[/endquote]

Many thanks for your reply. I have The Robe, A certain Smile, All about Eve.David and Bathsheba. Prisoner of Zenda, The Egyptian, The Snake Pit, Captain from Castille.Airport and A man called Peter. My copy of The Robe is a very old Screen Trax version so maybe I will try to upgrade that. I will have a look for the Henry King set too. I've seen Man Hunt turn up at a reasonable price occasionally - is that any good?

What are the other Newman CDs in your collection, Mark? As for recommendations, I would strongly suggest The Prisoner of Zenda, David and Bathsheba, The Robe (preferably the LLL if you can find it for a decent price), The Diary of Anne Frank, How the West Was Won, The Greatest Story Ever Told, and Kritzerland’s recent Henry King at Fox set which contains The Black Swan, Captain from Castile, Prince of Foxes (greatly expanded from the original FSM), The Gunfighter, and Love is a Many Splendored Thing.[/endquote]

Many thanks for your reply. I have The Robe, A certain Smile, All about Eve.David and Bathsheba. Prisoner of Zenda, The Egyptian, The Snake Pit, Captain from Castille.Airport and A man called Peter. My copy of The Robe is a very old Screen Trax version so maybe I will try to upgrade that. I will have a look for the Henry King set too. I've seen Man Hunt turn up at a reasonable price occasionally - is that any good?[/endquote]

I’m afraid I’m not too familiar with Man Hunt, though I’ve been eyeing that one myself lately.

Hi, Mark. For me Alfred Newman is second only to Jerry Goldsmith, and they are the only two composers on whom I've been completist. I state this so you can evaluate better by your own tastes what I'm going to write now.

Goldsmith may have been the more versatile of the two, but Newman might have been the greatest film composer (in my opinion) because of his gift of sheer melody, as well as the range and depth of emotion he could convey. He excelled in either power or delicacy, both as composer and conductor. You've responded to that power in that cue from LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN.

I first saw LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN years ago in a revival theatre having never heard a note of it, but to hear another Newman score; and I experienced the same reaction to that cue as you had (without your ability to savor it by rewinding). The theme you had heard earlier over the opening titles; but I think you responded to the emotional power that Newman applied to the stoic Gene Tierney scattering her father's ashes left and right, suppressing any display of her grief until she rides off alone and leans forward into her saddle horn, thinking she's unseen. (The skin crawled on my arms in the theatre.) Tierney looked stoic, but the turbulence was all Newman's.

From what you wrote, Mark, it seems that you already owned (and presumably had listened to) the EVE/HEAVEN disc before you watched HEAVEN. If that's the case, I advise you to consider watching more of the films to appreciate onscreen the fine dramatic sense that exists in so much of Newman's work. Using HEAVEN's "Ash Ritual" cue and your response as a starting point, I would point you toward moments and entire cues in CAPTAIN FROM CASTILE, DAVID AND BATHSHEBA, THE ROBE, and THE EGYPTIAN among scores you own -- as well as THE RAZOR'S EDGE, DRAGONWYCK, ANASTASIA, and HOW THE WEST WAS WON (for starters) out of what you don't. If you don't respond as fully to them on disc as music, try watching the movies.

However, the Screen Trax was a budget CD release of the original LP rerecording of THE ROBE. It's a good performance and conducted by Newman himself, but with a smaller orchestra playing cues edited from the film versions; so it's definitely worth your while to find the complete double-disc edition, for sake of expansion and for sound quality. (The same goes for THE EGYPTIAN, if you have only a single-disc release -- but I urge you toward the soundtrack recording, as no rerecording's conductor ever matches Newman himself guiding the orchestra.)

And just for reference, I'm a Newman guy who hasn't gotten into MAN HUNT. But I haven't yet watched the picture again as an adult, so screen context might change everything with this composer.

Man Hunt is a brilliantly produced album from LLL, but it's not among my favorite Newman scores. It's one of those Golden Age scores that interpolates a lot of pre-existing music, rather than allowing Newman to write wholly original material.

I'm a huge Newman fan; he may very well be my favorite Golden Age composer (although Rozsa gives him a run for his money). I think you should prioritize getting the Kritzerland Henry King box set, which has five Newman scores on five discs (and even if you have some of them already, they are improved here). My favorite Newman is Captain from Castile. Prince of Foxes took a bit longer to grow on me but I love it too, now. And one that's a bit under the radar is A Man Called Peter. Loved the FSM release of it and the Kritzerland I've heard is even better...

Yavar

LEAVE HER TO HEAVEN is one of the greatest film noirs, although some purists refuse to consider it as such because it's in color. I saw it a few years ago during the TCM Classic Film Festival. It was a nitrate print from the UCLA archive, presented at the Egyptian Theatre which had recently renovated its projection booth to run these prints safely. This was the first time I ever saw what "real" Technicolor looks like. Wow!

Anyway, there was a pre-show discussion. One of the presenters noted that Newman's score was so effective because it conveyed emotions that would have looked ridiculous on screen had the actors tried to do so. I'll never forget the scene on the lake with Gene Tierney wearing those sunglasses. I won't go any further lest I spoil things for future viewers.

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Track List
Instruments/Musicians
Click on each musician name for more credits
For more specific musician lists for the scores on this album, go here:
All About Eve
Leave Her To Heaven

Leader (Conductor):
Alfred Newman, Emil Newman

Violin:
Harold Ayres, Sol Babitz, George Berres, Werner Callies, Henry Camusi, Joachim Chassman, Sir Jay Chernis, Isabelle Daskoff, Adolph DiTullio, Peter Ellis, Sidney Greene, Adrian Holland, Irving Bane Katz, Eugene Lamas, Marvin Limonick, Sid Lippman, Paul Lowenkron, Marion McKinstry, Irma W. Neumann, Henry L. Roth, David Selmont, Paul C. Shure, Felix Slatkin, Helen Tannenbaum-Katz, Doris C. Tewksbury (Albert), Cyril Towbin, Mischa Violin, Oscar Wasserberger, Hrach Yacoubian, Sigmund Ziebel

Viola:
Myer Bello, Joseph DiFiore, Alvin Dinkin, Louis Kievman, George Raymond Menhennick, Alex Neiman, Jack (Jacques) Ray, Sven Reher

Cello:
Joseph Coppin, Joseph DiTullio, Albert Julian, Leonard Krupnick, Kolia Levienne, Michel Penha, Kurt Reher, Mary Louise Zeyen

Bass:
Vernon Bushway, George E. Green, Paul Gregory, C. Magdelano Rivera, Meyer (Mike) Rubin, Kenneth Winstead

Flute:
Luella Howard, Paul McLarand, Barbara Moore (Putnam), Sylvia Ruderman, Sterling D. Smith, Archie Wade

Oboe:
William Kosinski, Gordon Pope

English Horn:
Lloyd R. Rathbun

Clarinet:
Russell Cheever, Leslie Deline, Peyton LeGare, Edward R. Miller, Lyle E. Sharpe, William A. Ulyate

Bassoon:
Don Christlieb, Arthur Fleming

French Horn:
Alfred Brain, James A. Decker, Fred Fox, Eugene W. Ober, Lawrence Sansone

Trumpet:
Don H. Anderson, Kenneth Apperson, James Heaton, Jr., Kenneth Robison, Edward Shiner

Trombone:
W. J. Atkinson, Rolly Furnas, Marlo Imes, John Tranchitella

Piano:
Edward Rebner, Urban Thielmann

Harp:
Lois Adele Craft, Elizabeth Ershoff

Drums:
Victor Berton, Richard Cornell, Paul DeDroit, Harry Neiderman

Unknown:
Misha Altman, George Benkert, I. Bingham, S. Carfagne, M. Feiler, W. Gallagher, K. Guion, H. Kimball, Victor Massie, G. Monasevitch, E. Newstrom, Cecil Noe, O. Perissi, R. Soule, J. Vasquez

Orchestrator:
Maurice DePackh, Earle H. Hagen, Bernard Mayers, Ed Powell, Herbert W. Spencer

Arranger:
Errol Collins, Maurice DePackh, Ed Powell, Herbert W. Spencer

Orchestra Manager:
Simon Waronker

Copyist:
Lloyd Basham, Allan Campbell, Aristide G. Coccaro, Errol Collins, W. D. Garlock, Elton A. Koehler, Lou La Bonte, Jack Rock, Ernest Rosecrans, Harry Stone, Wallace Wheeler

Librarian:
Fred Combattente, Fred Combattente

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