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Alfred Newman, 1939-1942

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Author	Topic: Alfred Newman, 1939-1942

John C Winfrey Romulan	Many of you know about the long and great career of Newman, 1930-1970 and 350-400 scores worked on, many uncredited. I really enjoyed several different periods of time during his career, different phases, etc. This period of 1939 to 1942 was exceptional for a variety and quantity of great work by him. 1939-Rains Came Brigham Young Starmaker-MD They Shall Have Music-Classical adaptation, MD and appeared in film as conductor Barricade Beau Geste Wuthering Heights Real Glory Stanley and Livingstone-did the march in it, uncredited Drums Along the Mohawk Young Mr. Lincoln 3 other films 1940-Grapes of Wrath-mostly adaptations of Red River Valley, good traveling cue-orig-sparse but effective score Westerner Gunda Din Vigil in the Night-great march Hunchback of Notre Dame Earthbound Johnny Apollo-with Mockridge Hudson Bay Company Moon Over Miami-MD Great American Broadcast-MD and others 1941-December 7-features good march and some original music mixed with traditional patriotic tunes Remember the Day-reuse of Stella Dallas Yank in the RAF several other films 1942-Moontide-with Mockridge-great score Black Swan Son of Fury Ball of Fire Midway-documentary-John Ford film Prelude to War-Capra doc w/Friedhofer This Above All Orchestra Wives-MD and others And several others for each year not listed. Very busy and very prolific. Several more musicals not listed in those years where he was MD. Take care, J.
posted 02-16-2003 12:45 PM PT (US)

Graham Watt Romulan	I don't know many of those Newman pieces from that era, John. It does seem that his later work was more high-profile - I just adore stuff like THE SONG OF BERNADETTE, THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD, THE ROBE... and loads of other stuff too that hasnt't got anything to do with religion (!) From the period you mention, well, I saw BALL OF FIRE, but I don't remember the music. The BRIGHAM YOUNG march I've got, conducted by Richard Kaufman with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Stirring. On that CD is a suite of Newman's glorious WUTHERING HEIGHTS, but I don't think that the interpretation is that great. The notes are all in the right place, but, to my ears, the very distinctive "Newman string sound" has been converted to a somewhat easy-listening sugary wash. Reminds me of Desert Island Discs. GRAPES OF WRATH - saw it, don't remember much music. As you say, most of it was adapted from popular melodies. HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME - saw the film, but the piece of music that really stood out was the choral bit (also in IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE) which, I believe, was actually written by Ernst Toch. Is that right? Well, I think I learned that right here on the board from one of you erudites! Interesting period for Newman no doubt, but my personal faves lie outwith that period (maybe just because that's the part of his career I know best).
posted 02-16-2003 02:50 PM PT (US)

joan hue Romulan	Great information, John. I love Kathy's theme from Wuthering Heights. Such a prolific writer who went on to score the religious epics Graham mentions as well as scores like How The West Was Won. I've read where Newman and Steiner sometimes scored 8-12 scores a year.
posted 02-16-2003 10:29 PM PT (US)

John C Winfrey Romulan	Graham, I also love those scores you mentioned. I find this period I talked on fascinating though along with his work earlier in mid-thirties also. Those formative years, where he was making some great progress. Ball of Fire-not much music in it. It has some big band stuff with Gene Krupa, etc and some original score mixed in. Grapes of Wrath-very little orig music. The traveling cue at the first, which is very good, lasts about 2 mins and the cue at the end with a brief recap of that one, is about 20 sec maybe. Rest is mostly REd River valley Adaptations. That traveling cue is a very rousing piece. Joan, thank you for your comments also. I also love those later scores. Yes, Steiner and he did many scores some years from 1930 through the 40s, just as you said. One year Steiner worked on 14 and Newman 12. Busy guys. 1939 he also worked on 12 or 13. J.
posted 02-17-2003 08:39 AM PT (US)

Thor Romulan	Hey John, whatever happened to your Newman site? Did you get to expand and improve upon it? I still think it's a shame that there is no specific page dedicated to one of the (if not THE in terms of academy awards) most-winning film composer of all time.
posted 02-17-2003 08:42 AM PT (US)

John C Winfrey Romulan	Oh yes Graham, on Hunchback. He farmed out portions of the score to various ones. And that controversy is still heard today on that piece. It was reused in Song of Bernadette and in Robe. We are not for sure who wrote that, but that is what the man's family says. Newman really liked it though. Because of all that reuse. So much different music in that film. I was disappointed in the performance on Marco Polo. Although I really like most of their CDs and appreciate their efforts. It did not have the punch that the orchestra did in the film and some of the cues, violin parts, were very weakly played and volume kind of low. In Hunchback, I really liked the cue where he is given the drink of water by Maureen O'Hara and then he is turned loose and goes back to the cathedral. Very powerful in the film and not so good on CD. The carnival and fool music at the first was reused in A Certain Smile-1958. The rescue music when Phoebus rescues the girl, was reused in The Robe for the rescue of Demetrius. J.
posted 02-17-2003 08:45 AM PT (US)

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