steinkorn Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 If anyone out there has Belle Starr (which aired recently on TCM), please listen to the music over the opening credits and tell me what other movies it has been in. The theme is very sentimental and plays again toward the end of the film, but I'll bet Newman used it in other films, which is not uncommon for all film composers of whatever era. And no criticism of Newman is expressed or implied. Thanks! steinkorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terrence1 Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Alfred Newman used some of his themes in more than one movie, so it's quite possible that you heard this somewhere else. A good example is the finale of "The Robe". This same beautiful theme is the ending of both "Song of Bernadette" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame." I haven't seen "Belle Starr" in a long time, but I'll be paying close attention to the theme you mentioned. Terrence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprocket_Man Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Except that Newman didn't write that "Hallelujah" chorus, Ernst Toch did. It was also used in the last scene of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE. In fact, Newman did write his own "Hallelujah" chorus for the Act I and ACT II finales of THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD (cut from the film, unforgivably, by director George Stevens and replaced by G.F. Händel's from his Messiah; the music is available on the film's restored soundtrack CD). It's really much better than the one composed by Toch (no one knows for sure why Newman didn't write his own for THE ROBE, but time constraints were probably the cause). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLovesTCM Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 I was wondering the same thing -- I've recognized a snatch of music that reminded me of what I've heard called Ann Rutledge's Theme in *Young Mr. Lincoln*. Alfred Newman did the music for that movie, too. A while ago there was a special on John Ford shown on TCM (I think narrated by Orson Welles?), and he mentions Ford reusing this piece of music. Maybe someone can confirm this? Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzcutter Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 > A while ago there was a special on John Ford shown on TCM (I think narrated by Orson Welles?), and he mentions Ford reusing this piece of music. The special was the restoration of the documentary called *Directed by John Ford* (done by Peter Bogdanovich and featuring a number of actors talking about working for Ford) and the piece of music from *Young Mr. Lincoln* is used very eloquently in Ford's film, *The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance*. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLovesTCM Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Yes, that's it. I recognized the same tune in Belle Star, and went looking to see if it was the same composer. I wonder if it has a real name, or just known by 'Ann Rutledge's Theme' Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Is this it? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcuUvtenx6w Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLovesTCM Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 That's the one I'm thinking about! Starting at about 1:30 minutes into the clip. Thank you, Mr. Dobbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lzcutter Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 It's also the Cactus Rose theme in *Liberty Valance*. It's heard mainly when Hallie is remembering/talking about Tom Doniphon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinkorn Posted January 7, 2012 Author Share Posted January 7, 2012 Thanks to one and all, but I must admit to feeling like an idiot since I love Liberty Valance so much. This is definitely the place to get movie help. Now if anyone out there can help me find a soundtrack for Portrait of Jennie . . . . I've even heard a piece of that as someone's ringtone, but it came with the phone and they had no idea what it was. steinkorn P. S. Now that I think of it, isn't Liberty Valance credited to Cyril Mockridge? Edited by: steinkorn on Jan 7, 2012 1:06 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sprocket_Man Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Newman employed the only moderately talented Mockridge frequently when he was head of music at Fox. Much of Mockridge's output was, in fact, written, or at least sketched out, by Newman, but Mockridge was given screen credit at Newman's insistence. It's a testament to Newman's generosity and sense of paternal reponsibility as the employer of so many composers and musicians at the studio. Whether Mockridge actually consulted with, or relied on the by-then-independent Newman to help him with the score to LIBERTY VALANCE at Paramount, I don't know, but it's fairly certain that he drew on music he'd used on other films to score it. Then, too, John Ford was happiest when scoring was sparse and largely reliant on folk melodies, and that's pretty much what Mockridge (and, maybe, Newman) gave him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLovesTCM Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Ha, ha, I love *Portrait of Jennie*, too -- According to IMDB's soundtrack listing, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040705/soundtrack Debussy was used for background music-- Try looking for The Girl With the Flaxen Hair, Arabesque No. 1 in E, and Nauges. Try youtube -- I could recognize the first two from the movie. Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 IMDB music credits: Young Mr. Lincoln: "The Dew Is On The Blossom" Played when Abe is kneeling by Anns grave http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032155/soundtrack Main movie credit for music: Original Music by Alfred Newman http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0032155/fullcredits#cast --------------------------------------------- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance "Main Theme" (uncredited) from Young Mr. Lincoln (1939) Music by Alfred Newman http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056217/soundtrack Main movie credit for music: Original Music by Cyril J. Mockridge (music scored by) (as Cyril Mockridge) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056217/fullcredits#cast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLovesTCM Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 Thank you for continuing the research. I can't find any recordings of 'The Dew is on the Blossom', but several of google references to 'Ann Rutledge's theme', along with other confirmations of the same melody used in Belle Star and Liberty Valance. Do you think that's the same tune? Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FredCDobbs Posted January 7, 2012 Share Posted January 7, 2012 It could be. But it doesn't take much to slightly change a tune or a theme. A major article was written about the music in these films, but the article seems to be available only from University Libraries and it apparently must be purchased. Try searching for this on Google" "Musical Links in Young Mr. Lincoln, My Darling Clementine, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" The first page of the article is here: http://www.jstor.org/pss/1225160 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinkorn Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 Okay. Went to Youtube and Girl With The Flaxen Hair is indeed in Portrait of Jennie. Now, someone please go to Youtube and look up Jack Horkheimer. He died in 2011 but for years he hosted a PBS program called Star Gazer. Any of those videos will have as underscore in the opening and closing seconds the music I've always thought was from Portrait of Jennie (it's the ringtone I mentioned). I feel like a '50's game show host: Name That Tune and where can I find it. Thanks! No one here has failed me. steinkorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steinkorn Posted January 8, 2012 Author Share Posted January 8, 2012 I confirmed it is Arabesque No. 1 but Horkheimer's version used a reed or wind instrument (sorry, I like music but am not as familiar with instruments). Still would like to find version Horkheimer used (if I couldn't have the soundtrack, that is). steinkorn Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLovesTCM Posted January 8, 2012 Share Posted January 8, 2012 Yes, I used to watch Horkheimer on PBS before I became an old lady and it was on too late . I saw Jennie after that, so my references were switched from yours. When I saw Jennie, I remembered star watching! Good luck in finding the right version. DeBussy is used in lots of things - I'm sure you'll find it. Julie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JulieLovesTCM Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I was reminded of this thread as *The Time Machine* is on this morning - I hear part of the same theme from *Portrait of Jennie*. Nothing is defined in the IMDB listing for the soundtrack of *The Time Machine*. Does anyone know? ETA - also it seems that the Horkheimer version was recorded by Isao Tomita. Julie Edited by: JulieLovesTCM on Feb 4, 2012 11:31 AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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