Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/08/2003 08:39 AM PST

Cabaret has opened to great acclaim, so I actually have a life again.

I will choose a little-known Williams score--"Fitzwilly," the Dick Van Dyke-Barbara Feldon comedy from 1967, if for no other reason than its lovely ballad "Make Me Rainbows," which I've performed for eons and eons.

Posted by JMK @ 03/08/2003 09:00 AM PST

P.S. I find the first 45 minutes or so of "Magnolia" some of the most bravura film making I've ever seen. Have you seen that extra on the DVD where Anderson's girlfriend is pretending to be the film "Magnolia" and Anderson is pretending to be a critic and is berating her "You're no 'Boogie Nights', you know." A very surreal moment.

Posted by JMK @ 03/08/2003 09:02 AM PST

Well, let me toss in The Witches of Eastwick. The cherry-eating scene is a gem, but it is his score that really makes it work.

Posted by William F. Orr @ 03/08/2003 10:13 AM PST

As Johnny Williams I liked his musical underscoring for Gilligan's Island (just kdding) actually How to Steal a Million (Hepburn and O'Toole) was quite enjoyable and made the film a lot more fun to watch. As Johnny he also composed the themes for the cult sci-fi shows the Time Tunnel and Land of the Giants.

As John Williams I liked his adaptation score of Fiddler on the Roof and Goodge Mr. Chips.

I thought that Earthquake and The Towering Inferno were too similar in nature. I think he borrowed heavily from which ever he composed first.

But I would have to go with Superman: The Movie for all its wonderful themes including the lush and beautiful "Leaving Home" as the camera majestically flies over the wheat fields, the comically March of the Villians, The Flying Sequence and Can You Read My Mind and or course the The Main Title Squence. Also enjoyable is finding Lois (dead) and Turning Back the World. There is a lot more to this score and really one of the best of his "epic" scores besting Stars Wars series, Indy Jones series, Jaws, Midway, 1941, ET and his "disaster"
film scores.

Although I have not heard them in a long time the score for smaller films such a Jane Eyre, The Long Goodbye, The Reivers, Images(one of my fav Robert Altman films. A truly bizarre and strange film) and Hitchcock's last film Family Plot.

He has a wide range of films from comedies to dramas to epics to science fiction to thrillers to musicals it really his hard to chose one film but I think it will be unfortunate that he will be remembered best for his work with Spielberg and Star Wars when his best work is sometimes of a less grandious nature.

Posted by Michael @ 03/08/2003 10:54 AM PST

First on the topic of the day, I like the Joh Williams scores for "1941", the "Star Wars" Trioligy and the first
"Superman". That said, I also should add that some of his scores --- except for the main themes --- are very similar, as though he has some generic background themes that he uses in some form on a regluar basis and then augments them with the new main themes.

And now for something not the main topic which I am sure will bring about many comments, both agreeing and disagreeing with me (warning - long post):

So the Union did it… they closed down Broadway Musicals just so they could have shows hire more musicians than they need. And they did it under the guise of keeping live music on Broadway when the only way live music would have been replaced was if they struck and the other unions did not honor the strike. The only thing the League did wrong was in not having a publicity and advertising campaign to state their side, thus making most people think it actually was a case of live or “virtual/pre-recorded” music.

However to be perfectly fair, never in any of the publicity the strike got did I see any kind of statistics as to how many unneeded musicians are being paid at each show in order to meet the minimums and how much this added on to the running cost of each show. Are we talking about five or ten musicians total a week or dozens? While the idea of having to pay unused musicians is reprehensible, just how big a problem is this in reality.

And I am not against unions in general. I think that unions do assure better wages, benefits and working conditions (even though some rules get to be nothing more than nitpicking) for their members. But I do not see where unions have the right to state how many workers must be hired whether they are needed or not. The factory at the company I work for is unionized, but the union lets us decide how many workers are needed any given week. And I definitely side with Equity in its stand against non-Equity National Tours.

I have a proposal which the League and the Musicians should consider. Eliminate the minimums but with the following two conditions:

1) Once a show has opened, the number of musicians cannot be reduced even if the show moves to a smaller theatre.

2) If a show wants to “augment” the live orchestra with any kind of pre-recorded or synthesized music, then they must pay additional musicians who are being displaced.

Ultimately, everyone is hurt with this strike. Yes non-musicals and off-Broadway shows are going on (along with CABARET which operates under a different contract), but as one out-of-town patron stated in today’s Times: “I don’t even know where Off-Broadway is”.

Let’s end this silliness before shows have to start closing. Would the Union rather have whole orchestras out of work just so a few “walkers” can get paid? I don’t think so.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 03/08/2003 11:04 AM PST

John Williams has beenn nominated for 42 academy awards (combing original scores, adaptation and songs)

He has won five times. (Fiddler on the Roof, Jaws, Stars, ET, Schlinder's List) His last win was in 1994.

He has been nominated for 13 Spielberg films [wins are denote by *] (Jaws*, Close Encounters of a Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET*,Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Empire of the Sun, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Schindler's List*, Saving Private Ryan, AI) and nominated again for Catch me if you can.

A little more successful at the Grammy awards having won 18 of them. 1. Jaws (1975) [Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture]

2. Star Wars (1977) [Best Pop Instrumental Performance]

3. Main Title from Star Wars (1977) [Best Instrumental Composition]

4. Star Wars (1977) [Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture]

5. Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1978) [Best Instrumental Composition]

6. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1978) [Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture]

7. Main Title Theme from Superman (1979) [Best Instrumental Composition]

8. Superman (1979) [Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture]

9. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [Best Instrumental Composition]

10. The Empire Strikes Back (1980) [Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture]

11. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) [Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture]

12. "Flying" (Theme from E.T.) (1982) [Best Instrumental Composition]

13. E.T. (1982) [Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture]

14. "Flying" (Theme from E.T.) (1982) [Best Arrangement on an Instrumental Recording]

15. Olympic Fanfare and Theme (1984) [Best Instrumental Composition]

16. Schindler's List (1994) [Instrumental Composition for a Motion Picture or Television]

17. Saving Private Ryan (1998) [Best Instrumental Composition Written For A Motion Picture Or For Television]

18. Theme from Angela's Ashes (2000) [Best Instrumental Composition]

He received 49 other Grammy nominations.

He won two Emmy award for the previously mentioned Jane Eyre and Heidi which also a special place in the annuals of tv history.

On Sunday, 17 Nov 1968, the NBC television network was scheduled to begin airing "Heidi" at 7pm Eastern Standard Time, following coverage of an American Football League game between the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders. The game ran long; however, with the Jets leading the Raiders, 32-to-29, NBC broke away to begin "Heidi" on schedule. During the remaining minute of play (which was extended by penalties and timeouts), Oakland managed to score two touchdowns, and ended up beating New York, 43-to-32. Outraged football fans inundated NBC switchboards. The network expressed regret, saying it had intended to stay with the football game until it ended, and blaming a series of miscommunications for the gaffe. A result of this fiasco is that NFL television contracts require games to be televised in their entirety.

Posted by Michael @ 03/08/2003 11:12 AM PST

For you "Spin and Marty" fans who posted last weekend, check out this site:

http://scoop.diamondgalleries.com/scoop_article.asp?ai=2092&si=126

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 03/08/2003 11:17 AM PST

Favorite Williams scores:

Jaws
Star Wars
Empire Strikes Back
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Superman

I really like The Witches of Eastwick, too (I bought it when it came out back in '87), but it is possibly the most redundant of his scores, so it didn't make the top 5 for me.

Which "Heidi" was this? The one with Shirley Temple?

Posted by Lulu @ 03/08/2003 11:19 AM PST

Heidi was played by Jennifer Edwards daughter of Blake and step daughter of Julie Andrews. This was a TV film in 1968. Also in it were Walter Slezack, Jean Simmomns, Maximillian Schell, Michael Redgrave . I think John would have to been a prodigy as he was only 5 years old when the Shirly Temple verison was made.

Posted by Michael @ 03/08/2003 11:54 AM PST

No, Lulu, it was a made for television "Heidi" and I think that it has started a practice that exists to this day: screw whatever follows a sports event, start everything late so the jocks have their way. I'm sure that one of the reasons the best new show of last season "Max Bickford" was cancelled - you never knew what time it would start because of football overruns. If they know a game is going to be long, start the telecast earllier, schedule a later ending time or show it as the last program of the day... don't screw the programs following.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 03/08/2003 11:56 AM PST

Now at this point, William E., I have to disagree. You're assuming that the people scheduling games and programs can "know" if a game is going to run long. This is an unknowable. You're also suggesting that the games be shown at a different time, but that means having to schedule the game itself at a different time, as they are live broadcasts. This means the live audience at the games themselves must accomodate themselves to television audience demands. Some of these people in the stands have lives to live, jobs to go to the following morning. Are they to disrupt their lives so you can watch "Max Bickford?"

And you've taken no consideration into time differences from coast to coast. We who live on the West Coast constantly have our viewing schedules bolloxed because of East Coast priorities, and frankly I personally am SICK OF IT! We end up with live programs being shown on a time delay, or shown in the late afternoon with our stations having to fill prime time viewing hours with "movie specials" or other special programming.

"Blech!" I say to you, and I repeat that "Blech!"

Posted by S. Woody White @ 03/08/2003 12:24 PM PST

Michael: Thanks for the info. I missed the part of your earlier post that explained John Williams did the music for "Heidi." I knew he was not composing back in the '30s. :)

Posted by Lulu @ 03/08/2003 12:39 PM PST

Woody, the obvious solution would be cut off the football games on television at the end scheduled time. Almost every game ran over last season, so why not just schedule their Sunday shows to start half an hour later and be done with it instead of starting them late so they can get in all the commercials and the game as well. See if they took less timeouts in these games they could easily fit them in the scheduled times but that would mean less commercials. ABC has the right idea... schedule Football on Monday night so if they run long only the news will be late. CBS and Fox know that almost every game is going to run about thirty minutes long so if they insist staying until the bitter end, they should either start thirty minutes earlier or schedule their Sunday night lineup from 7:30 instead of 7:00.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 03/08/2003 12:51 PM PST

William E had excellent comments on the current strike. I also fail to see where a union can dictate how many musicians have to be employed for a production.
I was in New York during the strike in 1975. As I recall it was the same issue. I will never forgive Local 802 for preventing me from seeing "Chicago" with Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera. They did return to work in time for me to see "Chorus Line."
A number of years ago I knew someone playing in the pit of a show. At that time 9 extra musicians were paid to not work.
I believe the number of extra musicians depends upon the size of the house.
The base pay for a pit musician is $1350 per week. It is ridiculous to pay that amount of money to someone who is not working. And we wonder why tickets are $100?
Hopefully this will be settled quickly. If not, marginal shows will be closing and the economy will be hurting.

Posted by Dennis Clancy @ 03/08/2003 12:53 PM PST

Five personal faves:

Jane Eyre
Images
Close Encounters
E.T.
A.I.

Posted by Nick R @ 03/08/2003 01:02 PM PST

I prefer John Williams the guitarist. I am not a fan of the Willams scores - all too much the same. Isn't "Star Wars" really stolen from "Born Free"?
Guess I am not really much of a fan (and buyer) of film scores. I do have a few favourites like "The Mission" and "The Millagro Bean Field War".

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 03/08/2003 01:22 PM PST

The LAST time the musicians' union held a strike in Las Vegas, all the showrooms went to pre-recorded canned music, and never rehired orchestras again.
The only orchestras you will see here are the members hired by the individual performers themselves. Doomed.

Posted by KT @ 03/08/2003 01:29 PM PST

My top 5 Williams scores-
1.Star Wars (only the first one made - A New Hope - after that, they all sound pretty redundant to me)
2.1941
3.The first Indiana Jones movie (again, redundancy after it for the two that followed)
4.Jaws
5.E.T.

As far as the strike, all I can say is how many of us make 1350 a week? And we certainly WOULDN'T be making ANYTHING if we just sat around at home all day! I say screw 'em! Hire scab orchestras, and pay them accordingly! Really, how much "work" is it to sit in an orchestra pit and play an instrument for 2 - 2 1/2 hours a night! Most of us working class work our butts off for 8 to 10 hours a week! Let's see some of these soft unionized musicians go out and get a "real" job! O.K., I'm done ranting.

Now, as to sports on network television - why the hell do we have dozens of cable sports channels! Why not boot all sports off the networks? And while we're at it, let's do away with reality shows, dumbed down game shows, and the plethora of news magazines and open up the TV schedule for more and varied series programming! I'm sure that the trailblazers of TV such as Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Lucy & Desi, etc... never could have envisioned the great wasteland TV has become! It's shameful!

Posted by Ray @ 03/08/2003 01:44 PM PST

I have to go along with Williams' work on VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. Though it's a camp classic now, it was considered a serious film in its day, and though the movie was reviled by almost every critic, his work on it was very entertaining, and it was the biggest grossing movie of 1967. I bought the soundtrack LP in 1967 because I liked the Andre/Dory Previn song score, but I grew to love Williams' background music just as much the more I listened to it.

My other four John Williams favorites: SUPERMAN, RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARC, FAR AND AWAY, SCHINDLER'S LIST.

Posted by Matt H. @ 03/08/2003 01:45 PM PST

Tom from Oz: If you've only heard a handful of Williams' most well-known scores, then I can see why you say they sound similar. But he's really written an incredible variety of scores. And my goodness how could I leave off ET, The Reivers (one of his most glorious) and Superman.

BTW, Tom, no Star Wars is not stolen from Born Free at all. If you want to hear the score's firm roots try Korngold's King's Row. The first six or seven notes are precisely Star Wars, and the following phrase, amusingly, is precisely Superman.

Posted by bk @ 03/08/2003 01:45 PM PST

re my last post - alright, so I wasn't done ranting after the first half, sorry.

Tom - You should check out some of Trevor Rabin's film scores (ex member of Yes) Since you were pleased with my post yesterdy when I mentioned Yes, I thought you would be interested.

Posted by Ray @ 03/08/2003 01:49 PM PST

As Michael pointed out, NFL television contracts include the provision that games be shown in their entirity. This means that they cannot be cut off to make way for other programming. This, in turn, has a tremendous impact on most network television broadcasting stations, which are NOT owned by the networks but are AFFILIATES of those networks. These affiliates make their living by selling advertising time, mostly during their own programming time, especially during their news broadcasts, but also by selling an allotted share of time during the prime time hours. The rates they are able to sell advertising time during these hours is tied to the projected ratings of the programs being shown (ratings = rates, get it?). But, if a program starts during NON-prime time, such as most sports programming, the affiliates are not able to charge prime time rates. By having some programming scheduled OTHER than a sports program, the affiliates are able to charge prime time rates. If the networks don't program something during that time, the affiliates LOSE that revenue.

This has an impact on other programming as well. The annual Tony telecast comes to mind. There have been complaints in recent years about how the Tonys have been cut short, how acceptance speeches have been rushed. But look at the problem from the affiliates point of view. The Tonys, unlike other awards shows, are viewed as a highly regional affair, only affecting New York City directly and having little impact elsewhere in the nation. Unlike the Grammys, Oscars, or even Emmys, the Tonys do not garner large ratings. If the Tonys broadcast runs overtime, it means that the affiliates most important broadcast that THEY own, the late news program, doesn't get shown. This, in turn, means that the advertising money normally earned by the affiliates CANNOT BE EARNED. The affiliates lose money, money they can ill afford to lose. That was why the time limitations had to be imposed on the Tonys. A few egos might have been bruised in the process, but I'd rather see a few bruised egos than people having their incomes impacted nationwide.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 03/08/2003 01:58 PM PST

Ray, I'm afraid you're making a sad assumption, that everyone has access to cable programming. Not everyone does. Cable costs extra, and there are families that cannot afford that cost. There are also large areas of the country that are not being serviced by cable companies, and not all of these people can afford satellite dishes (and the extra premiums charged to receive that programming). Broadcast television is, for many of these people, the only television they can get.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 03/08/2003 02:06 PM PST

Sorry, BK, I keep meaning to get to your question and instead get sidetracked. Let's try again.

I think the first time John Williams ever came to my attention was with his score for "The Towering Inferno," 1974. I was taking a film class at the time, where the class professor went into a long-winded praise of the opening credits sequence, featuring the helicopter flashing over the landscape with amazing speed. Having recently purchased the soundtrack LP (something I did even then), and seen the film, I countered that it was Williams' music that was responsible for most of the "movement," with it's scurrying strings over a fanfare horn melody. The helicopter, in truth, was fairly static on-screen through most of the sequence. Needless to say, the professor was not happy with me for pointing this out, as musicians were not high on his list of important people in film. (Fortunately, he did value the work of screenwriters.)

I can only say I have three really favorite scores by Williams, plus three runner-ups. The three are "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Star Wars," both 1977, and "E. T.", from 1982. All three are scores I can enjoy listening to without referring to the films themselves.

The three runner-ups are more varied, but still part of his contributions to the Spielberg ouvre. "Empire of the Sun" (1987) has some amazing choral work that gets overlooked too often. "Hook" (1991) is wondefully varied as a score. And "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) really evokes the era of the film, spare and impressive. Der Brucer didn't even recognize the work as that of Williams until I mentioned it later! The fellow still has what it takes.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 03/08/2003 02:26 PM PST

I am so totally jiggy with BK's choice of "The Accidental Tourist" as one of John Williams' five best scores that I can hardly stand myself It is a MASTERFUL monothematic score that deserves far greater respect than it has seen over the years (ditto the film).

My five, in no particular order:

The Accidental Tourist
E.T.
Monsignor
The Empire Strikes Back
Close Encounters of the Third Kind

And tomorrow?

Tomorrow I'll change my mind and replace one or two titles above with one or two of the following:

A.I.
Schindler's List
Witches of Eastwick
Images
Jane Eyre
Minority Report
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Jaws
Jaws II
Superman
(really, Bruce, how CAN you expect only FIVE???)

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 03/08/2003 02:26 PM PST

Ray: But if you choose only Star Wars and leave off Empire Strikes Back, that leaves you without the majestic Imperial March (aka Darth Vader's Theme), not to mention the lilting Han Solo and the Princess love theme. I think you might want to rethink this... ;)

WEL: Sad to say, I think a HUGE part of the reason that Max Bickford was cancelled was because it simply was not drawing the right demographics. It had a pretty devoted following, but mostly people 40 and over -- who Madison Avenue could not care less about. If the numbers had been the same, but in a better (younger) demographic, Max might have had a chance.

Posted by Lulu @ 03/08/2003 02:39 PM PST

And what if we were to say
"Pooh!" to Sports and
TV.............and make LOVE --
NOT war (wink!) instead?????

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 02:39 PM PST

Favorite john Williams score?

STAR LOVES !

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 02:40 PM PST

Francois: Sounds like a peachy keen idea to me. :)

Posted by Lulu @ 03/08/2003 02:49 PM PST

Oh, and BTW, JMK: Congratulations!

Posted by Lulu @ 03/08/2003 02:50 PM PST

So many wonderful John Williams scores are being mentioned. Did he ever take time to eat?

And I second BK's comment in the notes yesterday that Mr Elmer (Robot Monster, Catwomen of the Moon) Bernstein should win the Academy Award for this score the film FAR FROM HEAVEN

Re: Williams work in Valley of the Dolls - thanks to Matt H for giving me a second - the A/D Previn songs are the major focus, but I agree that the background score available on the soundtrack album/cd is lovely. To anyone who is familiar with Mr Williams - is that him playing the piano and conducting the orchestra during Tony (Scotti) Polar's nightclub song 'Come Live With Me'?

Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/08/2003 03:05 PM PST

Ray: I watch very little Tv these days. Indeed it is because it has been "dumbed down" so much. Tv in Oz is so much "reality" and "Life style". I gather the viewers don't actually get to see the real world at all. I am forever hoping that the news is really an unpleasant "wag the dog" reality show and I have yet to realise the joke. At least we get to see some class BBC drama at times. "Sons & Lovers" starts here tonight. At least it won't be "costume laden" given its setting. The last such offering here was "The Forsyth Saga" which was such a disappointment. (I think it was Pam who also felt it no-one near came close to the quality of the old production).
Just thought of a few film scores I actually bought and play: "Lord Of The Rings" and "The Princess Bride"'
Scores are just not me. I still collect the oscar nominated songs though. I assume the song from "Chicago" will win this year. IMHO not up to the standard of the songs in the show. I have not heard the song from "Frida" as yet. The songs from U2 and Eminem are certainly nothing special but, (and yes I have a definite bias)the Paul Simon song from "the Wild Thornberrys" is a wonderfully crafted gem. Lyrics are up to the best of Mr Simon's and it is muscially interesting.
Has anyone seen this animated feature. There has been no release here.
Did hear the other day that "The Pianist" is very much a remake of "Gloomy Sunday". Any comments. I have seen neither.
I think I will dig out my Eddie Hodges songs from the dusty boxes and give them a play. "I Ain't Gonna Was For a Week" msut be due for a listen in these times of drought on OZ.
As of yesterday ALL our fires were contained. As is the way of nature, rain is washing away the topsoil and ash and the rivers are now polluted and causing country towns a problem as their treatment plants can't cope.!
François: Did you know that "Star Love" was a hit for the Playmates in the late 50's?
My Sunday morning is obviously a time to waffle.

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 03/08/2003 03:13 PM PST

Hey there!

I just didn't want to be errant and truant today...

I'm done!!!!

248 people!!!!

WHEW!

Heading out to dinner, and then hanging out at the bar - for a while ;-)

I'll check back later... or tomorrow.

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 03/08/2003 03:57 PM PST

Since my actual favorites have been mentioned numerous times, I'll try to pick out some different Williams scores I enjoy.

The Cowboys
The Paper Chase
The Sugarland Express
The Eiger Sanction
The Fury
Dracula
Amazing Stories: "The Mission"
The River
Home Alone
Born on the Fourth of July

See? I also have trouble holding it down to five.

A word in defense of his sequel scores: try programming your CD players to skip the main credits and end titles, and -- I'll bet you anything -- you'll think you're listening to an entirely new score! Williams went out of his way to invest each of those sequels with a wealth of fresh thematic material.

Part of the misconception about Williams repeating himself too much in the sequels may have to do with George Lucas editing in old cues he liked from earlier films, instead of the new stuff Williams had recorded.

I highly recommend Jaws 2, for instance (just the CD, not the movie). Aside from the requisite scary shark leitmotif, it is every bit as tuneful and original as the original Jaws. The End Title of Jaws 2 is IN ITSELF a stand-alone original work, with a brand new theme that hadn't been used in the rest of the picture. Composed as just a "throwaway" at the end of this dopey sequel, it may in fact be my all-time favorite Williams cue.

Posted by Sigerson Holmes @ 03/08/2003 04:15 PM PST

Tom from OZ - Eddie Hodges was on Tv here today in Disney's (studio NOT Walt) The Happiest Millionaire. I really like the song he and Paul Peterson do....

Does anyone have the Widescreen Road Show version of this movie? I am tempted to buy it....but need some input from someone who has seen it.

HELP.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/08/2003 04:20 PM PST

I have to admit that I'm not specifically a fan of the movie (non-musical, especially instrumental) soundtrack. I generally prefer the voice in a dramatic context (such as in musicals, live and recorded). That said, I certainly have absolutely nothing against the instrumental movie soundtrack. I just have never listened to very many scores independent of the movies for which they have been written.

The John Williams scores to which I have listened, liked and actually purchased include "Star Wars," "Close Encounters" and "The Raiders of the Lost Ark." I did also buy the Star Wars trilogy (4,5&6) remastered double-disc soundtracks, but that was mainly because they had really great new packaging and neat-o peachy-keen holgraphic designs on the discs. Those were all pretty cool. And I did enjoy listening to them, I just didn't very often.

Posted by George @ 03/08/2003 06:09 PM PST

Jrand52:

Love that song too:

Watch your footwork!
Better learn to bob and weave.
Sister Cordy's got
Dynamite up her sleeve!

Keep your guard up!

The songs are great: too bad
the movie's so boring, IMHO....

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 06:57 PM PST

Well, it really is Walt Disney's
The Happiest Millionaire,
since the main filming of it
was done when Walt was
alive.... just to be technically
accurate.... and we want to be
technically accurate, don't we?

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 07:02 PM PST

Re: The Happiest Millionaire saw the "restored" version on DVD. It's loooooong! But it is always worth a shot.

Posted by Michael @ 03/08/2003 07:13 PM PST

Forgot to say that there are two versions out there from Anchor Bay. According to amazon it is 144 minutes or 3 minutes longer than the theatrical version according to IMDb. There is also the "Roadshow Edition" which according to Amazon is 164 minutes long. which was the version that was originally trade screened and is 5 minutes longer than the re-release version at 159 minutes in 1984

Which is opposite to what they did with Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Pete's Dragon where they cut it down for re-releases and tv versions.

For example Pete's Dragon was originally released at 134 minutes and then cut down to 121 minutes during the run. For video it was time compressed and further cut to 105 minutes and the "hit" single from the film Candle on the Water was cut at this point. It was further cut down to 104 minutes for the 1984 re-release. The same year the lengthened Happiest Millionaire was back in the theaters! (I saw the edited version walked out and demanded my money back. The manager could believe a kid wanted his money back. But he did give it to me) It was later restored to video at 128 minutes and the DVD release restored it to its original release length.

Bedknobs was the same story. It was originally about 143 minutes. It was cur down to 117 minutes for the re-release 20 minutes more was cut and only 2 songs remained. (Under the Briny Sea was one of them. I think Portaello Road was the other)Among the other songs that were cut was the oscar nominated Age of Not Believing.
It was later to restore to almost the entire length with the exception of one song which the film footage could not be found and it is part of the extras of the DVD release.

I hated disney when the cut their films for rerelease.i sued to walk out and demand my money back when I was a kid. I would have thought the the original directors would demand that their names be taken off as it was no longer their film as they original made it and especially when the edited it more than once. I wonder how the Sherman Bros. felt when almost all their songs in Bedknobs were excise in one version!

Posted by Michael @ 03/08/2003 07:35 PM PST

Michael:

I have SEEN worse from
Disney: they used to have
special screenings of new and
old films from the studios for
Walt disney World employees
-- cast members in Disney
Linguo...

As one of them for some
years, I attended a screening
of MARY POPPINS, at the Walt
Disney Story theater on Main
Street, for all places, and TWO
songs had been deleted !!!!

I was disgusted and still am....

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 07:54 PM PST

Tom: I don't think the song from CHICAGO will win Best Song. I really do think U2 will win for "The Hands that Built America" from GANGS OF NEW YORK. No one loves theater music any more than I do, but the new CHICAGO song isn't vintage Kander and Ebb.

I snapped up the roadshow DVD of THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE when it was first released. It's still sitting on my to-watch shelf, however. I could easily put it on tomorrow (Sunday) if you have specific questions about it you'd like answered.

Posted by Matt H. @ 03/08/2003 08:11 PM PST

Have just watched a Nora Jones in New Orleans program on free-to-air TV. My jury is still out! Pleasant but I thought she was singing the same song for an hour! It will be interesting to see and hear if the next album lives up to the hype of the first.
Matt H. I like U2 as a band (they're one of the best IMHO)but I have tried to find something worthwhile and memorable about the song but it just leaves me cold. I shall still hope (pointless I know) that Paul Simon wins.
I nearly always get it wrong. I was really pleased for Randy Newman last year but he has written much better film songs.

Posted by Tom from Oz @ 03/08/2003 09:03 PM PST

The Raodshow Edition of THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE was one of the first dvds I bought, and I haven't regretted it for one second. I truly love The Sherman Brothers' work on this film; from its opening coined word song to the now-restored Christmas song for Greer Garson. Now, I'm not a fan of Tommy Steele, but I find him more tolerable in this film than in FINIAN'S RAINBOW or HALF A SIXPENCE. To see and hear John Davidson and Lesley Ann Warren in this particular venue is sooooo sweet, and their harmonizing on "Are We Dancing?" is just to die for.
If you're thinking about getting the dvd, by all means, get it. . .the movie's length can be remotely controlled. . .just use your Chapter Skip Button.

Posted by td @ 03/08/2003 09:45 PM PST

Sorry this post is so late, we just got back from New York City Opera's production of A Little Night music, we will post a review soon.
O.K., the issue about some people not being able to afford cable, or not living in an area serviced by a cable company are valid ones and make a lot of sense, but remember I was ranting, and when has sense ever entered into ranting?

Posted by Ray @ 03/08/2003 10:04 PM PST

"Really, how much "work" is it to sit in an orchestra pit and play an instrument for 2 - 2 1/2 hours a night! Most of us working class work our butts off for 8 to 10 hours a week! Let's see some of these soft unionized musicians go out and get a "real" job!"

Let's ask Jose, since that's what he does: Jose, how much "work" is it, really, to sit in an orchestra pit and play an instrument for 2 - 2 1/2 hours a night?

Posted by Jason @ 03/08/2003 10:10 PM PST

"Are we dancing?
Is this feeling real?
Has this lovely song i hear
Ever heard before?

Are your eyes confessing
things
I alone can see?"

Sorry, I'm getting dizzy from the
waltz!

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 10:13 PM PST

Musician is a QUALIFIED
job....among other things....

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 10:15 PM PST

I agree, Francois. As a trained musician, I totally agree with you. I was being just a TAD sarcastic. ;-)

Posted by Jason @ 03/08/2003 10:21 PM PST

What you were quoting, Jason,
was asking for "sarcasm"....

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 10:25 PM PST

I wish i could play the ...
triangle!....

Posted by François @ 03/08/2003 10:27 PM PST

Francois...you're the ginchiest! :-D

Posted by Jason @ 03/08/2003 10:28 PM PST

Hey, I didn't mean to step on any of my fellow Hainsie/Kimlets toes. All I meant was I would kill for the chance to make $1350 for what amounts to about 20 hours work a week! That's assuming 8 performances a week, of course.

Posted by Ray @ 03/08/2003 10:51 PM PST

Personally, when it comes to Williams writing original scores and scores to sequels, I tend to lump them all together, the sequels expanding upon the original thematic material. The problem is that sometimes another composer takes over the series, still using Williams' themes, for which Williams still gets writing credit. Therefor, it's simpler to put down the original title, and assume the rest.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 03/09/2003 12:20 AM PST

Uh, can we wait a sec here, on the wages of sitting in the pit? The assumption being made is that the only time the musician is actually working is when he is in the theater. This isn't true, as a professional musician must practice practice practice to keep proficient at the craft/art, and on his own time, not while sitting in the pit.

Posted by S. Woody White @ 03/09/2003 12:25 AM PST

Jrand: If you do decide to buy the roadshow edition of The Happiest Millionaire, www.deepdiscountdvd.com has it for $13 and free shipping. :)

Posted by Lulu @ 03/09/2003 04:31 AM PST

Are musicians typically employed for 52 weeks per year? Do they receive benefits (health insurance, paid time off, 401K plans)?

Posted by Lulu @ 03/09/2003 04:34 AM PST

I had to work yesterday and then went to a friend's housewarming party, so this is my first chance to post.

E.T.

How To Steal a Million

Superman

Close Encounters

Posted by Kerry @ 03/09/2003 07:17 AM PST

I didn't realize he'd done "Fitzwilly." A charming film-- I was just thinking about it the other day and wondered if it were out on VHS or DVD. Might make a neat musical for Broadway. You think?

Posted by Kerry @ 03/09/2003 07:20 AM PST

Thanks for the HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE information, everybody. I have decided to buy it - and I do use deepdiscountdvd.com a lot so I got it there. Thanks, everyone. And yes I know Walt died but was instrumental in its creation.

Songs aren't my favorite - I think I like ORIGINAL FAMILY BAND and CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG for my fun to listen to Sherman and Sherman - but it is fun.

Thanks again.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 03/09/2003 08:26 AM PST