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THEM! – Bronislau Kaper
GREATEST SCORES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
Original Review by Craig Lysy
The 1950s opened the flood gates to an ever-expanding and increasingly popular Science Fiction genre with films such as “Destination Moon” (1950), “The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951), “The Thing From Another World” (1951), and “The War of The Worlds” (1953). In 1954 Warner Brothers conceived a pioneering 3D-color project based on a short story by George Worthing Yates that would launch the Science Fiction sub-genre “Big Bugs”, which would feature massive insects as the monster. David Weisbert was assigned production, but executives cut his budget, abandoned a 3D-color format, insisting instead on a widescreen black and white format for the film. Ted Scerdeman and Russell Hughes were hired to write the screenplay and Gordon Douglas was tasked with directing. The cast included James Whitmore as Sargent Ben Peterson, Edmund Gwenn as Dr. Harold Medford, Joan Weldon as Dr. Pat Medford, James Arness as FBI agent Robert Graham, Onslow Stevens as General O’Brien, and Sean McClory as Major Kibbee. Read more…
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY – Bronislau Kaper
100 GREATEST SCORES OF ALL TIME
Original Review by Craig Lysy
Following the stunning success of the remake of the epic Ben-Hur in 1959, MGM studio executives decided to draw water from the same well, accepting director John Sturges’ suggestion of a remake of their classic 1935 film Mutiny on the Bounty. Producer Aaron Rosenberg was tasked with bringing the film to fruition, and on Sturges’ advice hired Marlon Brando to provide the necessary star power. Veteran director Carol Reed was chosen to manage the film and a fine cast was hired to support Brando in his role as Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, including the renown Trevor Howard as Captain Bligh, Richard Harris as seaman John Mills, Hugh Griffith as seaman Alexander Smith, Richard Haydn as Botanist William Brown and Tarita Teripaia as Princess Maimiti. The studio granted a truly massive budget of $14 million dollars that would include local filming on Tahiti and building a $750,000 replica of the Bounty. Trouble however arose quickly due to an ever-evolving script, which included six screenplays that were rejected by the mercurial Brando. The film was to be shot over one year, but thanks to Brando’s rewrites, reshoots and prima dona tirades, Reed quit and production ended up taking three years to film! Read more…
BRONISLAU KAPER – Fathers of Film Music, Part 14
Article by Craig Lysy
Born: 5 February 1902 Warsaw, Poland.
Died: 26 April 1983.
Bronislau Kaper was of Jewish heritage, and at the very early age six took up the piano, soon demonstrating a remarkable musical talent. His family realized that he was a child prodigy and so enrolled him in the prestigious Chopin Music School to cultivate and refine his gift. By time of his teens he had blossomed creatively and was already writing original compositions. Although his heart was drawn to music, in deference to his father’s wishes he began studies in Law at Warsaw University. Yet, soon after he returned to his true love, and enrolled in the Warsaw Conservatory where he studied composition and piano.
Upon graduating Kaper relocated to Berlin, then a culturally vibrant metropolis, which abounded with countless theaters and cabarets. There he joined many aspiring artists from Eastern Europe, all seeking to make a mark on a world stage. He spent the 1920s and early 1930s working as a song composer for film and cabaret, and gained an increasing notoriety. Read more…
LILI – Bronislau Kaper
MOVIE MUSIC UK CLASSICS
Original Review by Craig Lysy
MGM producer Edwin Knopf hired director Charles Walters to bring to life Lili, a fantasy tale based on a Saturday Evening Post short story “The Man Who Hated People” by Paul Gallico. For the film a talented cast was chosen; Lili Daurier (Leslie Caron), Paul Berthalet (Mel Ferrer), Marc (Jean-Pierre Aumont), Rosalie (Zsa Zsa Gabor) and Jacquot (Kurt Kaznar). In our story Lili, a naive country girl travels to a small provincial town in hopes of locating an old friend of her late father’s. When she discovers that he has died, a shopkeeper offers her employment as a guise to take sexual advantage of her. Marc, a handsome carnival magician whose Nome de plume is “Marcus the Magnificent” perceives her danger, covets her for himself and comes to her rescue. Yet her purity of heart dissuades his intentions and through him she gains work at the carnival assisting its master puppeteer Paul. Her wonderment and childlike innocence supports just endearing story-telling through his puppets; a brash red-haired boy named Carrot Top, Reynardo, a sly fox, Marguerite, a vain ballerina, and lastly Golo, a cowardly giant. Paul begins to fall in love with Lili but is embittered with life due to a leg injury he suffered during the war that ended his career in the ballet. We sadly see him reduced to expressing his true feelings for Lili through his puppets, while being mean-spirited when out of character. Lili eventually leaves Paul’s torment and while walking out of town, imagines the three puppets, now life-size, joining her as she finds a new life path. As she celebrates by dancing with each puppet, they all magically transform one by one into Paul. Lili realizes through each of them that they are a facet of Paul. She realizes her love for Paul and runs back to the carnival where they embrace and kiss passionately as the puppets applaud. The film was a critical success, earning composer Bronislau Kaper an Academy Award for Best Score. Read more…
TOBRUK – Bronislau Kaper
MOVIE MUSIC UK CLASSICS
Original Review by Craig Lysy
The movie is set in North Africa September 1942. Germany’s top General Erwin Rommel’s and his dreaded Afrika Korps are poised to invade Egypt. The allied command sends in a British Special Forces unit that includes German Jews which invariable causes friction and distrust with their British commandos. They proceed to kidnap a Canadian officer held prisoner by the Vichy French government in Algeria who is an expert topographer. The officer, Donald Craig, is charged with the daunting challenge of guiding this company of British and German-Jewish commandos through 800 miles of the desolate Sahara. The goal is to aid a planned amphibious landing against the seaport of Tobruk and its massive fuel storage base. The team is forced to confront and overcome various challenges, the final one being the discovery of an undetected German armored force poised to launch into Egypt. Read more…
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