ver the years, Hollywood executives have crafted myriad outlandish schemes to publicize their productions, but few contemporary marketing mavens could ever match the promotional panache of legendary producer/director William Castle. Whether dangling plastic skeletons from ceilings or wiring theater seats (for, respectively, House on Haunted Hill and The Tingler), his great gimmicks simultaneously tempted and terrified viewers. The renowned moviemaker employed a far more mundane, though nonetheless effective, approach for The Night Walker, a 1964 film that used an alluring yet eerily anxious soundtrack to set audiences on edge.
Penned by Vic Mizzy—who, earlier that same year, had written The Addams Family theme—and available on CD for the first time, all 22 melodies are brimming with memorable motifs. A piano, modified to mimic a harpsichord, furnishes one of the album's key sounds, an odd effect that surfaces, in varied forms, on chilling cues such as "High-Powered Howard," "Imaginary Lover?" and "Wake Up, Irene." A thundering organ infuses "Marriage Mirage" and "Weird Wedding" with a spooky, gothic air, while blustery brass enlivens compositions like "Fright in the Night" and "Shot in the Act/The Bitter End."
The 20-page booklet supplementing the recording exhaustively examines how these cuts were created, emphasizing the fact that the composer, who was brought into the project during the final week of filming, had only a few days to produce the entire score. Along with a comprehensive plot outline, the liner notes also include abundant reminiscences from Mizzy and, in response to the scathing reviews received upon its initial release, a contemporary analysis of the picture's perceived faults.
Powerful pieces that provoke and petrify
Though most highbrow critics would probably characterize Castle as little more than a crass Hollywood huckster, some of his films are quite noteworthy. The Night Walker is certainly one of those significant efforts, due largely to a compelling storyline—crafted by well-known horror writer Robert Bloch—and Mizzy's masterful music.
These melodic strengths are best encapsulated on the mesmerizing "Main Title/Prologue." Commanding horns and deep percussion launch the cut, although within a few seconds the skulking, harpsichord-like piano and a rich bass guitar dominate, establishing a shadowy, somewhat supernatural ambiance. Augmented with soft harp and woodwind flourishes, the piece conveys an appropriately fearsome feel. "Ring of Truth/Lover on the Prowl/Pleasant Dreams" and "Scary Barry" supply similarly unsettling sentiments, adding strong strings and, at times, traditional piano to accentuate apprehension and concentrated action. Fortunately, not every cue elicits frightful emotions. As the playful title implies, "Restaurant Muzak" provides an old-fashioned, Big Band-style break, with "Car Radio" presenting a condensed, jazz-imbued interlude.
Now and again the reiterated motifs become tiresome, especially on such works as the bland "Blade for Barry/Lover on the Prowl II," but, all in all, The Night Walker is a petrifying and powerful score. According to the liner notes, after a preview screening of the film, Bloch observed that the music "electrified the picture and gave it a feeling of life I never thought possible." This long-overdue release not only validates that appraisal, but also proves that, as a standalone collection, Mizzy's melodies are provocative and puissant.
