hough he died almost a quarter century ago, George Pal remains one of the most influential and important individuals in the history of science-fiction and fantasy cinema. This legendary moviemaker produced (and in some cases directed) numerous significant SF motion pictures throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, including Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide and The War of the Worlds. Along with generating unforgettable images, he also had a knack for commissioning imaginative themes to accompany each adventure. The Fantasy Film Music of George Pal is an admirable showcase for that singular skill, spotlighting melodies from his last seven productions, released between 1958 and 1975.
The first four cuts, created by Russell Garcia and culled from Atlantis, The Lost Continent, are by turns rollicking and romantic, filled with blaring horns and sweet harp trills. A ticking clock and soft chimes introduce a quartet of works, also penned by Garcia, from The Time Machine, with a subsequent series of tracks from composer Leigh Harline's contributions to 7 Faces of Dr. Lao offering an invitingly eclectic interlude. Miklós Rózsa supplies the next five pieces, all from The Power, followed by one composition each from Tom Thumb and The Wonderful World of The Brothers Grimm, respectively written by Ken E. Jones and Harline.
The collection closes with an array of cues from Pal's final film, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze. Crafted by Frank De Vol, the nine tunes are at once patriotic and exotic, concluding with a rousing "Theme Song" adapted from a John Philip Sousa march. A 16-page booklet augments the CD, furnishing a lengthy but rather superficial analysis of the content by film-music maven Randall Larson.
Phenomenal, fantastical themes
Along with claims concerning Robert Wise and Ray Harryhausen, the liner notes boldly assert that "George Pal's movies stirred the youthful imaginations of Roddenberry, Lucas [and] Spielberg." It's a declaration that, while unattributed and arguably tenuous, is not altogether unfounded, especially considering the popular impact of Pal's bountiful SF output. The scores supplementing each production are equally as potent as the on-screen imagery, a fact borne out by the incomplete but nevertheless intriguing overview provided by The Fantasy Film Music of George Pal.
The "Main Title" from 7 Faces of Dr. Lao is certainly the most intricate number, fusing Oriental and Western elements into a tantalizing and timeless motif. Entwining a blithe harmonica with odd percussion, the piece exudes eccentricity and playfulness. The compositions for The
Power, in particular "Death on the Centrifuge" and "Transformation," are impressive, too, juxtaposing an acoustic guitar and cimbalom (a zitherlike instrument) with brash orchestration, fashioning a mood that's alternately intimate and intimidating. At the same time, the upbeat "Prologue/Main Title" from The Wonderful World of The Brothers Grimm radiates merriment and, via a sweet whistling sequence, an enchanting, Disney-esque innocence.
Although competent, the Doc Savage selections are to some extent disjointed, shifting from gloomy to glorious with no obvious rhyme or reason. Even so, the suite conveys a vitality that's ultimately uplifting. It's a shame that The Fantasy Film Music of George Pal doesn't
contain tracks from the producer's seminal early efforts, such as Conquest of Space, Houdini and his many stop-motion "Puppetoon" shorts, but the 28 melodies that are present remain exciting, engaging and, on the whole, quite inspirational.
