ew young people growing up during the 1950s or 1960s could have escaped seeing at least one of these films, either in first run or on TV via local "shock" shows like New York's Chiller Theater (originally hosted by Zacherle, who was replaced in 1973 by the emblematic six-fingered claymation hand). The films whose scores are re-created here (except for The Mole People) represent some of the finest moments in the cinema of 50's science-fiction paranoia. The fact that they were actually pretty good films in terms of special effects (and even—occasionally—acting) is a bonus. Now, with the release of the latest in this series of reconstructed scores from Monstrous, it becomes clear just how much of the films' total impact was due to their music. Plus, let's face it—this stuff is just plain fun!
These soundtrack recreations are not only faithful to the composers' original intents but have also been produced with smaller orchestras, using less of the echoey "dry" miking techniques in common use at the time the original recordings were made. The results are as close as possible to the way the music would have sounded on the studio scoring stage.
The upshot is, all of the cues sound like they came straight from the '50s, aside from the higher level of fidelity.
Of the four films whose scores are so painstakingly recreated here, three at least are regarded as being more or less "classic," while the fourth, The Mole People, is no worse than a rather silly juvenile escapist work. It's probably no accident that TMP is represented by only about two and a half minutes of music. On the other hand, all of the music for the movie was original, as opposed to having been "tracked" in from other films.
Twenty-seven minutes of fine music from Them! follows TMP. These 11 cues from the best of all "giant insect" flicks were written by Bronislau Kaper, who is perhaps better known for his soundtrack for Mutiny on the Bounty. This was Kaper's only foray into sci-fi horror, but what a foray it is! One of the highlights is the rumbling piano build with crashing brass and strings ushering in the "Main Title." The score is founded on two pianos, closely miked and used mostly for rhythmic purposes and musical sound effects. The balance of the cues use disquieting brass and flutes, and insectile piano—the short cue "Little Girl/Wakens" being a superb example.
Just plain fun
Next come 14 tracks from the score for It Came From Outer Space, with a combined running time of about 20 minutes. This was Universal's first serious entry into science fiction, and perhaps for that reason the studio decided on a score that was almost entirely original aside from a short three-second excerpt from a Henry Mancini song from Sally and Saint Anne, heard briefly on a radio. The three composers involved, Mancini, Herman Stein and Irving Getz, decided to use a theremin in their score.
The theremin, an early electronic instrument that sounds like a wailing lost soul, had already been used in sci-fi productions such as Rocketship X-M, The Thing From Another World and The Day the Earth Stood Still. Here it's used primarily to underscore the aliens' presence and to add an unearthly patina to the instrumentation. (The CD includes, at the end, five "bonus" tracks of five of the movie's cues without the theremin overdubs, and directions for how to do theremin impressions to go with the music.)
The disc is closed out with nine minutes or so of music from Columbia Pictures' 1955 giant-octopus opus, It Came From Beneath the Sea. It begins with the stirring "Atom-Powered Submarine," segueing into the harps and brass and wailing strings of "Main Title." If any track on this CD gives evidence of how much fun it must have been to work on these re-creation sessions, this is the one. The following short cue, "Love by the Sea," features a surprising gypsy-style violin solo that adds unexpected color. But never fear, the discordant stuff is back right away in "Mister Monster #2" and "Tentacle/It vs. the Golden Gate Bridge." This is great stuff!
Can you tell how much I enjoyed this CD? But wait, there's more! It comes with a wonderful 32-page booklet that is so packed with information, stories, production photos and poster art that it may take longer to read than it does to listen to the CD. Extensive notes therein detail the creative history of all of the tracks and the composers involved, even going so far as to note whether other movies used them. There are even shots of the original music manuscripts, including one of Henry Mancini's "End Title" score from It Came From Outer Space.
Kudos to everyone involved in this magnificent production. Now I want to go rent all of these films and relive some of my misspent youth.
— Al
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