[EDIT: Here's a link to the film for those who missed it being posted lower in the thread:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2dgct ... shortfilms ]
I happened to stumble across a video online of this early Goldsmith scored film from 1959 (his third score). It is actually a pretty good film, certainly a B-western but one with a good message about redemption which comes through despite a script which is sometimes rather clumsy and simplistic. Fred MacMurray is good in the lead and there's also a young James Coburn in a supporting role.
Jerry Goldsmith's score is, as you might expect, terrific! Perhaps it doesn't display his mature style as Lonely Are the Brave would just a couple years later, but there are plenty of hints of it, particularly in some of the action music. It might be considered a four-star rather than a five-star effort, but I really hope it gets an official release one day. In that hope, and in the tradition of Deputy Riley's "Complete Score Breakdowns" on the FSM board, I did the following complete score breakdown of the score (plus four pieces of inessential source music which may or may not have been arranged by Goldsmith). I decided to go a step further and actually write a rough draft of some detailed track-by-track liner notes which might accompany an official release if the score if it ever happens. If the original tracks can't be found, I hope Doug Fake or James Fitzpatrick might attempt a complete new recording of the score (James mentioned that score sheets for this and Goldsmith's first feature, another western titled Black Patch from 1957, do indeed survive). And while I'm fantasizing about it, I'll hope that they may consider allowing me to revise and refine what I'm written here for inclusion in their own booklet (cue titles are my own; obviously they would be replaced by the official ones if this is ever released):
0:00 - 2:59 1. Columbia Logo / Main Title / Train Ride 2:59
Similarly to his later score for Lonely Are the Brave, a unique fanfare plays over the company logo, transitioning to more peaceful strings as the Main Title begins. Shortly after, however, as the film title itself appears accompanied by a cymbal-led crescendo, the music transitions to a more doom-laden mood accompanied by tympani, somehow dark and grim yet continually struggling to be strident and heroic (a perfect encapsulation of the main character, Jim Larson, played by Fred MacMurray). There is in fact a strong suggestion of the influence of Miklos Rozsa, Goldsmith’s onetime teacher at USC and his inspiration to become a film composer. As the title sequence transitions into a shot of a train pulling into station, a more upbeat Coplanesque motif enters before the dark tympani return as we see MacMurray for the first time, rolling a cigarette with one handcuffed wrist. Flutes and gentler strings enter as he is led onto the train, and the Americana train music returns as it starts off. Only Goldsmith’s third feature score, this may be the earliest example of many when he wrote music to accompany a train sequence. As dusk falls and the train pulls into another station, a sad and fateful theme enters for the first time as we see Jim’s brother watch it pull in, thereafter returning to the train music as it gradually comes to a halt. Though less than three minutes in length, the number of musical ideas and mood changes the young Goldsmith moves through in this first cue is quite remarkable, and perfectly encapsulates the story to follow.
4:10 - 5:50 2. Escape 1:41
A thrilling action cue begins as Jim overpowers the lawman he is handcuffed to, takes his gun, and is joined by his younger brother, who has two horses for them to escape upon. Racing strings and powerful timpani propel the two away, with a brief strained passage for woodwinds as Jim’s brother and the lawman exchange fire and wound each other. The fateful tympani continue under low strings intoning the sad theme for Jim's brother as Jim dismounts and grimly inspects his gut wound.
12:12 - 14:40 3. Dumb Punk Kid / New Duds 2:29
After they have spent some time on the train talking about their situation and remembering their parents, Jim’s brother quietly passes away while Jim is outlining his plan to enter the town ahead and bring back a doctor to give him medical attention. As Jim notices, the sad theme for his brother returns quietly, first on woodwinds as Jim sadly breaths “dumb punk kid” and then swelling on strings as the train travels through the landscape, intoning mournfully as Jim finally wraps up his brother's body in a bag and tosses it over as the train passes a river. The upbeat Coplandesque train music then intrudes as the film cuts to the next morning as the train pulls into the Enterprise Mining station, transitioning to the dark tympani material for Jim as he disguises himself in his father’s old suit, which his brother gave to him before dying.
17:24 - 19:07 4. Blasted Company Man 1:43
On the way to town the train is stopped and Jim’s seat companion Alice Bailey, a young girl traveling back home after visiting her grandparents, identifies her uncle, Mark Riley, grim music beginning as she proudly exclaims, “He’s sheriff…I’ll be he’s looking for somebody on this very train, a robber or somethin’” As deputies begin to inspect the passengers, Jim disposes of his gun and assumes the identity he had previously given to the young girl: Ray Kincaid, mining inspector and “blasted company man”. The deception works and a mournful passage for solo trumpet (which would become a trademark of Goldsmith's style) plays before the train starts off for town again. The cue seems to fade out early, perhaps indicating that Goldsmith wrote a longer piece than was used.
20:50 - 21:54 5. Mrs. Bailey 1:05
A new theme on woodwinds and strings, hinting at future romance, appears as Alice introduces “Mr. Kincaid” to her mother Ellen, a beautiful young widow. The cue continues with darker material as Jim walks through town, coming to an end as he notices Mark confront Reed Williams and his men about their illegal fencing off of public land.
23:29 - 24:27 6. In Need of a Shave 0:59
Jim visits the local barber for a shave and some information, solidifying his new identity in the process as he tricks the barber into “remembering” him.
26:16 - 26:57 7. A Real Manhunt 0:43
Jake, the barber, relays the state of the town and how Mark, an aspiring lawyer, was pushed into the role of sheriff by the townspeople. Goldsmith’s score reenters when he reveals the reason the train was stopped: a bank robber and his confederate escaped and in the process “killed a deputy”. Jim now realizes that his dead brother has indeed involved him in a murder. Jake also reveals that wanted posters for Jim Larson will be arriving in the morning, and the grim motif for Jim himself punctuates the moment when Jake shows him where on the mirror he will be putting up a poster, outlining Jim’s own reflection in the process.
29:55 - 32:09 8. Leaving Town 2:14
Visiting the general store for some alternate clothes and a gun, Jim meets Ellen Bailey again, who works there since her husband passed away. As he is in the back room changing, he overhears Reed Williams enter and try to convince Ellen to talk her brother Mark out of challenging his right to fence off public land. As he walks out leaving a death threat for Mark behind, Goldsmith’s music reenters on a dark note. It moves through more troubled tones as Jim and Ellen debate the necessity of guns, lightens a bit as Jim explains he will need his for food on the road. As he moves to leave, Alice comments that she envies him and wishes she could go away as well, some day. Her lovely theme enters on strings, before quickly fading away as Jim says goodbye and transitioning to his grim material for tense brass, strings and tympani as he rides on horseback to the pass out of town, ultimately revealed to be guarded by Mark’s deputies.
33:36 - 34:13 9. Return to Town :36
Jim tries to lie his way through the pass but ultimately fails. Tense music enters as he briefly contemplates shooting both deputies and escaping, but he ultimately opts to return to town and goes to the sheriff in the hopes of being deputized himself. Sheriff Mark tells him to meet him at the evening dance after he’s had a chance to check with his deputies and see if they need any more help.
36:34 - 36:57 Dance Source A :22
This accordion piece plays as Jim walks up to the dance and meets young Alice Bailey again, ending to applause as Ellen, Alice’s mother, arrives.
38:21 - 41:05 Sweet Betsy from Pike (Dance Source B) 2:44
Jim asks Alice to dance to avoid meeting men from Enterprise Mining who could blow his cover. Jim spots Mark and he and Alice move over to him. Mark introduces Jim to his fiancee Janet and regretfully informs him that he doesn’t need another deputy for the time being. After Jim walks away, Purdy (a young James Coburn), one of Reed Williams’s men, enters and forces Mark to accompany him outside to speak to Reed.
41:17 - 44:07 Skip to My Lou (Dance Source C) 2:50
A fiddler strikes up a lively dance as Jim quietly watching the confrontation between Mark and Reed Williams outside. Williams first threatens Mark and then tries to force a fatal confrontation then and there, only stopped by Jim intruding in on the situation.
46:33 - 52:39 10. A Busy Day for All / He Was Just a Boy / Afraid of Something 6:05
Jim joins Alice and Ellen on their way home, Goldsmith’s gentle music entering as Alice falls asleep and Jim and Ellen converse about the confrontation. Jim acts like he was only doing it to get the job as deputy, while Ellen doesn't believe him and thinks he was more personally invested in doing the right thing. “You’re a good man. I don’t know why you try to hide it.” Tense strings intrude on the bucolic mood as they pass the river and see a group of people retrieving something from it: the sack containing Jim’s dead brother, his sad theme returning in low brass as his body is revealed. Lighter music returns on woodwinds Jim sees Ellen home, carrying the sleeping Alice inside and putting away their horse and buggy as Ellen puts her daughter to bed. Alice’s romantic theme returns as she comes out on the porch to watch Jim and invite him back inside, swelling in the full orchestra as Jim pulls her to him and they passionately kiss. The situation intrudes in Jim’s mind, ruining the moment, and he pulls away to leave, accompanied by his brother’s theme.
56:21 - 58:19 11. Sure No Place for You Now 1:59
A sad cue, based on his brother’s theme, plays for Jim as he walks away from the saloon, battered and bruised after a fistfight with Reed Williams and his men. It swells on brass and strings as he looks in the window of the undertaker/coroner to see Mark meeting with him about the dead body.
61:57 - 63:35 12. San Francisco 1:39
Jim convinces Mark to marry Janet that evening, since tomorrow he may be killed. After the wedding ceremony, he and Alice speak briefly, speaking of meeting one day in San Francisco if she ever makes it there, and he hints at his dark past. She tells him it doesn't matter to her and they embrace as her theme returns.
63:56 - 64:49 13. Take It Easy :55
Swirling woodwinds and strings accompany Mark and Jim heading off to cut Reed Williams’s illegal fences again, punctuated occasionally by a threatening rhythm on brass.
66:52 - 67:34 14. The Fence :42
Goldsmith’s fateful music reenters as Purdy starts repairing the fence and Mark and Jim finish a conversation.
68:36 - 69:48 15. Another Dumb Punk Kid 1:12
Jim and Mark argue, Jim saying that Mark must either take the fight directly to Reed Williams to have the upper hand, or simply let the matter of the fence go. Mark refuses to do either, heading to the train to retrieve the wanted poster which will reveal Jim’s true identity. As he leaves, Jim slips and calls him “dumb punk kid” under his breath, revealing to himself that Mark reminds him of his younger brother as Goldsmith’s cue enters with his tragic fateful theme, playing as Mark passes the small graveyard where the coffin containing Jim’s unidentified brother is being buried. The cue continues uncertainly as Mark rides up to the fence as Purdy finishes repairing it. (There is a clumsy edit near the end of the cue as it suddenly gets more tense and Purdy pulls a gun on Mark, so the full cue may be longer than as heard in the film.)
70:12 - 71:26 16. Too Much Sense 1:15
Goldsmith’s short but energetic cue begins as Reed’s men run off as they hear gunshots from the fence (Jim has just shot the barbed wire from afar with a rifle, entangling Purdy in it just as he is about to shoot Mark.)
71:27 - 73:30 17. Pursuit 2:04
The men come upon Purdy and Jim and give chase as Jim flees. Goldsmith’s action cue is a highlight of the score, a great early showcase of his energetic and dark action style as a circular motif repeats on brass, with prominent solos for woodwinds, trumpet, tympani, and French horn as the strings become more and more intense. The cue concludes as Jim is fleeing across the rooftops of an abandoned mining outpost and unexpectedly falls through a weakened section of roof, injuring himself in the room below.
76:43 - 77:37 Player Piano Source :53
During the final confrontation, an old fallen apart player piano is set off and brokenly plays a lively tune, giving a troubling accompaniment to the action as it speeds up and slows down in warped fashion, eventually winding to a halt.
79:41 - 80:37 18. Free as a Bird :55
Goldsmith’s finale cue enters as Mark and his sister Ellen arrive on the scene just after the badly injured Jim has dispatched Reed Williams. The music matches Jim’s uncertain future; it seems he will live but he will have to stand trial for his crimes, though Mark will testify on his behalf for his heroic actions. He could have left when he had the chance and been “as free as a bird” but chose to stay behind in order to prevent Mark’s death. As the camera pulls back into a wide shot of them departing amid the abandoned buildings, the cue ends in an unresolved cadence.
TOTAL SCORE TIME: 31:15 (TOTAL SOURCE MUSIC TIME: 6:49)
I hope I help inspire a re-recording of this wonderful early Goldsmith score, or at the very least Nick Redman might consider a Twilight Time release of it, since it has never been on DVD or Blu-ray (the online video is not the full image, but I detected the top of a TCM logo near the bottom right, so it's been on TV some). Perhaps at the very least a music and effects track could be located for the score, although stems were used to recreate the complete score to The Trouble with Angels, also a Columbia film, from just a few years later. Who's with me in wishing this music comes out in some form?
Yavar
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Other threads in this series:
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viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6958TAKE HER, SHE'S MINE (1963) Complete Score Breakdown:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6966THE MAN (1972) Advance Liner Notes:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6967CRAWLSPACE (1972) Advance Liner Notes:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7213DO NOT FOLD, SPINDLE, OR MUTILATE (1971) Complete Score Breakdown:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7216The Waltons: THE CEREMONY (1972) Complete Score Breakdown:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7219DAMNATION ALLEY (1977) Advance Liner Notes:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7223PURSUIT (1972) Advance Liner Notes:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=7236
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