After yesterday tackling a far superior Goldsmith effort for Crawlspace (1972), I've just completed another breakdown for a completely unreleased Goldsmith score, this time 1971's TV movie, Do Not Fold, Spindle, or Mutilate. It has an interesting approach as 95% of the scoring accompanies the mentally unhinged killer at the center of the story, much of that for his constant internal monologuing. For the most part, the music bows out when he is not directly involved (onscreen, or hearing a phone ring as he is making a call). Sort of a "Jaws" approach, though mostly very textural jazz in musical style. The most obvious exception is the zany main and end titles.
I must admit I wasn't very engaged by most of the music in the film, and the film itself really turned out to be a bit of fluff. Still, I don't regret watching it and now you fellow Goldsmith obsessives can benefit from my time. I sort of started out with the intention of writing full on liner notes but quickly got more lazy because I really didn't find the music very engaging (more of a two-star effort in the opinion of this Goldsmith nut, though of course I'm crazy enough to buy it anyway if it's ever released):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYb8dJ5gZtE0:31 - 2:19 1. Main Title 1:48
Goldsmith’s main title cue falls in his “mod” style but is zanier than most of his work in that style.
14:36 - 15:21 2. Rebecca Mead :45
The mod music takes on a more threatening edge as a psychopath thinks about finding his next victim…Rebecca Mead, the fictional classified ad creation of four older female friends.
15:22 - 17:06 3. The Tally 1:44
This lighter laid-back cue plays in the aftermath of the protagonists’ bridge game.
20:58 - 22:28 4. Chicks Dig That 1:30
A low key “mod” cue with the main theme on synthesizer plays under the psycho’s internal monologue as he walks along the street.
22:54 - 23:20 5. Flowers :26
23:28 - 23:35 6. Two Bunches :07
The music continues in similar fashion during a continuation of the whispered internal monologue.
23:36 - 27:10 7. I’d Know Her Anywhere / Two Old Hens / Some Jackass 3:34
Three sequences of the film which may be three separate cues crossfaded together (the moods change greatly). The music continues under further monologuing, but the middle cue for when the psycho stakes out the house and watches the women arrive stands out a bit more in the mix, the music taking on more of an overtly jazzy feel with prominent brass.
30:53 - 31:33 8. You’ll Be There :40
Cue begins after the phone conversation in ominous fashion, soon turning light and humorous in tone as it continues through to commercial break.
33:10 - 34:12 Bar Source A 1:02
The jazzy source cue is possibly an original Goldsmith composition, which segues seamlessly into...
34:12 - 34:59 9. Be Cool :47
...a “cool” mod cue for another creepy monologue sequence as the psycho drives up.
34:59 - 37:41 Bar Source B 2:42
A very different piano-led jazz source cue plays as the four women observe him entering the bar and taking a seat.
37:41 - 39:26 10. Fake 1:45
Going home with a prostitute by mistake, the mod music becomes more violent to accompany the psycho’s "tantrum”.
40:50 - 43:01 11. Gotta Think 2:11
After committing murder, the psychopath tries to calm himself down.
45:36 - 46:13 12. Not Blue :37
He reads the paper’s report and realizes the woman he killed did not fit the description of the classifieds ad.
46:54 - 47:41 13. Gotta Find Out :47
Percussion-heavy jazz which begins with the first overt action music of the score.
49:40 - 50:15 14. Keep Walking :35
He makes his way to the bank, avoiding a cop along the way while the internal monologue continues.
52:03 - 52:45 15. Answer the Phone :42
Very unsettling cue with rumbling percussion as the psycho makes another call to their house just as the ladies arrive home.
55:30 - 56:12 16. Empty House :42
A similar unsettling cue with rumbling percussion as the phone rings in an empty house.
56:39 - 57:02 17. Drivin’ Around :23
Free jazz with percussion and col legno strings as the killer continues his internal monologue.
59:03 - 59:19 18. Still No Answer :16
62:36 - 62:51 19. All Right :15
Two more brief “textural cues” which almost seem improvised by plucked bass and percussion, as the killer is continually unsuccessful with his phone call.
64:20 - 66:25 20. The Visit 2:05
A melodic line finally returns over improvised-sounding jazzy brass over a steady beat on percussion and plucked brass, as the killer returns to the house in person just before the ladies arrive home. The latter half of the cue is mostly a repeated suspense motif on tympani as the ladies walk up to their door and enter. It proceeds in stop-start fashion with long pauses between tympani phrases, before ending on a final stinger as they discover the intruder in their home.
70:30 - 71:38 21. We Made Her Up 1:08
The tympani suspense motif soon opens up into the only full-on action cue of the score as the murderer is apprehended with a little bit of help from the ladies.
72:56 - 74:47 22. One Hell of a Day (Finale & End Credits) 1:51
The zany main title music returns as the ladies leave the police station and discuss their little adventure, continuing through the end credits.
TOTAL SCORE TIME: 24:38 (TOTAL SOURCE TIME: 3:44)
I think I'll tackle Pursuit (1972) next, another "mod"-flavored TV movie score but a much more melodic and interesting one, musically speaking. Cheers!
Yavar
---
Other threads in this series:
FACE OF A FUGITIVE (1959) Advance Liner Notes:
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
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
