INTRADA Announces:
HOW TO STEAL A MILLION/BACHELOR FLAT
Composed and Conducted by JOHN WILLIAMS
INTRADA Special Collection Volume 83
Intrada's latest release from the archives of 20th Century Fox presents two early scores by John (then "Johnny") Williams. First up is the 1966 art museum caper How to Steal a Million, which Williams considers his first major motion picture score. How to Steal a Million was directed by three-time Oscar-winner William Wyler and starred Peter O'Toole and Audrey Hepburn. Hepburn plays Nicole Bonnet, whose father (Hugh Griffith) is known to the world as a preeminent art collector, but actually is a second-generation forger of works by the great masters. After Bonnet's "Cellini Venus" sculpture is loaned out for a museum exhibit, Nicole finds Simon Dermott (O'Toole) burglarizing their Paris mansion. Not wanting to risk the forgeries being discovered, she lets him go. When it is determined that the Venus needs to undergo an authenticity test, Nicole convinces Simon to help steal it back before they are discovered...not knowing that Simon is actually an art expert and detective in disguise hired to determine if her father is a forger. The score to How to Steal a Million, features a rich main title in what Williams called a "French Boulevard piece" with a "Gallic flavor." The varied score also features a love theme, a can-can, a march, a fanfare...all woven into this colorful score that is a true Williams' comedy classic.
Bachelor Flat is the second score featured and revolves around Bruce Patterson (Terry Thomas), an archeaology professor teaching at a California university, who is constantly thwarting advances by female students attracted to his "Englishness." Shortly before wedding an American fashion designer (Celeste Holm), he is accosted by a teenager (Tuesday Weld) who turns out to be his fiancee's daughter from a previous marriage, and madness ensues. Despite being an early Williams' effort, the score shows Williams' style in full form and features several charming themes. The film featured several lengthy scenes with no dialog, calling for Williams' music to carry the scenes with careful integration of on screen action and music. A particular standout is the cue "Mambone," written for a clever sequence involving a dog on the beach, which was reworked as the film's trailer music.
This 2-CD set premieres the original 20th Century Fox LP re-recording of How to Steal a Million on Disc 1, remastered in a sparkling stereo presentation. Disc 2 features the surviving original film tracks to How To Steal a Million as well as the original recording of William's music to Bachelor Flat. All in stereo from the original elements from the Fox vaults.
This release is limited to 2500 copies.
INTRADA Special Collection - Volume 83
Retail Price: 19.99
AVAILABLE NOW
For track listing and sound samples, please visit
http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.5974/.f
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