Posted 7:55 PM by Gene

When movies were worse than today's: These last few days I've been utterly fixated on Lionel Newman's recording of Korngold's Kings Row theme, from the 1961 Warner LP that brought his film music back from the dead. You've probably heard it: John Williams wrote it for Star Wars. (He called it a homage, which is merely pretentious; but plagiarism is too strong, so let's call it for what it is: photocopying.) It is disappointing to learn the mighty Warner orchestra did not record it or the rest of the album despite its appearance on the company label; it was done by a second-string orchestra in Munich but they do a very good job imitating it. And if the theme seems out of place given the subject matter (I've never seen the film) it would take ears of stone to deny its majesty. One would call it awesome had DICKIE V and stupid teens not relegated the word to ridicule. Well, there's a better way of putting it: "There are the greats -- and then there is Korngold."

It is annoying, though, to learn that ten years ago the TWXSTERS dedicated the Burbank sound stage where Korngold and Steiner and Waxman and the others recorded to THE GREATEST ACTOR-TURNED-DIRECTOR EVER, whose forays in music include an AHTHOUSE bio of BIRD, and singing flat in Paint Your Wagon.