John Wayne at Fox — the Westerns

JOHN WAYNE AT FOX — THE WESTERNS ohn Wayne at Fox – not a lot of films, Bernstein’s music is as iconic and big as the federate who decides to burn his plantation but some extraordinarily entertaining Duke himself. (rather than leave it to the carpetbaggers) Jones. Interestingly, John Wayne’s first and take his people to Mexico. Wayne is a credited screen appearance, The Big Trail, A year earlier, the John Wayne Fox western Union soldier trying to sell horses – the two was for Fox. The 1930 western should have was North to Alaska, a big, sprawling comedy former enemies join up and there follows made him a star – but it didn’t. Wayne toiled western starring the Duke, Stewart Granger, much excitement, drunken brawls, a romance in all kinds of films for all kinds of studios enticing Capucine, Ernie Kovacs and teen between Wayne’s adopted Indian son and and it took John Ford and his smash hit film, heartthrob Fabian. The director was Henry Hudson’s daughter, and more excitement, all Stagecoach, to make Wayne an “overnight Hathaway, a regular at Fox, who’d helmed rousingly scored by Hugo Montenegro. sensation” and box-office star. Unlike many such classics as The House on 92nd Street, of the stars of that era, Wayne wasn’t tied to Call Northside 777, Kiss of Death, Fourteen Montenegro, born in 1925, began as an or- one studio – he bounced around from studio Hours, Niagara, Prince Valiant and many chestra leader in the mid-1950s, then going to studio, maintaining his independence. He others, as well as several films with Wayne, to Time Records, where he did several great returned to Fox in 1958 not for a western but including The Shepherd of the Hills, Legend albums in the early 1960s. Throughout that for The Barbarian and the Geisha. But a cou- of the Lost, How the West Was Won, Cir- decade, Montenegro did cover versions of ple of years later, he returned to Fox for the cus World, The Sons of Katie Elder, and, of various film and TV music, along with cover first of three films he’d make there over the course, the film that won Wayne an Oscar, versions of pop music, all of which were very next eleven years, all westerns. True Grit. The screenplay (based on a play successful. In fact, his version of Ennio Mor- by Ladislas Fodor) was by John Lee Mahin, ricone’s The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly The Comancheros (1961), based on the Wendell Mayes and Martin Rackin, with Cin- was a huge pop hit, reaching number two on 1952 novel by Paul I. Wellman, was directed emascope and color photography by Leon the Billboard chart and selling over a million by Michael Curtiz, the great director who’d Shamroy. The story involves Alaska, girls, copies. He began his film journey in 1964, done any number of classics, including some gold, gold thieves and lots of brawling and a conducting and arranging music for Advance of the most beloved films of all time – Casa- happy ending. Wayne is his usual wonderful to the Rear. He turned out some wonderful blanca, The Adventures of Robin Hood, self as Sam McCord, Stewart Granger is his scores in subsequent years, including Hurry Captain Blood, Angels With Dirty Faces, The usual charming self as George Pratt, Ernie Sundown, two Matt Helm films – The Am- Sea Hawk, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Mildred Kovacs is his usual amusing self, and Capu- bushers and The Wrecking Crew – Viva Max Pierce, White Christmas, to name just a cine is fetching and feisty as Angel, and Fa- and Charro. He was also extremely prolific in handful. Starring were Wayne, Stuart Whit- bian is charming. The score, credited solely television, composing for such classic shows man, Ina Balin, Lee Marvin, Nehemiah Per- to Lionel Newman, but containing music by as Hazel, The Monkees, Here Come the soff and Bruce Cabot. The screenplay was several others, fits the film like a glove. It’s Brides, I Dream of Jeannie, Bracken’s World, by James Edward Grant and Clair Huffaker, got a tuneful title song by Mike Phillips, a Mission: Impossible, and The Partridge Fam- and behind the camera was the great William nice song for Fabian called “If You Knew” ily. H. Clothier, shooting in Cinemascope and and some fun original orchestral cues by color. Curtiz was very ill during filming and Newman. The score, like the film, is light and Montenegro’s music for The Undefeated according to those who were there, Wayne fluffy, all expertly orchestrated by stalwarts is big as all outdoors, with strong themes would occasionally take over those chores. Bernard Mayers and Urban Thielmann, along and a real sense of storytelling. As with It was, sadly, Curtiz’s last film. with vocal direction by the amazing Ken many Western scores, there’s a lot of Cop- Darby. land “Americana” as well as a stirring main The Comancheros is the story of an escaped theme, some great dramatic scoring, some gambler facing the death penalty and the Next we jump to the third of the Fox Wayne Mexican-flavored cues and even a hoedown. Texas Ranger who catches him but with westerns, the 1969 film The Undefeated It’s a gem of a score and it’s a shame Mon- whom he then must join forces to fight, a (Wayne’s other film from that year would tenegro didn’t have a bigger film career. He bunch of bad guys called, what else, the Co- be one of his greatest – True Grit), starring passed away in 1981. mancheros. It’s a wonderful film with colorful Wayne and Rock Hudson, along with Roman performances, gorgeous photography, and Gabriel, Lee Meriwether, Bruce Cabot, Ben Both The Comancheros and The Undefeated a rousing musical score by Elmer Bernstein. Johnson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Harry Carey, were previously released on CD by FSM, At the time, Bernstein had just written what Jr., Paul Fix, Richard Mulligan, John Agar and North to Alaska was released on CD by would become one of the most iconic western and Dub Taylor. The director was Andrew Intrada. But we’re pleased to bring them all scores ever, The Magnificent Seven. The Co- V. McLaglen, the script was by James Lee together in one 2-CD set – they’ve all been mancheros was his follow up western score, Barrett and the cameraman was William H. newly remastered for this release. and it, like the film it graces, is colorful, bigger Clothier. The Undefeated concerns itself — Bruce Kimmel than life, and filled with action and adventure. with Confederate and Union soldiers dealing You know what you’re in for as soon as the with the aftermath of the Civil War. Emperor first chords of the main title music begin, one Maximilian of Mexico has offered land to the of Bernstein’s all-time classic themes. But the “undefeated” Confederates (who refused to score is rife with melody and invention and accept defeat), Hudson being one such Con-.

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