Randall D. Larson: Music from the House of Hammer: Music in the Hammer Horror Films, 1950–1980

464 THE JOURNAL OF FILM MUSIC Randall D. Larson: Music from the House of Hammer: Music in the Hammer Horror Films, 1950–1980. London: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 1996 [xvi, 193 p. ISBN: 0810829754. $38.00] Illustrations, bibliography, filmography, discography, index. rebecca fÜLÖP rguably responsible for CineFan, and Fantasy magazines, The book begins with an reinventing the horror film Larson currently writes articles introduction by Hammer’s most Agenre as well as British for cinescape.com.2 While much prolific and influential composer, cinema in the late 1950s with films of his work has focused on Robert James Bernard, whose humble such as The Curse of Frankenstein, Bloch (the author of the novel on account of his own career and The Mummy, and The Horror of which Psycho was based), Larson concise explanation of how a film Dracula, Hammer Film Studies is also keenly interested in the is scored serves as an admirable carries a curiously paradoxical intersection of music and horror, introduction. Bernard’s perhaps distinction: although its films as evidenced not only by Music from overly generous pronouncement of were deplored by the majority of the House of Hammer but also by his Larson’s “profounder knowledge critics when they were releases earlier book, Musique Fantastique: and expertise” (p. xiii) does and even today are often dismissed A Survey of Film Music in the Fantastic a disservice to what follows, as B-movies, Hammer has been Cinema. however, as Larson’s broadly credited with ‘usher[ing] out the Music from the House of Hammer, based survey of the music from trashy garbage of the fifties and written for Scarecrow Press’s the Hammer horror films rarely [lending] a legitimacy to horror.”1 Filmmakers series, seems to have attempts to be profound. An The relatively small, family-run as its target audience neither “Overture” follows, in which business made films in virtually film scholars nor musicians but, Larson gives a brief overview of the every genre, from comedies to rather, fans of the movies about role and function of film music. crime dramas to swashbucklers, which Larson writes. In this book The first three chapters are very but it is the horror and monster Larson does not seem particularly short, covering the studio’s early films for which Hammer will interested in matters pertaining to (ca. 1947–1955) composers, its always be remembered. Today most filmmaking or in cinematic history musical directors, and the rare books on horror films contain at outside of the Hammer films and occurrences of reused music. least one chapter devoted to the science-fiction/horror films. Non- Chapter 4 is devoted entirely to influential Hammer films, and musicians will easily understand James Bernard and the various other writers have devoted entire the musical content—the book genres of horror and science-fiction books to Hammer. contains no musical examples, films he scored over the years. Randall D. Larson is one and the language Larson uses Following this are three chapters such writer who has chosen to to describe the music is far less covering various composers from focus his gaze on the “studio that technical than one would find in the different eras of Hammer dripped blood.” The former editor an academic text. films, followed by “Nonhorror and publisher of Cinemascope, Notables,” “Hammer’s Television 2 Randall Larson. “A Conversation with Randall Music,” and a single-paragraph Larson,” interview by Michael G. Pfefferkorn, 1 T. Liam McDonald, “The Horrors of Hammer: March 2004. The Unofficial Robert Bloch “Coda.” Balancing out Bernard’s The House That Blood Built.” In Cut! Horror Website, http://mgpfefff.home.sprynet.com/ introduction is a final chapter— Writers on Horror Films, ed. Christopher Golden interview_larson01.html (accessed Janaury 30, (New York: Berkley Books, 1992), 160. 2006). more of an epilogue, although REVIEWS 465 it is not so named—by another In 1972, when Warner Bros., so-called serious academics. important Hammer composer of Hammer’s American distributor, He rarely digs deeply into the convinced the British studio to the later years, Harry Robertson, make a contemporary Dracula music, and his explanations of who is credited in the films as film geared to the rock-and-roll the scores, while enthusiastic, Harry Robinson. crowd, the moody Gothic do not betray a particularly vast In his discussions of the various atmospheres of James Bernard musical or theoretical knowledge. were replaced with loud rock composers responsible for creating music that, while in keeping with For instance, Larson provides the “Hammer sound,” Larson the film’s milieu and theme, the following information in his shows an admirable interest in failed to underscore the film’s discussion of James Bernard’s score not only the backgrounds of the drama (p. 131). for Horror of Dracula: composers but also in the larger contexts of their careers. While not Dracula A.D. 1972 was only The interplay between these going into great depth about the one of several Hammer films to two themes [Dracula’s and composers’ work for concert hall attempt a popular music or jazz Van Helsing’s] is used carefully and purposefully throughout or non-Hammer films, Larson is score, and Larson is careful to the score. Bernard used a careful to give what information point out that often these disasters similar interplay in Curse he can to demonstrate the general resulted outside influences such of Frankenstein . yet the high quality that Hammer looked as, in this case, Warner Bros. The thematic interaction is far more developed; Bernard has for in its composers; he thereby negative effect that Hollywood created a textbook tour-de- attempts to dispel the myths had on Hammer (including force of leitmotif interplay. As that composers of film music are changing the names of many of Bill Littman describes in detail not serious musicians and that the films for American audiences) in his analysis of the Horror of Dracula score, the Dracula motif Hammer in particular had second- turns up as a recurring theme always resolves itself, musically rate production values (indeed, throughout the book. While representing the strength of the Larson argues passionately that Larson does acknowledge that vampiric character. The motif the studio attempted and achieved the “changing style may have “has to be literally broken up to lose this resolution.” (This, of high quality in far more areas than been coincidental . resulting course, happens only at Dracula’s generally acknowledged). from . the overall shifting destruction at the end.) In Throughout, Larson’s into pop music that occurred contrast, the good theme is enthusiasm for his subject is in mainstream film scoring in only resolved twice during the film. Elsewhere it lacks total infectious and his knowledge of the the mid-1960s” (p. 10), he does definition, heard only in partial Hammer repertoire commendable. not attribute this shift in style performance, and not allowed Larson’s strengths in musical to the downfall of the so-called full expression, except in two analysis lie in identifying and classical Hollywood style of instances . (p. 23). drawing connections between filmmaking. As explained by themes, and indeed his most David Bordwell, the “excessively This vague and non-specific interesting analyses are those obvious” classical style emphasizes suggestion at analysis might suffice dealing with films whose scores narrative continuity and clarity.3 for a fan-oriented publication (as are leitmotivic or thematic. By simplifying the issue, Larson this book indeed seems to be). But Although his narrative is not ignores the implications that this had Larson intended to write the strictly chronological, Larson “less obvious” style might have “profound” piece of scholarship charts the development of the had on other horror films of the that Bernard extolled in the studio’s use of music, suggesting later years. introduction, he would have to a link between the direction the Larson is so good at creating explain what Littman meant and music took and Hammer’s eventual interest in his topic that it is provide a more specific example demise. He mentions, for instance, disappointing that he did not to prove his point. Unfortunately, the unsuccessful film Dracula A.D. attempt a more scholarly, in- Littman’s analysis, written for the 1972. Using for this film a pop-jazz depth look at the music of a science-fiction magazine Photon,4 score instead of a symphonic score, film genre often overlooked by is not easily available for wide Hammer purposefully chose to consumption, and so the reader turn its back on the mythology and 3 David Bordwell, Janet Staiger, and Janet eager to understand what exactly musical atmosphere created by the Thompson. The Classical Cinema: Film Style & Mode of Production to 1960 (New York: Columbia 4 Bill Littman, “Dracula—His Music,” Photon 27 earlier films: University Press, 1985), 3–11. (1977), 42. 466 THE JOURNAL OF FILM MUSIC Larson and Littman mean by interesting information. Rather, he explanations of harmonies and the motif “resolving itself” and lets these quotations do the talking tonal frameworks favored by the “lacking total definition” is sadly and rarely uses them to make composers. He refers often to the out of luck. a point. famous “Hammer chords” but Along with citing an analysis Another area where Larson does not tell us what they are, if without providing any explanation could have shown more scholarly indeed they are specific harmonies, for it, Larson packs his pages with rigor can be seen in his discussion and he merely uses designations quotations from interviews (some of composer Don Banks. Larson such as “dissonant” and “atonal.” conducted by him) and articles, but acknowledges that Banks While this is in keeping with the he often fails to integrate them into composed music for the concert non-technical tone and popular his writing or make any comment hall as well as for films, and he appeal of the book, a brief and on them whatsoever.

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