Paris When It Sizzles

Paris When It Sizzles hat does it take for Paris to shows off both her and Paris in all also scored Johnny Concho, A Hole in Sizzle? Well, add one part their Technicolor beauty. In fact, the the Head and Ocean’s 11, all of which WWilliam Holden, one part film is like a frothy, sparkling glass of starred Sinatra. He wrote a great Audrey Hepburn, a screenplay by champagne, a cream puff, and a real score to Stanley Kubrick’s film of Loli- George Axelrod (Breakfast at Tiffa- delight. ta, and then did more work for Sinatra ny’s, The Manchurian Candidate), and with Come Blow Your Horn, 4 for direction by Richard Quine. In 1964, Helping to bring the film to efferves- Texas, and Robin and the 7 Hoods. He all these artists were at the top of their cent life is the eclectic and fun score also had a huge hit with his theme for game. Add to them appearances by by Nelson Riddle. One can only the television show Route 66, and his Noel Coward, Tony Curtis and Marlene imagine that Riddle had a field day other hit TV shows included The Un- Dietrich, along with the other major with this score, getting not only to touchables and the first two seasons character, the City of Light, Paris, and underscore the film proper, with its of Batman. He continued arranging for you have a recipe for Sizzle indeed. gorgeous themes, but also to under- Sinatra and others on Sinatra’s new score the movie parodies and to create label, Reprise. In 1983, Riddle had Based on the 1952 Julien Duvivier some wonderful source cues. His main a comeback with his two albums of French film Holiday for Henrietta, romantic theme is one of his best, and standards for Linda Ronstadt, What’s the picture features Holden as Rich- the score is kind of the poster child for New and Lush Life, bringing his unique ard Benson, a playboy screenwriter how to write a great score for a come- arrangements to a whole new genera- who likes to wait until the last minute dy. As you will hear, it’s a delight from tion. Riddle passed away in 1985. to write his screenplays, and does start to finish and a perfect example of just that with a project he’s doing for what nobody did better than Riddle. For this release, we present the entire producer Alexander Meyerheim (Noel score on CD 1, all beautifully restored Coward). He hires a young woman Nelson Riddle began as an arranger by Chris Malone from elements in the from the typing bureau, Gabrielle in Hollywood for a number of great Paramount Pictures vaults. On CD Simpson (Audrey Hepburn), who singers. In 1950 he was hired by Les 2 we present alternates and bonus arrives at his hotel room to type his Baxter to write arrangements for a Nat tracks, followed by the original Reprise script, only to find he hasn’t written a King Cole album on Capitol, beginning LP soundtrack presentation. single word of it. But Holden is taken his long association with the label. with and inspired by Gabrielle and And even though it was Baxter who — Bruce Kimmel starts to come up with various ideas received credit for Nat King Cole’s for the film he’s calling The Girl Who huge-selling recording of “Mona Lisa,” Stole the Eiffel Tower. Of course, com- it was, in fact, Riddle’s chart – Cole edy and romance ensue, along with found that out and then sought out a heaping portion of movie business Riddle for more sessions. During those satire, poking fun at actors, studio years Riddle became the main arrang- heads, and allusions to the past roles er for another Capitol recording artist, of the two stars. someone named Frank Sinatra. And yet critics were, for the most part, Riddle was also involved in arranging dismissive. It’s hard to imagine why for film and scored the film musicals when watching it now, which is prob- of Pal Joey and Li’l Abner. His first ably why it has a legion of fans who original film score was in 1956 for the understand and appreciate the spoof- film Flame of the Islands, followed by ery and the star wattage of Holden and the Ray Milland film Lisbon – for which Hepburn. The latter has never looked he used his arrangement of the song more beautiful, and the photography “Lisbon Antigua,” which had recently of Charles Lang and Claude Renoir earned Riddle a gold record award. He .

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