Who’s Got the Action? nce upon a time, the frothy and are sorted out and everyone presum - music. Duning’s main theme uses a five- fizzy comedy was a staple of ably lives happily ever after, including note motif that matches the syllables of OHollywood – and these films, the gangster. It’s all fast, fun, and highly “Who’s Got the Action?” and it sets the with nothing much on their minds other entertaining. How can you not like a film tone for the rest of the score, appearing than providing an audience with lots of that has a female character named Sat - in many variations. We also get a little laughs and a good time, popped up urday Knight and a gangster named flamenco (played by the great Laurindo weekly, year after year. Dean Martin did Tony Gagoots? Almeida), sexy saxophone for Saturday a number of them for Paramount, and in Knight, some Japanese source music, 1962 it was Who’s Got the Action? , But no frothy and fizzy comedy can suc - a little Duning Dixieland, the kind of based on a 1960 novel by Alexander ceed without a frothy and fizzy score, music you want to fall in love to (“Empty Rose. Martin was completely at home and Who’s Got the Action? has a great Spaces”), a little horse racing music, and at ease in this kind of film and his one by a man who truly understood how cool jazz, and music for a happy ending. star power made every one of them a to score a frothy and fizzy comedy – It’s a delight from start to finish. delight. And if he weren’t enough, add George Duning. Duning, born in 1908, to the mix gorgeous Lana Turner and began his film music journey in the early This is the world premiere release for such brilliant comic actors as Eddie Al - 1940s, working uncredited on a number Who’s Got the Action? The score is pre - bert, Paul Ford, John McGiver, Nita Tal - of films. His first credited score was for sented as it is heard in the film. We had bot, and, most especially, Walter Johnny O’Clock , and from that point on mostly stereo tracks, but five of the film’s Matthau, and you have a recipe for a Duning became one of Hollywood’s twenty cues existed in mono only. raucously funny romp. most prolific composers. He turned out Nonetheless, we felt that presenting one score after another at Columbia them in order was the best way. As a With a screenplay by Jack Rose (a Studios, where he was on staff. His bonus, we include a demo version of the Paramount veteran with such films as classics included Salome, From Here to title tune with lyrics by Jack Brooks, and Road to Rio, Living It Up, The Seven Lit - Eternity, Tight Spot, The Man From a couple of classical cues used as tle Foys, Beau James, Houseboat, The Laramie, Picnic, Full of Life, Nightfall, source music. It’s always a treat to bring Five Pennies and others to his credit), The Eddy Duchin Story, 3:10 to Yuma, more George Duning to CD. He was a and direction by Daniel Mann (Come Cowboy, Bell, Book, and Candle, wonderful composer whose work is al - Back, Little Sheba, The Rose Tattoo, I’ll Strangers When We Meet – to name but ways fresh and melodic – what great Cry Tomorrow, The Teahouse of the Au - a few. In the 1960s he worked for other film music is all about. gust Moon, Hot Spell, BUtterfield 8, Our studios; for Paramount he wrote one of Man Flint , among many others), Who’s his greatest scores, The World of Suzie — Bruce Kimmel Got the Action? is a comedy of errors Wong. Eventually he moved into televi - about a man who suffers from a gam - sion, doing many classic shows – none bling addiction. The various machina - more classic than Paramount’s Star tions of his wife and friends backfire Trek , for which he composed three of completely, and gambling bets that are the series’ best scores. supposed to lose, win. Suddenly, every - one wants a piece of the action, from Duning wrote instantly memorable judges to gangsters. There’s not much themes and Who’s Got the Action? is more to it than that, and by the end, as full of them. It’s a light, fun, quirky score is always the case with these films, a that has a little bit of everything, includ - happy ending prevails. All complications ing some classic Duning romantic.