A DISPATCH FROM REUTERS
(1940 - Music by Max Steiner)
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Directed by William Dieterle

Starring Edward G. Robinson as Paul Julius Reuter

A Dispatch from Reuters (1940) tells the story of this man, a German-born British immigrant who wanted to "make the world a little smaller." He started his business in 1850, using carrier pigeons to fly stock prices between Aachen and Brussels. Two years later he had opened an office in London to transmit stock quotations between London and Paris via a new underwater cable. Eventually he was gathering information by means of a large telegraph network and feeding news to the London papers. All the while he built a reputation for speed and accuracy. It was an astounding achievement to relay a major speech by French Emperor Napoleon III (Louis Napoleon, the nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte) as it was being delivered. Later, he scooped Europe with news of Lincoln's assassination.


Technical Data: Reel Tape N.198b {19 minutes}

Music Composed by Max Steiner
Orchestrations Arranged by Hugo Friedhofer
Music Supervised by Leo F. Forbstein

LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY
(1936 - Music by Max Steiner)
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Directed by John Cromwell

Starring Freddie Bartholomew as Cedric 'Ceddie' Erroll and Dolores Costello

After the death of Cedric ('Ceddie')'s English father, he and his mother live together in Brooklyn. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, had disowned Cedric's father when he married an American. But when the Earl's remaining son dies, he accepts Cedric as Lord Fauntleroy, his heir, and the Earl sends for Cedric and his mother. Cedric uses the first of his newly found wealth to do some favors for his old friends, and then heads to England, where he must try to overcome the Earl's dislike for Cedric's mother.

Technical Data: Reel Tape N. 180 {46 minutes}

Music Composed by Max Steiner

GREEN LIGHT
(1937 - Music by Max Steiner)
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Directed by Frank Borzage and Starring Errol Flynn, Anita Louise Margaret Lindsay and Cedric Hardwicke

Dr. Newell Paige is a dedicated surgeon and physician who is devoted to his patients and to the ethics of his profession. Covering for his mentor, Dr. Endicott, who is consumed by personal problems, Paige operates on a wealthy donor to the hospital, Mrs. Dexter. However, Dr. Endicott rushes in at the last moment and in his haste botches the surgery. Mrs. Dexter dies. An inquiry ensues and Dr. Endicott refuses to take or pass blame. The presumption of guilt then falls on Dr. Paige, who resigns rather than blame his mentor. By accident, Paige meets and falls in love with Mrs. Dexter's daughter Phyllis. When they each learn the other's true identity, Paige leaves rather than cause Phyllis pain, since she blames him for her mother's death. Paige travels to a rural settlement to join his friend Dr. Stafford in a dangerous experiment intended to eradicate spotted fever, which has decimated the local population. Influenced by the religious and ethical expoundings of church dean Harcourt, Paige risks his life in hopes of giving something of value to mankind.



Max Steiner's music is beautifully romantic but oddly unmemorable---which is hard to believe considering his catalog of work (the rousing "Charge of the Light Brigade", for instance, or the classics "The Wizard of Oz" or "Casablanca"). The choristers (boys) of St. Luke's Episcopal Church effectively lend their voices to a few scenes, and would do so in Flynn's follow-up film, "The Prince and the Pauper".

Technical Data: {Reel Tape n.190} {59 minutes}

Music Composed by Max Steiner
Musical Direction by Leo F. Forbstein
Orchestrations by Hugo Friedhofer

This is the second score for an Errol Flynn's film. Max Steiner scored 17 films starred by him inclduing some memorables as Charge of the Light Brigade, Dodge City, Adventures of Don Juan, They Died with Their Boots On, Santa Fe Trail, The Prince and the Pauper ...

Some of them have already some kind of release (LP, CD original, CD with a re-recording). I plan to include some of the unreleased ones here.

FIGHTER SQUADRON

FIGHTER SQUADRON (1948 - Music by Max Steiner)
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Directed by Raoul Walsh

Starring Edmond O'Brien and Robert Stack


At an American air base in England, 1943, is conniving Sergeant Dolan, who manipulates everyone, and insubordinate ace fighter pilot Major Ed Hardin. When Ed is promoted to commander of his group, he must fight his former anti-authority stance as well as the enemy; tension grows as D-Day approaches. Generally lighthearted between moments of technicolor gore; lots of air combat footage, much of it genuine.


Max Steiner and Raoul Walsh worked together in 13 movies

Technical Data: Reel Tape N. 238 {47 minutes}

Music Composed by Max Steiner
Orchestrations by Murray Cutter
Musical Direction by Ray Heindorf

VIOLENT MEN
(1955 - Music by Max Steiner)
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VOLCANIC! VALIANT! VICIOUS! Violence and Passion the Screen Has Seldom Seen!

Directed by Rudolph Maté

Starring Glenn Ford, Barbara Stanwyckand Edward G. Robinson


A Union ex-officer plans to sell up to Anchor Ranch and move east with his fiancee, but the low price offered by Anchor's crippled owner and the outfit's bully-boy tactics make him think again. When one of his hands is murdered he decides to stay and fight, utilising his war experience. Not all is well at Anchor with the owner's wife carrying on with his brother who anyway has a Mexican moll in town.


Max Steiner composed music for many Westerns as Dodge City, Distant Trumpet, The Searchers, Rocky Mountain, Santa Fe Trail


In the case of Violent Men the film benefits from a particularly stirring score penned by Max Steiner


Technical Data: Reel Tape N. 245b {22 minutes}

Music Composed by Max Steiner
Orchestrations by Murray Cutter
Orchestra Conducted by Morris Stoloff

This is the first western score I include in the blog. I am not sure if I am a greater fan of Western than Golden Age but they are at the same level in my collection. I try to get any western score available. So this is the first but it is not going to be the last as I am plannig to include all my westerns scores here.

FORCE OF ARMS
(1951 - Music by Max Steiner)
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Directed by Michael Curtiz

Starring William Holden and Nancy Olson

Winter, 1943. The German army has halted the American advance in the mountains of Italy; back-and-forth combat decimates Joe Peterson's platoon. On leave in Naples, Joe meets WAC lieutenant Eleanor MacKay; initially cool, she begins to melt during a bombing raid. Their romance develops despite Joe's periodic returns to the front. But whether he'll come back in the end becomes more than doubtful...

Curtiz used to hire Steiner for many of his films Dodge City, Santa Fe Trail, Virginia City, Casablanca, Life with Father ...

Technical Data: Reel Tape N. 245a {23 tracks} {42:13 minutes}

Music Composed by Max Steiner
Orchestrations by Murray Cutter

MARA MARU
(1951 - Music by Max Steiner)
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Directed by Gordon Douglas

Starring Errol Flynn, Ruth Roman and Raymond Burr

Greg Mason, salvage diver in the Philippines, finds his partner Andy drunk and raving about treasure. Whatever it is, somebody wants it badly enough to kill Andy and frame Mason for murder. Cleared by an insinuating private eye, Mason is immersed in intrigue, with detective Rainier, sinister Benedict, mysterious Orgega, and Andy's comely widow all somehow involved. Soon various parties, not really trusting each other, are on a sea voyage to dive for they know not what...



Technical Data: Reel Tape N. 219a {8 tracks} {24:02 minutes}

Music Composed by Max Steiner
Orchestrations by Murray Cutter