RHAPSODY OF STEEL

Label: Kritzerland KR 20014
Date: 1959

Limited edition of 1000 copies.

From the Kritzerland press release: "Rhapsody Of Steel was a short animated industrial film commissioned by United States Steel. Normally, industrial films were not widely seen, but the twenty-two minute Rhapsody Of Steel, a sort of child’s history of steel from the first meteor hitting earth to modern times (circa 1959) and the first manned space rocket turned out so well that it was shown as an added attraction at thousands of US movie theaters in 1959. The creative team included John Sutherland (who’d been an assistant director at Disney and who’d voiced the adult Bambi), Eyvind Earle (who, the same year, had leant his distinct artistry to Disney’s Sleeping Beauty), and Maurice Noble (Duck Dodgers). The wonderful actor Gary Merrill was brought on board to speak the narration. For the score, Sutherland managed the incredible coup of landing Dimitri Tiomkin – Tiomkin had already won Oscars for High Noon and The High and the Mighty, and would, the same year as Rhapsody Of Steel, win yet another for The Old Man and the Sea, not to mention composing scores for some of Hollywood’s all-time classic films, including Lost Horizon, Duel In The Sun, Red River, High Noon, Strangers On A Train, I Confess, It’s A Wonderful Life, Portrait of Jennie, The Thing from Another World, The High and the Mighty, Dial ‘M’ For Murder, Giant, Friendly Persuasion, Gunfight At The O.K. Corral, Rio Bravo, The Unforgiven, The Alamo, The Sundowners, The Guns Of Navarone, and many others. His music for Rhapsody Of Steel is propulsive and energetic, capturing the essence of the progress of steel through the ages. It’s exciting, dramatic, and compelling music and doesn’t let up for the full running time of the film. Playing the score was the marvelous Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, which was only appropriate since United States Steel was headquartered in Pittsburgh. Tiomkin conducted and the result is a virtuoso performance by the orchestra and a thrilling listening experience in fabulous monophonic sound. Originally released as a promotional LP for friends and family of United States Steel, the LP was a highly prized and sought after collectible, and we’re very happy to finally bring it to CD. The score is presented two ways – the score only, and the score with Gary Merrill’s narration."