MORITURI

Newly remastered release of exciting, aggressive Jerry Goldsmith WWII score, Morituri! Terrific cast headlines 1965 20th Century Fox movie: Marlon Brando, Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Janet Margolin, Wally Cox, Hans Christian Belch, William Redfield. Intelligent, complex script comes from Daniel Taradash, Bernhard Wick helms. Striking b&w camerawork from Conrad Hall. Wartime Freighter loaded valuable with supplies, spy activities, sabotage and intrigue plus unusual locales that include Yokohama, Macao and the high seas all inspire Jerry Goldsmith to fashion intense, riveting score for orchestra with spotlight on solo zither at the onset. Score also displays composer’s peerless talent for percussion writing, in this instance, often powerful snare & bass drum. Abundance of additional Goldsmith “signatures” abound: pulsating left hand piano, muted brass punctuation, xylophone adding to rhythms, zig-zag action motifs (pre-Planet of the Apes) and rhythmic ostinati galore. Amongst numerous musical highlights: “Boat Drill” announces with trumpet fanfare, then launches with lively action material featuring jagged rhythms in piano, cello, xylophone while brass drive forward, all the while exposed electric guitar plucking away. “A Change of Face/Sneak Attack” features main theme (heard first in “Main Title” on zither) get lively treatment for full orchestra with crisp punctuation from low strings, trombones amidst the excitement. Subito changes in dynamics highlight velocity of action riffs during “Caught In The Act” while ferocious triplet figures for orchestra in jagged fashion highlight knockout “A Lost Cause”. Years later, when Fox produced The Last Hard Men, with Charlton Heston & James Coburn, music editor Len Engel was tasked with stitching music from existing Jerry Goldsmith scores into cohesive soundtrack. Prominently featured during controversial, unpleasant rape sequence, which unfolds without dialog, Engel used stunning “Abandoned Ship” cue from current score, showcasing incredibly intense, ever-tightening music in virtual textbook display of building intensity via repeating, lean two-part harmonic motif that ceases to change while outbursts first from trombone then additional brass and eventually swirling strings wind tighter and tighter until they literally break. Written for Morituri, the cue deserves a special spotlight. CD was previously released on FSM label with judicious trims to damaged channels of 35mm multi-track recordings. All have been restored with current technology, allowing remastered Intrada release to showcase improved audio restoration. Dramatic package design from Kay Marshall with flipper cover featuring both original title art and re-release title art, literate notes from Tim Grieving, production work from Mike Matessino. Jerry Goldsmith composes, Lionel Newman conducts. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain!