World premiere release of Jerry Goldsmith’s original soundtrack from 1977 WWII film! Universal Pictures releases for Richard D. Zanuck/David Brown productions with Frank McCarthy producing, Hal Barwood & Matthew Robbins script, Joseph Sargent directs with Gregory Peck starring as the famed titular character of General Douglas MacArthur. Movie follows MacArthur in his combat exploits in the South Pacific during the latter years of WWII. Significant losses at Corregidor, victories in the Pacific, ultimate surrender of Japan, China’s conflict with Korea, all are captured in Jerry Goldsmith’s powerful score. The music anchors with a sturdy, propulsive military march given an unusual introductory idea: left-hand piano rhythms played with mallets on the strings. This dramatic effect reappears in several sequences. But Goldsmith’s march is judiciously used. Getting considerable attention is a much more nostalgic theme identifying MacArthur’s respect for West Point and the military traditions. Interestingly, a secondary idea heard as a “B” section of the composer’s march also gets considerable attention and in many instances becomes a major theme on its own. In fact, when the final end credits playout with a dynamic return of the march, Goldsmith adds a coda of powerful fortissimo major chords declaring that secondary idea to close the score. Commanding idea! There is so much more in Goldsmith’s score as well: Film covers losses by both U.S. and Filipinos as well as the Japanese, and the loss of face and defeat in Japan is given darker material. “New Era” is a moving highlight with Goldsmith building on a traditional Japanese melody (“Sakura Sakura”) in low strings colored with striking solo phrases from bassoon. MCA Records issued highlights in a re-recorded album at the time of the film’s release but the actual film versions of Goldsmith’s score have never been released - until now. Some of the differences between the film and re-recorded versions are subtle, other differences are striking. The soundtrack version of the score also includes numerous cues not contained on the 1977 album. Newly re-mastered presentation of that original album also appears. Complete score is presented from 1/2” 3-channel session masters. Several extras include source material recorded at the sessions plus a powerful specially-recorded performance of Goldsmith’s exciting “Hard Gained Ground” cue from Lonely Are The Brave in which a few seconds of the take are heard as source music in MacArthur. Wow! John Neal engineers at The Burbank Studios, Arthur Morton orchestrates, Jerry Goldsmith composes, conducts. Intrada Special Collection 2-CD set available while quantities and interest remain!
