Press Release from Dragon's Domain:
Dragon’s Domain Records presents TOO LATE THE HERO, featuring music composed by Gerald Fried (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., STAR TREK, ROOTS) for the 1970 war film directed by Robert Aldrich (THE DIRTY DOZEN, EMPEROR OF THE NORTH, THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX), written by Aldrich, Robert Sherman and Lukas Heller, starring Michael Caine, Cliff Robertson, Ian Bannen, Harry Andrews, Ronald Fraser, Denholm Elliott, Percy Herbert, Patrick Jordan, Harvey Jason and Henry Fonda.
TOO LATE THE HERO takes place in 1942, in the Pacific Theatre of World War II and follows Lieutenant Junior Grade Sam Lawson (Robertson), a Japanese-language interpreter who, so far, has been able to avoid combat. Captain Nolan (Fonda), his commanding officer, unexpectedly cancels his leave and informs Lawson that he is being assigned to a British infantry commando unit in the New Hebrides Islands for a combat mission... The British base at this location is located in the middle of a large open field, several hundred yards from the edge of the jungle. On the other side of the jungle is a Japanese observation post. The commando group is led by Captain Hornsby (Elliott). Hornsby’s commando group is instructed to destroy the Japanese radio transmitter at the observation post before they can sound the alarm on an American naval convoy that is scheduled to appear on the horizon in just a few days. During the course of executing their mission, they discover the existence of a secret Japanese airfield and planes ready for action...
The music for TOO LATE THE HERO was composed by Gerald Fried. This was a continuation of his collaboration with director Robert Aldrich, which also included THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO AUNT ALICE? and THE GRISSOM GANG. The score for TOO LATE THE HERO is one of Fried’s most exciting and impressive orchestral works, constructed for large orchestra (including an expanded percussion section) and implemented with synthesizers and numerous exotic instruments. TOO LATE THE HERO offers a splendid example of Fried’s unique ability to derive fascinating motives from unusual rhythm patterns.
Born February, 1928 in the Bronx, Gerald Fried’s interest in music found its first fruition at the High School of Music & Art in New York City. He attended The Juilliard School of Music as an oboe major, graduating in 1945. Among his earliest friends was a bright kid named Stanley Kubrick. The two of them used to hang around Greenwich Village and talk about their budding interests, Fried’s in classical music and Kubrick’s in filmmaking. Their interests merged when Kubrick began filming DAY OF THE FIGHT, an 18-minute short about boxing. Knowing Fried was a music major, Kubrick asked him if he could write the score for his boxing picture. Fried agreed, then spent months going to the movies to learn how film scores worked, there being no schools or courses on film music in those days. Fried wrote an effective score, and Kubrick sold the film to RKO Pathé. Fried rejoined Kubrick to score four more of his films, including THE KILLING and PATHS TO GLORY, where the young filmmaker first gained his reputation.
After the success of THE KILLING in 1956, Kubrick moved to Los Angeles, shortly followed by Fried, who was immediately hired to compose and arrange music for several films, including THE VAMPIRE, THE RETURN OF DRACULA, MACHINE GUN KELLY and I, MOBSTER, I BURY THE LIVING, and TIMBUKTU (1959). By the 1960s, Fried moved into television, scoring episodes of such seminal shows of the decade as GILLIGAN’S ISLAND, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and STAR TREK. By the 1970s Fried was composing music for numerous made-for-TV movies. His best-known score of the decade was for the 1977 miniseries ROOTS, which he took over scoring when Quincy Jones fell behind and was unable to meet the broadcast deadline for the eight-hour miniseries. Both Jones and Fried won Emmy Awards for their musical efforts on the series. During the ‘80s, Fried continued to compose music for television series, movies, and documentaries, and an occasional feature film. These are just two of the many magnificent scores Fried wrote throughout his career. The composer passed away on February 17, 2023 at the age of 95. His work remains a testament to his talent and dedication to the art of composition and he is remembered as a key figure in the evolution of music for film and television.
Originally appearing on compact disc nearly three decades ago and very scarce, Dragon’s Domain Records brings TOO LATE THE HERO back to the marketplace, featuring music composed and conducted by Gerald Fried. The music has been remastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland and reprising the liner notes written by D.L. Fuller for the original release.
