by Paul Tonks
score -- n. / Pron. “skôr”
1. The notation of a musical work.
2. The written form of a composition for orchestral or vocal parts.
3. The music written for a film, play, or other viewed entertainment.
4. The resounding cheer of “high-fiving” Producers getting music that’s close enough to the Temp Track, without being sued.
One of the greatest concepts that the comic book has brought to the world is the alternate universe possibilities posed by a “What If…?” Over the years, soundtrack fans have had endless arguments over who would take over the STAR WARS saga if we tragically lost John Williams. Or who would be the perfect James Bond composer when David Arnold’s had enough? Or how much more palatable GANGS OF NEW YORK might have been if Elmer Bernstein hadn’t been muscled out. You get the idea.
Well, this past week or so, my head has absolutely reeled with a dream of a parallel universe film score that could have been. A link to the full fabulous but oh-so-faux story can be found at the bottom of this Column, but simply put ladies and gents:
WHAT IF BERNARD HERRMANN HAD SCORED ORSON WELLES’ BATMAN?
What’s this? Can I be serious? The piece states an author currently researching Welles for an upcoming biography came across Welles’ plans for adapting the comic to the big screen. The larger than life director was well known for his love of the pulp novel, but points out he was also a keen comics reader. So in 1946, after his struggles with CITIZEN KANE and THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS, this was his next intended project. Apparently the unearthed documents show that studio negotiations had gone some way and even more excitingly, that a cast of baddies was already set. Can you imagine Basil Rathbone as The Joker? James Cagney as The Riddler? And Marlene Dietrich as Catwoman?
Unfortunately, the stumbling block that halted production was the megalomaniacal Welles insisting on the lead role in addition to directing, scripting, etc. Sigh.
But what if…?
We know the story of Welles losing Hollywood power little by little after KANE, but at this stage in his career, he was still in a position to insist upon various filmmaking crewmembers. When the BATMAN project fizzled out, he rushed through production of THE STRANGER (1946) to show he could direct a standard Hollywood movie on time and on budget. He also acquiesced on a studio appointed composer – Bronislau Kaper. This was a tactical error on Welles’ part of course, especially since it was a commercial failure. As a result, he didn’t get the 4-picture deal William Goetz of International Pictures had promised him…
But what if…?
And so instead THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1947) became another mess for Welles, with him again taking on the studio’s composer – Heinz Roemheld. When he finally got the sense and the juice to think independently, Welles’ MACBETH (1948) took forever to put together. Though he’d asked Bernard Herrmann to score it some time in advance, the repeat delays meant their schedules ultimately never synched up. In the same period, Herrmann was rather busy working on THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (becoming his favourite score), PORTRAIT OF JENNIE, and TV series STUDIO ONE.
But what if…?
Well, if Herrmann had scored BATMAN in 1946 I believe the world of film music would look very different today. The musical worlds of the superhero, serial adventure, closet gothic psycho – all would have been given a post-War voice that would have served as a stylistic template forever more.
I mean –- this guy had already changed things with KANE’s score, working to the brooding internalisation of a lonely billionaire in his stately retreat. Bruce Wayne would have been a natural next step. And expanding that tone into the Dark Knight Detective, we would have had something that I hear in my head as a cross between his CAPE FEAR brass and non-murder PSYCHO strings.
The more I think about how this would have affected cinema, the more excited / disappointed I become. Welles wouldn’t have turned in a comedy in tights. It would have been the tone of Burton’s BATMAN, but with a script. It would have given Welles the opportunity to experiment in Germanic expressionism that he had to wait until THE TRIAL (1963) to do. But more than that, it would have cemented Welles and Herrmann together for far longer.
Shame it’s all horse puckey. But what if…?
Ah, well. At least now we can look forward to whoever takes on Christopher Nolan’s upcoming interpretation…
THE ARTICLE can be found HERE.
REVIEWS:
ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO - Various, Milan 5050466 9229 2 2
Robert Rodriguez composed 8 of the 18 tracks. Thankfully the other 10 sourced songs sit perfectly in between – even the one from Johnny Depp. As guitar strumming Mexican cool goes, it’s spectacularrrrrrrrrrrr.
UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN - Christophe Beck, Hollywood Records 2061-62407-2
The general volume level is pretty ssshush throughout, but crank it up, because Beck’s piano, accordion, and boy soprano are quite lovely. There’s an acknowledged nod to the Nino Rota of the Fellini greats, and an un-acknowledged one to Thomas Newman. But there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.
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