CD Review - Classic British Film Themes & Songs Volume 1 - 1940 -1944
CD Review - Classic British Film
Themes & Songs
Volume 1 - 1940 -1944
SEPIA 1391 [76:56 & 78:13]
This is an entirely fascinating release: a rich repository of nostalgia, consisting of 59 tracks on two discs. It is made up of items previously unreleased on CD, which have been drawn largely from studio acetates, playback discs, pre-recordings and rehearsal discs.
The first track on CD1 and the last two on CD2 feature the Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, played by Leon Berry and Joseph Seal respectively, with Cinema Fanfare, the National Anthem and A.B.C. Parade: Play Out Music.
There are other Fanfares including those for Pathe News, Gainsborough Pictures and the J Arthur Rank Organization.
Although mainly vocal there are a fair number of orchestral pieces such as The Warsaw Concerto from 'Dangerous Moonlight', played by Louis Kentner with the LSO conducted by Muir Mathieson, The Night Has Eyes, from the film of the same name, written by Charles Williams who conducts the Queen's Hall Light Orchestra, 'The Wizard of Oz' theatrical trailer played by Herbert Stothart and his Orchestra and William Walton's Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, from 'First Of The Few' with the composer conducting The Halle Orchestra.
There is an intermission piece, Ragamuffin Romeo, played at the console of Brighton's Regent Cinema Wurlitzer Organ by Terence Casey.
Commando Patrol from the film 'The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp' is played by The Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, while Philip Green and his Orchestra play a 'One Exciting Night' Film Selection: There’s A New World Over The Skyline, You Can’t Do Without Love, It's So Easy To Say Good Morning, My Prayer, One Love, It's Like Old Times. Other accompanying orchestras are the Ealing Studio/Ernest Irving, RKO Studio/Anthony Collins and Columbia Studio/Harry Bidgood, also Jack Hylton and his Band.
Vera Lynn and Anne Shelton share a goodly number of songs, including the former singing Be Like The Kettle And Sing, one of four from the 1942 film 'We’ll Meet Again', with Mantovani and his Orchestra, and the latter with Keep A Sunbeam In Your Pocket, from 'Bees in Paradise', with the Gaumont British Studio Orchestra conducted by Louis Levy. Other performers include Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen, Tommy Trinder, Deanna Durbin, Pat Kirkwood and Anna Neagle.
Among the songs are the Noel Gay/Clifford Gray The Only One Who’s Difficult Is You from 'Band Waggon', Alice Blue Gown from 'Irene', A Fine How-Do-You-Do from 'Miss London Ltd', and Champagne Charlie, The Man On The Flying Trapeze and Everything Will Be Lovely (By And By) from the 1944 film 'Champagne Charlie' – the last named appropriate for this General Election year.
I hugely enjoyed everything here and, together with Robin Cherry's fine CD re-mastering and Marcus Bagshaw's booklet notes also taking us down memory lane, you can get it all for only £10.99 including postage by ordering direct from Sepia online. Richard Tay's label is to be congratulated on such an imaginative programme, and it seems there is a promise of more to come.
© Peter Burt, July 2024
Comment by Alexander Gleason:
May I congratulate Sepia on their delightful compilation of 'a night at the pictures' in the 1940s.
The blend is thoughtfully arranged and the sources, well.. who knows, but all remastered and cleaned up to sound very acceptable.
Any criticisms? Well... yes... about half a dozen of the track-listings in the booklet are just a bit 'off' and could do with a little bit of – shall we say - 'clarification'.
Let’s run through the list, starting at Track 1 ‘Cinema Fanfare’ credited to Leon Barry – yes, I'm sure it is Mr Barry on his Mighty Wurlitzer, probably at the Hub Rink, Chicago, but he is, of course playing 'Paramount on Parade' by Jack King – theme tune of the film of the same name (1930). Track3 is credited as Pathe News Fanfare (Music from the Movies March) Louis Levy and the Gaumont British Symphony orchestra – oh dear me no no no. It is indeed A Pathe News fanfare, but one by Stanley Black that actually introduced Pathe News from approximately 1955-1962 – way after the time these discs are dealing with. If there was an official orchestra, then it would have been The Associated British Studio orchestra conducted by Black himself. The authentic Music for the Movies was recorded on disc – but perhaps the compiler is saving that for Volume Two.
Track 5 listed as 'Gainsborough Pictures Fanfare' – well, its correct name is 'The Gainsborough Minuet' (albeit rightly credited to Levy) and the most of the remaining details for the rest of Disc 1 are spot-on. Flanagan & Allen, Vera Lynn, Pat Kirkwood and serious stuff like 'The Warsaw Concert' and ‘49th Parallel’ are great examples of the war-time spirit that are still very effective. The disc closes with a soundtrack clip of ‘The Romance of Odeon’, a 1937 publicity film – credited as 'narrator unknown' which is now generally acknowledged as the voice of a young Maurice Denham and I must confess ignorance of the Track 28 ‘Coming Attractions fanfare’ which is catchy but indeed remains 'unknown' to me.
As for Disc 2 – no criticisms with the track info EXCEPT it opens with ‘J. Arthur Rank Organisation Fanfare’ which is of course just plain silly – it was always just beats of a gong (originally three – later only two) and if anyone should get a credit for that, it's James Blades, principal percussionist of the LSO, beating his mighty Chinese Tam-Tam. (the identities of the actual on-screen bashers is a subject not to be covered here). I also believe (but can't confirm) the name J. Arthur Rank Organisation was a 50s or even 60s construct. In the 30s the gong-man heralded General Film Distributors and in the 40s it was “J. Arthur Rank presents..” but perhaps I'm just nit-picking now.
Sorry if my little criticisms sound trivial, but I think they needed pointing out, and I must stress how much I generally enjoyed this two-disc set.
So please Sepia, keep this series going through the 40s and 1950s, this is a great selection of nostalgia, but may I suggest next time, seek out a little extra advice from those who know.
Alexander Gleason (British Film Music Encyclopaedia)
