Customer Reviews

True Grit: Music From The Classic Films Of John Wayne (Film Score Anthology)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have always looked for a collection of songs from the movies of John Wayne, and I have finally found it. True Grit is a great way to take the Duke's movies with you wherever you go. When you listen to themes from "The Alamo" and "How The West Was Won", you can imagine the movie in your mind. The scores in this collection are all excellent. I am now waiting for volume 2 to come out, there are still so many John Wayne songs that I can't find anywhere such as "The Ballad of The War Wagon" and the theme from "Chisum." If you are a fan of the films of John Wayne, you will truly enjoy True Grit.

Its really nice to see music from some of John Wayne's best films assembled on one CD, but this compellation is like eating peanuts... you just want more. While I really like the album I sometimes wonder about the choices. Themes from "The Longest Day" and "How the West Was Won" don't really belong here because Wayne had only very small rolls in both of those films. I really wish they had excluded those themes and put in selections from Elmer Berstein's excellent musical score from "The Sons of Katie Elder" which would have nicely complemented the (too brief) sample taken from his "True Grit" soundtrack. And where is the main title theme from "Hatari" by the incomparable Henry Mancini? Still, I can't complain too much. Its nice to hear themes from a few of the Duke's movies because, sadly, its the only place you can hear most of them outside of watching the films themselves on video tape.

When Silva Screen, Paul Bateman and The City Of Prague Philharmonic decided to record "True Grit:Music From The Classic Films of John Wayne", the selections appeal to every fan that sat in a darkened theatre and watched "The Duke" swagger down the street to meet up with the local bad men of his town.

Opening track is--- "STAGECOACH"(1939), same year as "Gone With The Wind" and "The Wizard Of Oz", many classic films came out and this John Ford production was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between Wayne and Ford...filmed with the back-drop of Monument Valley, unforgettable characters traveling through the wilderness bound for a destination of immortality---our composer from "STAGECOACH"(Richard Hagerman), once again proves lighting can strike twice...with his score of "SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON"(1949), just ten years later, this heart-warming theme "Leaving the Fort", is a real gem of outstanding composing---"THE QUIET MAN"(1952), the unforgettable music from Victor Young, takes us back to Ireland and all the green and warmth of the its people(see Silva Screen SSD-1118 for the entire and complete score)---"THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY"(1954), haunting and beautiful score from Academy Award Winner Dimitri Tiomkin, one of Wayne's most memorable performances, has never been released on VHS or DVD---"THE SEARCHERS"(1956), an Oscar Winning performance by "The Duke", but let's look at the legendary composer Max Steiner's score, heart wrenching, touching and compassionate beyond all words, typical Steiner signature always another character in the film is HIS MUSIC!

In closing, looking forward to a Volume Two...this could include such titles as "THE SHOOTIST"..."ROOSTER COGBURN"..."TRAIN ROBBERS"..."CHISUM"..."THE UNDEFEATED"..."THE GREEN BERETS"..."THE WAR WAGON"..."SONS OF KATIE ELDER"..."THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE"..."HATARI"...just to name a few, could add many more...but for the time being Pilgrim, this will do just fine!

Total Time: 64:25 on 15 Tracks ~ Silva Screen Records SSD-1037 ~ (1994)

The music from the John Wayne movies are a great musical treasure! The composers are some of the very best of the era, and with the exception of John Williams (he's alive and producing work), the likes of which we no longer have! The only question is this: Why did it take an orchestra from Praque to recognize the quality? My whole family enjoys the cd. MORE MORE MORE

The only reason this is 4 stars is that there should have been more. What about Liberty Valence, Big Jake, North to Alaska, The Shootist, Chisum, Hondo, Wake of the Red Witch, Reap the Wild Wind, etc.

There are millions of John Wayne fans! Is anyone listening out there!

Otherwise, this CD is a must for John Wayne fans.

How can you go wrong with the great list of movie themes listed in this CD? Well, the City of Prague Philharmnic has recorded lifeless "Lawrence Welk" versions of some of the most exciting film music ever composed. I excitedly bought this compilation - but upon hearing each piece of music bite the dust, I became more and more angered. These recordings are sloppy and do not do justice to these many wonderful themes.

i`ve waited a long time for this C.d. Its great. FYI...The complete soundtrack for RIO GRANDE AND THE SEARCHERS ARE BOTH AVAILABLE ON THE NET. THEIR BOTH GREAT TOO.

Being a John Wayne fan since I was a kid inticed me into purchasing this CD. It's great! The orchestrationals by the City of Prague Philharmonic Music was really great. It really brought back fond memories of my watching "The Duke" on the big silver screen when I was young, and today when I'm watching him on my CD's. I do share one thought with one of the previous reviewers though, I would have like this to have been a "double" CD, to include many of the "Duke's" other great films as well.

The CD was not from the Original movie scores. It was mostly orchestrated music. Overall I was very disappointed in the CD.

Iam a John Wayne fan and wheen I saw this CD, I just had to order it.