Bill Wrobel's DVD - Film Score Rundowns

interesting one at about an hour and twenty minutes into the movie. I would’ve gotten a
laugh if at the end of the movie our survivors on the raft were engulfed by another rogue
wave just as the rescue helicopter from a nearby rescue ship arrived!
**************************************
-Tarzan’s Greatest Adventure (1959) ** music [**]
http://www.wbshop.com/Tarzans-Greatest-
Adventure/1000179862,default,pd.html?cgid=ZARCHIVEALL
I recall seeing this movie when I was nine-years old at the local theater, so it had
some nostalgic appeal in a vague manner. I wanted to see it again after all of these
years—and 1959 was a great year for me seeing movies in their first release—so I
decided to buy this dvd from Warner Archive. Well, the movie in my present sixty-yearold
eyes does not stand up compared to the then-interested eyes of a nine year old! In
other words, it’s not a very good movie despite the interesting stars: Sean Connery in his
pre-Bond years, Anthony Quayle, Niall MacGinnis, and the lead lady, Sara Lane, who
would’ve been perfect latter as a Bond girl!
*****************************
-Mara Maru (1952) ** [music **]
http://www.wbshop.com/Mara-
Maru/1000180000,default,pd.html?cgid=ZARCHIVEALL
I recently purchased this item from the Warner Archive. It’s a forgettable black &
white movie (despite Errol Flynn) and a lower-drawer score by Max Steiner. I noticed
that there is not the standard initial Warner Bros. logo music here. Interesting considering
that Steiner almost always used it until I think Battle Cry. This is a tired formula movie
that was rather cheaply made (no color, for one thing!) without bothering to re-shoot
badly shot scenes. For example at 00:11:51 when Andy (Richard Webb) slugs Gregory
Mason (Errol Flynn) to the floor near the camera that is shooting the scene, the camera
shakes very noticeably! Did Gordon Douglas bother to later re-shoot it? Nope. Stella
(Ruth Roman playing Andy’s wife) is ok but she ain’t no Lauren Bacall! Come to think
of it, Flynn is no Bogie either at this stage of his career. Still, if it wasn’t for Flynn and
Steiner, I doubt if I would ever have given this title more than a passing glance. It gets an
“F” (for “Failure”—not “Flynn”) because it failed to entertain me and probably most
other people. Sorry to say that even Max Steiner on this project did not help the movie.
This time his music could not save the picture! Understandably he was not inspired
enough to produce an outstanding score. Seeing Perry Mason…eh, Raymond Burr…. costarring
with Flynn again (previously in the Adventures of Don Juan) was a nice touch. I
am a Raymond Burr fan. Interesting that Flynn’s character name is “Mason.” I like seeing
Paul Picerni here but this was a bit of a sleazy role. I much preferred him a year later or
so in the wholesome, good-guy role in The Wax Museum.
******************************
132