Music From the House of Hammer : Music in the Hammer Horror Films, 1950-1980

In the 1950s, Hammer Film Productions, a small British filmmaking company, introduced the world to a new genre of motion picture. Referred to by some as "horror," by others as "fantasy," Hammer films had a unique look and feel that many other studios would later attemptand failto capture. Hammer films also had a unique sound. For although the studio was small and the budgets limited, those involved in making the Hammer films recognized that the musical score was just as important as the set, the actors, and the script in telling the story. Consequently, Hammer Films Productions recruited the best musical talent to make its films come alive. Those artists and the work they did are chronicled here in careful detail by Randall D. Larson. From the studio's fledging days, through its great successes of the 60s and early 70s, Music from the House of Hammer offers an inside look at how the "Hammer sound" was developed and nurtured. In Music From The House Of Hammer, Randall D. Larson Shows Us How Hammer Film Productions's Strikingly Innovative Use Of Music Contributed Both To The Success Of Individual Films And To The Success Of The Studio. With Music That Was Alternately Romantic And Experimental, Gothic And Modern, Hammer Composers Helped Shape The Image Of Horror In The Cinema. Remembrances By Leonard Salzedo, Monty Norman, Gerard Schurmann, Mario Nascimbene, And Others, Coupled With The Author's Critical Analysis Of Each Score, Offer Readers A Sense Of The History And Artistry Of The Music That Made Hammer Films Unforgettable. Overture -- Emergence Of A Musical Genre. Hammer's Early Composer. Malcolm Arnold. Ivor Stanley -- Musical Directors, Musical Direction. John Hollingsworth. Marcus Dodds. Philip Martell -- Reused Music -- James Bernard. Beginnings In Science Fiction. Dracula: Music For The Dark Lor. Frankenstein Created Music. Of Hounds And Mysterious Children. The Gorgon. Vampires, Zombies, And Devils -- Diverse Hands. Don Banks. Humphrey Searle. Loenard Salzedo. Franz Reizenstein. Benjamin Frankel. Clifton Parker. Edwin T. Astley. Monty Norman And David Heneker. Richard Rodney Bennett. Malcolm Williamson. Stanley Black. Elisabeth Lutyens. Carlo Martelli. Wilfred Josephs. Mario Nascimbene. Tristam Cary. Gerard Schurmann -- Twilight. Harry Robinson And The Karnstein Trilogy. David Whitaker. Christopher Gunning. John Mccabe. Laurie Johnson -- Swan Songs. Don Ellis. Roland Shaw. Michael Vickers. John Cacavas. Paul Glass -- Nonhorror Notables. Douglas Gamley. Alun Hoddinott. Gary Hughes. Richard Hartley -- Hammer's Television Music -- Alas Poor Hammer, I Knew It Well / Harry Robertson. Randall D. Larson. Filmography: P. [161]-167. Discography: P. [179]-184. Includes Bibliographical References. Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 7 Acknowledgments 10 Introduction 11 Overture 13 1 Emergence of a Musical Genre 15 Hammer’s Early Composers 15 Malcolm Arnold 15 Ivor Slaney 16 2 Musical Directors, Musical Direction 18 John Hollingsworth 18 Marcus Dodds 19 Philip Martell 19 3 Reused Music 25 4 James Bernard 27 Beginnings in Science Fiction 27 Dracula: Music for the Dark Lord 30 Frankenstein Created Music 34 Of Hounds and Mysterious Children 36 The Gorgon 39 Vampires, Zombies, and Devils 43 5 Diverse Hands 50 Don Banks 50 Humphrey Searle 55 Leonard Salzedo 55 Franz Reizenstein 58 Benjamin Frankel 59 Clifton Parker 60 Edwin T. Astley 62 Monty Norman and David Heneker 63 Richard Rodney Bennett 64 Malcolm Williamson 67 Stanley Black 70 Elisabeth Lutyens 70 Carlo Martelli 71 Wilfred Josephs 74 Mario Nascimbene 76 Tristram Cary 78 Gerard Schurmann 89 6 Twilight 93 Harry Robinson and The Karnstein Trilogy 93 David Whitaker 101 Christopher Gunning 104 John McCabe 106 Laurie Johnson 109 7 Swan Songs 111 Don Ellis 111 Roland Shaw 112 Michael Vickers 112 John Cacavas 113 Paul Glass 114 8 Nonhorror Notables 116 Douglas Gamley 116 Alun Hoddinott 117 Gary Hughes 118 Richard Hartley 122 9 Hammer’s Television Music 124 10 Coda 127 11 “Alas Poor Hammer, I Knew it Well” 128 Appendices 132 A Composer’s Filmography 132 Music Credits by Title 140 Recycled Music 151 Hammer Film Music Discography 153 Index 159