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 that accompanies the “high-fives” of Producers when they get what they want sounding close enough to the Temp Track, without fear of being sued.
I provided a Soundtrack Dictionary here late last year. It covered 10 phrases that are bandied about by reviewers in describing stylistic aspects of film music. The piece was a Top Ten of favoured terms, but I could happily have added several more. The word I could most easily have included was:
swash•buck•le – v. / Pron. “swosh-buck-el”
1. To act as a swashbuckler, as in a movie or play.
Okay – not much help. So where does it come from and what was it supposed to mean?
“Swashbuckle” the verb arose from “swashbuckler” the noun in the late 19th century.
The origin of the noun derives from the description of a person that first appeared on record in 1560: “Too be a dronkarde,..a gamner, a swashe-buckeler, he hath not alowed thee one mite.” It meant a swaggering bravo or ruffian. It’s actually composed of two slightly older words. The verb “swash” (1538) describes the sound of two swords striking, or a shield being struck by a sword. Then “buckler” hails from around 1300 as meaning shield.
So really it means someone trying to pick a fight. Romantically, it’s become a term to describe the pirate genre, but that’s only because what we saw Errol Flynn doing in the 1930s was behaving like a swashbuckler in the original sense. The word was applied correctly, but mis-appropriated into the common parlance as we know it today during the 1970s.
And in film music terms, when Erich Wolfgang Korngold accompanied every swash of Flynn’s sword upon the bucklers of his foes, an equally mis-appropriated verb was accepted into the musical world.
Now, some folks really go overboard for pirate movies. Others cite the sporadic history of the genre as proof it’s always been dead in the water. Personally, I love ‘em. That’s probably after years as a child having my father impersonate Robert Newton in TREASURE ISLAND (1950). British composer Clifton Parker provided a score that piqued my curiosity from very early on, well before I could intuit how much the music was enhancing my enjoyment of a film. Natale Massara would do so again for the 1972 version with Orson Welles, Jorge Arriagada in 1985 and even The Chieftans for the excellent 1990 TV movie with Charlton Heston.
Robert Louis Stevenson’s tale is the all-time perfect pirate vehicle of course. It’s had more than a dozen theatrical interpretations in all, let alone the number of TV incarnations. Only last year we had Disney’s TREASURE PLANET, a futuristic interpretation with a spirited score from James Newton Howard.
There’s another rendition I’d like to mention, and it leads me to the rather obvious reason that inspired this piece - PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL. I’m sorry to say that the score for this jolly jig has left me rather indifferent.
Is it because the crossover with the horror genre means it’s not a purely piratical yarn? Is it the nasty taste left by Alan Silvestri being replaced at the 11th hour? Is it the disappointment that you can’t hear anything in the mix? Is it the disappointment that what you discover on album is a wash of synths drowning out the orchestra? Or is it that Hans Zimmer and his buddies already did a great job in the genre on MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND?
When they worked on that, the composers seemed to relish the opportunity for parody and pastiche. Whereas CARIBBEAN comes off as almost wall-to-wall action filler. And when there’s a cover credit that jokes it was “Over Produced by Hans Zimmer”, you just know they haven’t had the fun in putting this together that they should have.
Ah well. Let’s go back into the history of the genre and enjoy reminiscing about where all great pirate pastiche began.
Korngold has already been namechecked with Errol Flynn. THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938) is undoubtedly their most famous swashbuckling partnership. It all began with CAPTAIN BLOOD in 1935 though. Many maintain it’s the definitive pirate movie, especially with its performance from Basil Rathbone, the best fencing actor of the studio age. The movie made Flynn a star and more than justified Korngold’s move to Hollywood.
A musical genre was born. And the florid fanfares and swooning romantic themes continued into THE SEA HAWK in 1940, with Flynn in fine derring-do mode amongst the Spanish Armada.
Later on, Flynn led the British Navy in a battle AGAINST ALL FLAGS (1954) but this came with a score by Hans J. Salter, being some years after the Flynn/Korngold era had passed.
But let’s not forget who else established the grand swashbuckling genre of music during The Golden Age. Alfred Newman had his turn in 1942 for THE BLACK SWAN, with Tyrone Power challenging Flynn’s fencing prowess. Werner Janssenn accompanied Randolph Scott’s equally impressive swordsmanship in CAPTAIN KIDD (1945). An uncredited Hanns Eisler scored the under-appreciated THE SPANISH MAIN (1945). William Alwyn followed Burt Lancaster’s acrobatics in THE CRIMSON PIRATE (1952). Then there’s Elmer Bernstein’s romping score for the 1958 Yul Brynner vehicle THE BUCCANEER. And for anyone keeping track, this was pretty much where the pirate genre sank to a watery grave.
Forgotten or ignored by Hollywood for decades, it’s remained a peculiarity among clearly established filmic worlds. For some reason, it now seems no one is able to do the genre justice. Witness the imaginatively named SWASHBUCKLER (1976), which despite a fine score from John Addison is a largely unknown cult piece. There’s the even more imaginatively named THE PIRATE MOVIE (1982), that somehow thought the world needed a restaging of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Pirates of Penzance with a rock soundtrack from Terry Britten. Add to these the quickly forgotten 1983 comedy YELLOWBEARD (score from then comic composer of choice John Morris) and Roman Polanski’s 1986 failure PIRATES (Philippe Sarde), and it’s not hard to see why it was presumed the genre was dead.
Racking my brains for movies that featured pirates in some form over the last couple of decades, I’ve only got a list of 4! MONTY PYTHON’S THE MEANING OF LIFE (1983) - John Du Prez, THE GOONIES (1985) - Dave Grusin, HOOK (1991) - John Williams and JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH (1996) - Randy Newman.
Then in the mid-Nineties, I thought things were looking up. Apparently though, I’m among few who enjoyed CUTTHROAT ISLAND (1995). I won’t try arguing what I see as its merits, but I do hope there are far fewer who would dismiss the hugely enthusiastic score by John Debney. All of which brings us back to MUPPET TREASURE ISLAND in 1986. All together now:
“Hey ho ho,
It's one for all for one.
And we'll share and share alike with you and love you like a son.
We're gentlemen of fortune and that's what we're proud to be.
And when you’re a professional pirate,
You'll be honest brave and free,
The soul of decency.
You'll be loyal and fair and on the square
And most importantly;
When you're a professional pirate,
You're always in the best of company!”
If only PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN had had as much swashbuckling fun as Kermit and co, perhaps the pirate genre would sail again. Ah well – at least if this one didn’t float your boat, you now know where else to try.
REVIEWS:
CREEPSHOW - John Harrison, LA-LA Land Records LLLCD 1007
I have longed for this to get a CD release, having always loved the kooky way it works with the movie. Also because Harrison is one of those composers with a minute score CV. Extra thanks to LA LA then, since they’ve whacked on some material from TALES FROM THE DARKSIDE and others too.
FROM BEYOND - Richard Band, LA-LA Land Records LLLCD 1004
80s’ synths can turn some folks off, but Band was a genius working with them in the horror genre. Creepy and fun too, it’s the sort of thing that alongside CREEPSHOW makes me pine for when the Hollywood used to welcome innovation tinged with humour.
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN - Trevor Jones, Varèse Sarabande VSD-6492
You’d be hard pressed to distinguish much of this score in the movie. For a while it seemed you were only going to be able to distinguish it as a download from iTunes. But good ol’ Varèse comes to the rescue. I sorely wish Jones were working on more that deserved his talents. There is a terrific body of action music on this album. There are some lovely motifs too. Best to just pretend they have nothing to do with the movie…
SHANGHAI KNIGHTS - Randy Edelman, Hollywood Records 5050466-5669-2-8
Ordinarily, Edelman’s own brand of swamping the orchestra with synths leaves me coldly indifferent. Maybe it’s the Brit element in this movie and score that appeals. Whatever – it’s inoffensive fun. Even if it’s relegated to being only a third of the album running time…
BONES - Elia Cmiral, Intrada MAF 7093
Cmiral’s penchant for sound design is utilised to good shock effect alongside dense use of orchestra. A soprano sax belies the movie’s urban roots.
WRONG TURN - Elia Cmiral, Varèse Sarabande VSD-6474
Rhythm is key in this other horror score from Cmiral. Lots of sawing about on cello as the hapless teens get picked off. Watch out for the neat surprise hoedown midway!
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