The Classic Film Music of Jerome Moross

The City of Prague Philharmonic conducted by Phil Bateman.

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN SUITE (14:22)
1. Prelude (3:59)
2. Huck's Escape (3:10)
3. The Mississippi (3:15)
4. Flight And Finale (3:58)

5. FIVE FINGER EXERCISE - Romanza (5:27)
from the concert suite MUSIC FOR THE FLICKS

6. WAGON TRAIN - Theme (3:08)
THE WAR LORD SUITE (11:41)
7. Prelude And Main Title (4:18)
8. What Of The Future?/Vengeance And Death/Finale (7:22)

9. THE SHARKFIGHER - Overture (11:22)

10. RACHEL, RACHEL
Americana Miniature (6:02)
(Japonica Street/Shadow Pictures/A Walk in the Country/End Titles)

11. THE MOUNTAIN ROAD - Overture (6:22)
Main Title/The Men/The Airplane/Destroying the Airbase)

VALLEY OF GWANGI SUITE (18:44)
12. The Landscape/The Forbiden Valley/Pterodactyl Attack (5:05)
13. Capture Of Gwangi/Gwangi Enchained (5:58)
14. Night In The Valley/Gwangi At The Cathedral/Death of Gwangi/Finale (7:31)

THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN - MGM's all-star 1960 filmization of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn surgically removes the sociological subtext of Mark Twain's novel in the interests of "entertainment for the whole family." The emphasis is on the adventuresome escapades of Huck (Eddie Hodges) and fugitive slave Jim (played by boxing champ Archie Moore), and on the comic elements inherent in the characters of the King (Tony Randall) and the Duke (Mickey Shaughnessy). In the manner of Around the World in 80 Days, every role is filled by a "name" actor: featured in the cast are Judy Canova, Andy Devine, Buster Keaton, Sterling Holloway, Mary Wickes and John Carradine. 1960

FIVE FINGER EXERCISE - (an arrangement taken from a concert suite called "Music for the Flicks") is in a swooning and romantic vein, although Moross' favourite harmonic tricks and some interesting orchestral touches set it apart from a typical Hollywood romance.

WAGON TRAIN - (TV-Series 1957-1965) Stories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts and Rocky Mountains. The first treks were led by gruff, but good-at-heart Major Seth Adams, backed up by his competent frontier scout, Flint McCullough. After Adams and McCullough, the wagon train was led by the avuncular Christopher Hale along with new scouts Duke Shannon and Cooper Smith. Many stories featured the trustworthy assistant wagonmaster Bill Hawks, grizzled old cook Charlie Wooster and a young orphan, Barnaby West.

THE WAR LORD - The painstakingly accurate historical drama "The War Lord" is predicated on the old practice of le droit du seigneur. (The phrase droit du seigneur literally means 'the right of the lord', but is used specifically to refer to the supposed right of a feudal lord to have sexual intercourse with the bride of a vassal on their wedding night.) Norman knight Charlton Heston, in charge of an 11th century Druid community, exercises his right to claim bride Rosemary Forsyth on the night of her wedding to James Farentino. Forsyth becomes enamored of her abductor, refusing to leave his side. Seeking vengeance, Farentino, the son of Druidic leader Niall McGinniss, foments an all-out war between Heston and Heston's covetous brother Guy Stockwell. Despite the impressive scope of the battle scenes, "The War Lord" based on a stage play by Leslie Stevens, is essentially an intimate human drama (in contrast, look what "droit du seigneur" sparked in the 1995 epic "Braveheart"). The surehanded direction of Franklyn Schaffner and the credible performances of Heston and the rest of the cast are brilliantly complemented by Jerome Morross' Stravinsky-like musical score. 1965

THE SHARKFIGHER - In this adventure, Navy researchers team up with marine biologists to create an effective shark repellent for WW II pilots who must fly over oceans. Unfortunately, the project is supervised by an unscrupulous scientist who wants to get the project finished and endeavors to have an inferior product given to the Navy. When his shoddy workmanship results in the death of an innocent young man, the scientist becomes genuinely committed to his task and even uses himself as a guinea pig with the final formula. Stars Victor Mature and Claude Akins. 1956

RACHEL, RACHEL - Paul Newman made his directorial debut and Newman's wife Joanne Woodward stars as Rachel Cameron, a 35-year-old unmarried schoolteacher who feels as though she's wasted her life. Rachel's best friend Calla Mackie (Estelle Parsons) invites her to attend a religious revival meeting. Here Rachel is swept up in the emotional fervor orchestrated by a young guest-preacher (Terry Kiser). This is the first of several cathartic incidents which convince Rachel to kick over the traces and express her own needs and emotions. She has a brief sexual liaison with an old family friend (James Olson), and is delighted at the notion that she might have become pregnant. Rachel ends up alone and childless (her "pregnancy" was nothing more than a benign cyst), but still determined to forge a new life for herself. Based on the novel "A Jest of God" by Margaret Laurence, "Rachel, Rachel" won New York Film Critics awards for both Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, and an Oscar nomination for Joanne Woodward. 1968

THE MOUNTAIN ROAD - In this wartime drama set during WW II, a US Army major is assigned to travel to China with an eight-man demolition team and destroy all bridges and roads needed by the Japanese. They are assisted by two Chinese fellows. At one point the major blows of a mountain bridge that leaves thousands stranded. His escort is outraged by the major's lack of sympathy. The major's antipathy towards his hosts increases when two of his men are trampled by a hoard of starving Chinese who run to grab rations. Later two more of his men die at the hands of Chinese military deserters, prompting the vengeful major to order the destruction of an entire village. Hundreds of innocent people die, and at last the Chinese guide leaves them in disgust. In the end the major understands the wrong he has done. Stars James Stewart and Harry Morgan. 1960

VALLEY OF GWANGI - When a traveling Wild West show comes to town, the natives are frightened by a one-foot-tall horse that is believed to be a bad omen. The superstitious natives try to return the horse to The Valley of Gwangi to avert disaster. Tuck (James Franciscus) and T.J. (Gila Golan) try to help archaeologist Bromley (James Naismith) find the tiny equine in the valley, but they unleash a prehistoric giant monster in the process in this implausible adventure feature. 1969