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The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) was an offbeat western starring Paul Newman as Judge Roy Bean, a small-time hustler who made himself into the administrator of law and order in Langtry, Texas toward the end of the 19th century. Written by John Milius and directed by John Huston, the film fell halfway between Milius's attempts at dramatic mythmaking, and a more comic take on the American "tall tale."
Maurice Jarre had scored several westerns by the time of Judge Roy Bean—among them The Professionals, El Condor and Red Sun—and here provided a type of quasi-western effort showcasing his own inimitable romantic style. Jarre solidly evokes the romantic core behind the Judge's gruff exterior, and surrounds this central melody with eclectic setpieces, running the gamut from action to comedy to period—much as the film itself is peopled by high-profile "guest stars" (such as Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins, Roddy McDowall, and Huston himself).
One of the supporting characters in the film is a gigantic black bear adopted by the Judge as a pet. Jarre provides the furry beast with a sly, comic theme for saxophones, which becomes the song "Marmalade, Molasses and Honey" (sung by Andy Williams; lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman) for a comic sequence sending up the similar montage from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean was released by Columbia Records on LP at the time of the film. FSM's premiere CD release doubles the playing time (with previously unreleased music courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures) and is remixed and remastered from the original stereo tapes. This Maurice Jarre classic is presented in its definitive edition.
Liner notes are by Lukas Kendall, with new commentary from Maurice Jarre as interviewed by Jeff Bond.
