Saturday, July 22, 2006

Theatre of Blood (1973 Film) Soundtrack



Update: Another one I thought I'd repost in honor of All Saints Day Eve. If you'd like to complete your pseudo-trilogy with some Phibes soundtracks (assuming you haven't done it already), go here to the excellent The Manchester Morgue to get The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and to get Dr. Phibes Rises Again go here to the excellent (but slightly dormant) Phlegm Noir.

Another soundtrack from a movie I love. If you like Shakespeare and you like movies about serial killers, then this might be the score for you. It stars Vincent Price and Diana Rigg; Price is a Shakespearean actor whose bad reviews from a variety of theater (or in this case, theatre) critics drives him over the edge and he starts taking his revenge using methods from Shakespearean plays.

If I had to guess, I'd say the way he takes care of Robert Morley is perhaps the most disturbing to me. Though the plan he had for his real-life wife, Coral Browne, was also pretty disturbing for some reason (though I'm not sure if they were married yet at the time they made the movie). If you've seen the movie, then you know what I'm talking about, and if you haven't I hope that piques your interest. For some reason, I think of this movie as being part of a pseudo-trilogy with The Abominable Dr. Phibes and Dr. Phibes Rises Again.

Michael J. Lewis is another one of my favorite composers; he's composed the music for films like 'The Madwoman of Chaillot', 'The Medusa Touch', 'Ffolkes', 'Sphinx', and many others. This is a composer promo of the score and if you get the opportunity to buy any of his CD's (promos or otherwise), please do because they're great and you'll be very happy with them, I'm sure.

The main theme always sounds vaguely Italian to me for some reason and I love it. Listen to it and see what you think. Enjoy!

Track List:

Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 01 - Main Theme
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 02 - Ides of March
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 03 - Oh Pardon Me, Thou Bleeding Piece of Earth
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 04 - Friends, Romans, Countrymen
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 05 - The Dragon Wing of Night
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 06 - The Trojan Trail
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 07 - Master of the Killing Phrase
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 08 - Fear No More the Heat of the Sun
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 09 - Cymbeline
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 10 - Sexy Lips & Swinging Hips
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 11 - A Pound of Flesh
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 12 - To Be or Not to Be
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 13 - Now is the Winter of Our Discontent
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 14 - Here Clarence Comes
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 15 - Drown in a Butt of Wine
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 16 - Partita of Blood
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 17 - Alive in Triumph
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 18 - Fugato
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 19 - I'm So Glad You've Come
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 20 - Flame With Ash Highlights
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 21 - Edwina's Theme
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 22 - Where're My Doggy Woggies
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 23 - Come Fire, Consume This Petty World
Theatre of Blood (1973) (Michael J. Lewis) - 24 - He Did Know How to Make an Exit

pw = you_dont_have_to_visit

(if you cut & paste the password, make sure you don't include an extra blank at the end!)


Theatre of Blood (Rapidshare) [here's a newer 3rd link shamelessly associated with my new Premium account - take your pick, really]

OR

Theatre of Blood (zip file) (rapidshare) [this is the older link not connected to an account and from which I don't get any Premium points, but amazingly is still active after all this time!]

OR

Theatre of Blood (zip file) (megaupload) [I don't get anything from this one either since it was before I had a Premium account, but again, amazingly still active!]


For Anybody's Who's Had Trouble Unzipping 'Theatre of Blood':

I've also uploaded a rar file for this soundtrack since some people (usually people using Stuffit software or a Mac) have mentioned that they had trouble unzipping the zip file (Note the different password!)

pw = youdont

Theatre of Blood (rar file) (Rapidshare only)

around 77 MB

Comments:
I LOVED that opening theme from Lewis, even if it was very close to Gluck's "Dance of the Blessed Spirits."

Took me a long time to find it on a rare Lewis-pressed collection of his theme songs. Glad to see it's been issued finally as a stand-alone.

One of Vinnie's best performances, and he agreed. Diana and the all-star cast of victims were great fun, too.
 
Theatre Of Blood & the Phibes films are obviously cut from the same cloth,but another largely unknown but brilliant film which is amazingly similar to Phibes is the French film "Une Journee Bien Remplie" (A Full Day's Work),directed by Jean Louis Trintignant w/ music by Bruno Nicolai,it was made about the same time as the first Phibes film.It's like Dr Phibes set in rural France!
 
Hi Ill Folks!

It is a great opening, isn't it? I used to put it on horror compilations even though it's lushly romantic and doesn't really evoke a sense of horror unless you associate it with the movie.

Is that Lewis-pressed collection you're talking about, his 2-CD set with selections from various movies? If it's that one, it's one of my favorite of all composer collections.

This is how nice Michael J. Lewis is; when I bought that 2-CD set, he actually sent me a note along with it thanking me for buying it! I can't remember if it was some form letter with his signature or whether it was handwritten, but either way, it was pretty nice!

I think it was one of Vincent Price's best horror performances too (though I sometimes wish they would've given him some non-horror roles later in his career too...he was so good in comedy and drama before he got typecast).

And always gotta love Diana Rigg! Always easy on the eyes! (And anyone who wants to hear her sing should head on over to Ill Folks' blog!!)

---------------

Hi dominic!

I'd never heard of that film, but it sounds fantastic! I'd love to see it. Thanks for the information. That would make for a great quadruple feature! (or if I was really masochistically yearning for some methodical mayhem, I could heap on 'The List of Adrian Messenger' or 'The Assassination Bureau'.......except I'd probably come out 12 hours later a confirmed pacifist!!)
 
Hi...my Michael Lewis is a single CD, pressed by him. I guess more as a showcase item. I think I found it in a shop that had a lot of promo items and reviewer copies. I guess the 2 CD set was a more ambitious project!

That French film dominic mentions sounds interesting. Just saw Phibes again recently and was disappointed. Unlike "Theatre of Blood," Phibes is just mean-spirited and the killings are totally unjustified. (In "Blood" it was justified in a kind of black-comedy way! THEY WERE CRITICS!)

The Phibes soundtrack is a real oddity...old time music voiced by Paul Frees as everyone from Chico Marx to Bogart. Frees was the greatest voice-man of all time. Most versatile. He could do straight narration ala Welles, and he even dubbed Tony Curtis' drag voice for "Some Like It Hot."

Don't feel too bad for the Vinster. Though he did get typed in films, he had better luck on stage (I saw him as Oscar Wilde) and on TV (he sings in the Gilbert & Sullivan Ruddigore, now on DVD).

Interesting point about the lovely opening theme. Reminds me of the rather sweet music in "Man of 1000 Faces," which captured some horrific melancholia. I think a recurring theme in that one was borrowed from a Chopin prelude.
 
Hi Ill Folks!

I agree the murders in Dr. Phibes were more mean-spirited since his victims were much more sympathetic than the theater critics. Though I still like the movie (though as always, the methods are a little disturbing).

I never realized it was Paul Frees dubbing Tony Curtis! I knew it was someone, but I couldn't place the voice.

I'd heard about Price's Oscar Wilde as being good. It's always good to know the stage gives actors opportunities to play things they wouldn't get to on screen.

Is the 'Man of 1000 Faces' you mention, the Cagney movie? Haven't seen that in a long time. If it is, I might have the theme somewhere....if I do, I'll listen to it to notice any similarity to Chopin (or to 'Theatre of Blood').
 
Yes, the Cagney movie. Varese Sarabande re-issued the soundtrack on vinyl (originally Decca, I think).

The sad melody (used when Lon Jr. is separated from Lon Sr.) seems to be unconsciously lifted from Chopin Prelude Op. 28 #4.

That prelude also spawned the melody line for the samba hit "How Insensitive" as well as Serge Gainsbourg's "Jane B" (sung by Jane Birken).
 
Hello there. I’m completely new to blogs. With a name like ‘you don’t have to visit this blog’, obviously I had to check your page out. And what do I find in among all the really good stuff but a soundtrack that I’ve been trying to get my hands on for about 25 years! ‘Theatre’ is one of my all time favourite films, and the soundtrack is a truly sublime piece of work. The main theme kills me every time. Beautiful. Why this masterpiece has never been widely available is beyond me.

I just downloaded it but unfortunately I’m having problems opening the file. I’ve tried opening it with winzip and winRAR but so far no luck with the password. Any tips? So near to the holy grail but yet so far! But thanks anyway!!

All the Best,
Ronan
 
Thanks for the share....I can't wait to listen to it....Tiki-Tim
 
Hi Ronan!

The only thing I can think of since you use WinRar too is that maybe you have an extra blank at the end of the password? I've run into that problem myself with cut and paste. If that's not the problem, I can't imagine what it could be.

I just tried downloading it myself and had no problem extracting the files. Could you carefully try the password one more time, either typing it or cutting & pasting and see what happens? I'd appreciate it.

After 25 years, I really want you to get this score. The main theme kills me every time too, and I'd really love it if you could enjoy it again!

If all else fails, let me know and maybe I can put up a copy without a password. I get the feeling though that it's just some extra character or slight mistyping of the pw, so please try again and let me know what happens. Thanks.

======================

And Hi Tiki-Tim! I get a real kick out of you saying that!
 
Hello again nomwl1.

I tried the password again – AND IT WORKED! HAPPY DAY!!!!!
I don’t know what I was doing the other day – in my highly excited state I was probably hitting keys all over the place!

Seriously though, I can’t tell you how much it means to me to finally possess a copy of this soundtrack. And such a comprehensive one. 24 tracks! Phew!!

As I said, the film is one of my all time favourites. I saw it first years ago in my early teens, when I was heavily under the influence of all things Hammer, Amicus, AIP, Cushing, Lee, Price etc. Straight away it struck me as something special. It was pretty gory for a British horror film for a start, but it was also genuinely funny in a very black way. And what a cast! Every face a familiar one. It was also incredibly touching, thanks to wonderful performances from Vinnie and Di, and of course the exquisite score. The ‘To be or not to be’ scene and the finale with father and daughter, are heartbreaking. Well, to me anyway!

I also love the Phibes films. I agree that they form a nice trio. The score for ‘Dr. Phibes Rises Again’ is another memorable one, particularly during the opening credits. I reckon the two policemen, Waverly and Trout, are one of the great unsung comedy double acts myself…..

Anyway, thanks and thanks again nomwl1. Over the years I have been chasing down all sorts of elusive films, music, TV shows etc., but this is the item I have pined for most.

Never mind making my day, you just damn well made my decade!

Cheers,
Ronan
 
Hello again...thought you would like to see some screen caps from "un journee bien remplie"...I've uploaded some to photobucket.The dvd is available from amazon france (not seen it anywhere else),in french with no subs but there is hardly any dialogue,it is almost a silent film (think of Phibes & the silent nature of the killings),the music provides the narrative in a silent film manner...I think it's amazing that it is so little known,it really is a very unusual & well made film....this is the link to the screen caps..http://s30.photobucket.com/albums/c311/hawtrey/
 
.the whole of the link didn't quite fit,it should say hawtrey so just add a "y" on the end.
 
Hi Ronan!

I'm so glad you were able to get it to work! I agree with what you said about the movies. The ending of Theatre of Blood is touching. I think the affecting quality of the film and the haunting main theme is what led me to want to put it up. I thought others, if they weren't already familiar with it, would love it.

And I agree with you about the opening music of Dr. Phibes Rises Again and about Waverly and Trout; they are very funny. I like the way they are just broad enough to make you understand why they never catch Phibes, but not so silly to make you think of them as buffoons.

And I'm really glad I could make your decade! That's (literally) music to my ears. And if there are any other of those films, music, TV shows, etc. that you're looking for the music to, let me know which ones. I might have it and if I do, I'd be happy to put it up!

=================

And Hi Dominic!

Thanks so much for the info. I tried the address you gave and photobucket wanted a password, so I was unable to see the screen caps. :( I might not understand how photobucket works, but it's possible they want your account password to get in to take a look. But thanks for taking the trouble to put them up and letting me know about it though. It was above and beyond the call of duty, and I appreciate it! :))
 
The password is origami...sorry about that.The pics are quite small,photobucket doesn't seem to show them full size,but they give you an idea of the film.Pleased to be able to show you them.
 
Hi Dominic!

Just saw the pics! The film looks so interesting (and ominous). Thanks for going to the trouble of sharing them. Always interested in hearing about movies!
 
Glad you got to view the pics.,hopefully one day you'll see the film somewhere.It was on british tv about 20 years ago(!)...I think one day it will be "discovered" by more people & gain a "Wicker Man" style cult following!
 
Hello again nomwl1,

Thanks for replying to my previous post. It’s very kind of you to ask for suggestions. There’s that much stuff I’d like to hear I wouldn’t know where to start! And anyway, you’re doing a very nice job on this blog without my input! While I’m here though, and we’re on the subject of British horror films, I do think there were quite a few from the late 60’s-early 70’s with similar lovely melancholic orchestrated scores. I’m thinking of Paul Ferris’ ‘Witchfinder General’, ‘Blood on Satan’s Claw’, ‘Doomwatch’, ‘The Beast in the Cellar’, ‘Hands of the Ripper’ etc. There must have been something in the water at the time, but they were great soundtracks. Good as they are, ‘Theatre of Blood’ will always be the undisputed champion for my money.

I’ve also downloaded some other stuff from your site, such as the Australian 60’s girl stuff, Riz Ortolani, and for the good lady wife – Sergio Mendes, so thank you for all that aswell. My tastes seem to coincide with your own quite a bit. Keep up the great work,

Ronan
 
Hi Dominic!

Hopefully it will get rediscovered one day and I'll get to see it. Then maybe they'll do a remake like 'Wicker Man'!

=============================

Hi again Ronan!

I think the late 1950's to the early 1970's was a fertile time for those horror movies. Hammer, AIP, etc. made some interesting films (with interesting music).

That reminds me. I haven't had the chance to put up his link yet, but you might be interested in checking out Phlegm Noir's blog at "http://phlegmnoir.blogspot.com/". He's sharing music from the "Hammer Films Frankenstein Collection" that you might be interested in, if you don't already have it.

And thanks for letting me know what you've been downloading. I appreciate it. It's interesting to find out what groups of things people are interested in. Tell your wife that I hope she enjoys the Sergio Mendes! And here's hoping that our tastes continue to coincide!

P.S. Thanks again for the nice words about the blog and feel free to make any suggestions, requests, or insights you want. They're always welcome here!
 
Thanks for the link nomwl1! Is there no end to the great blogs out there? I’ll check that out straight away. I always really liked the music in Hammer films. James Bernard in particular dreamed up some fine scores.

By the way, the missus says thanks for Sergio aswell! Our tastes are quite different in most ways, but we both like Latin stuff (my wife always loved this type of music, I’ve just gained an appreciation for it in the last year or so).

I also watched ‘Theatre of Blood’ again on Saturday night, for the first time in years. I’m delighted to say it hasn’t lost any of it’s magic. Great stuff,

Cheers,
Ronan
 
Hi again Ronan!

Thinking about the Hammer films makes me think I should put up more horror. People really seemed to like Theatre of Blood when I put it up.

Tell your wife that she's most welcome. And I'm glad to hear Theatre of Blood has lost none of its luster. I wish they would show it hear again!
 
..I've not heard much about the Wicker Man remake & I'm not sure I want to!I thought it was a joke when I heard they were remaking it...btw,George Romero once talked about doing another Dr Phibes film years ago,without Vincent Price it wouldn't really mean much...And several years ago,there was talk of remaking some Hammer films.
 
Hi Belynb!

I'm so glad you enjoyed the soundtrack. Edwina's theme is great.

I'm a big Diana Rigg fan also and I checked out your site and really enjoyed it. You've got some great pictures on there. I want to check the site out more thoroughly when I have time. I love the fact that you have some of her less familiar films up there too.

Anybody else reading this who loves Diana Rigg should go over there and check it out also!

Thanks again for the kind words.
 
Hi Belynb!

Sorry for the delay in responding! Sure that's fine with me. Glad to contribute. :))
 
Thanks so much for this fantastic soundtrack! It is greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks alot for this cool soundtrack.
V/R,
JB
 
It's interesting to see just how permeant memory has become in our lives. It's like everywhere I turn, I see something with a card slot or USB port, lol. I guess it makes sense though, considering how inexpensive memory has become lately...

Ahhh, I shouldn't be moaning and groaning. I can't make it through a single day without using my R4 / R4i!

(Submitted using SKu2 for R4i Nintendo DS.)
 
Today is my lucky day :)
My mom had promised me to gift a nintendo wii this Carnival. But I got it for free, yeee. While looking for some place where I could get it cheap or with some discount, I found this website http://bit.ly/d9QOON which offered a chance to win nintendo wii, as a special christmas promotion. All I needed to do was to enter my mobile number to enter into the contest. And yup, I won it. Lucky me. Now I am thinking what to ask my mom as a gift. :P
What do you guy's suggest?
 
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Thanks for the great soundtrack! Been looking for it for quite some time - much appreciated!

twolionss
 
I am looking forward to seeing more reports from it before. What you said was news to me, I′ll tell you.Thanks!
 
It's so great that you share this with us
 
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Willingly I accept. In my opinion, it is actual, I will take part in discussion. I know, that together we can come to a right answer.
 
Thank you so much from Siberia for uploading this remarkable OST. Love Vincent Price movies!
 
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