Story about a top female fashion writer who "drinks, swears, smokes cigars with the boys and dresses like a cross between a truck driver and a school marm"[1] Pressured by her boss to change the public image of herself she decides to seduce a mother dominated fashion designer into marriage.
The show was most likely only broadcast once. Grainer is listed as composer of the plays incidental music.
MAIGRET AT BAY [9.2.69]
90 minute story separate from the Maigret series that ran from 30.10 1960 to 24.12.1963. Plot tells how Maigret, five years off retirement and feeling his age, helps a seemingly doped and robbed damsel in distress who later claims he attacked her. [2]
Presumably the Maigret signature tune was used but it is not known if Grainer wrote any new incidental music for this special episode of "BBC Play of the Month".
IN SEARCH OF GREGORY [13.2.69]
Possibly inspired by the "Wow Heavy Man!" 1953 Samuel Beckett play "Waiting For Godot"Wikipedia article "Waiting For Godot" this much ado about nothing film, when accepted on it's own terms, is curiously enjoyable although apparently a test audience at the time gave it a general thumbs down and it was seldom allowed a theatrical showing.
A modern audience would probably have demanded compensation for gaming time lost by watching it!.
Julie Christe plays pretty young thing Catherine Morelli who only goes to her father's fifth wedding in Geneva once she realises the possibility of meeting enigmatic American, Gregory Morelli, who seems to have worked his way into the affections of father "Max", played by Sicilian star Adolfio Celi, and introverted brother "Daniel", played by John Hurt.
Hurt was later seen in another 1969 Grainer scored movie "Before Winter Comes".
Both Daniel and father Max claim to have had unusual experiences with Gregory but there is no tangible proof that he ever existed. Did Gregory really climb from the drivers side of a speeding sports car over the bonnet and into the passengers seat to simulate the effect of gravity on an astronaut? Did he really record a song arranged for a strip of leather in a bicycle wheel, an opening and shutting rubbish bin lid, a bubble gum bursting, the tinkling of ice in a glass, tuned bottles and a base / rhythm guitar duo?
Some scenes have subtle detail that suggest all is not what it seems. Characters from one anecdote appear unexplained as background figures in other situations like the gum chewing youth from the studio story washing the front window of the vehicle in which that particular incident is being described.
When Catherine tests the reality of Daniels memories by insisting she be taken to the places Gregory usually frequents she discovers Gregory's air tinning workshop and becomes even more confused and frustrated.
By the movies end Gregory, who is shown to be an actual person, and Catherine have failed to make their desired connection despite coming very close to each other physically without realising it.
As the lead character is a young woman from an Italian family background and the film pivots around her emotional quest to find a man of mystery Grainer's theme song "Dreams" is suitably romantic and European and slightly awkward in places - as befits her quest.
Stay in your world / and fantasy
Till you dream / dreams that include me
Don't leave your dreams / or you may find
All that you want / is left behind
Nothing remains / when dreams have gone
So close your eyes / and then dream on
Ten years later Grainer would counterpoint these Don Black lyrics with an instrumental titled "Dreams Are Not Enough".
The songs melody is used as underscore throughout the movie played in various styles which include lush orchestration and Dixieland jazz.
THE ASSASSINATION BUREAU [10.3.69]
A somewhat far fetched tale of a female journalist paying an assassin to assassinate himself on the suggestion of another assassin jockeying for a power position within an assassination organisation, this is a simplified version of an unfinished 1910 novel by Jack London that was later completed by Robert L Fish in 1963.
Good Reads review of original "Assassination Bureau" book
It's watchable fare thanks to the personal attractiveness of its main stars Oliver Reed and Avenger Diana Rigg, the elaborate sets and the wide screen location scenery of London, Paris, Zurich, Vienna and Venice.
The philosophical musings on the ethics of killing people for "good" reasons that characterised the original book are not present of course although they would have made an interesting subtext given the war involvement debates of 1968 America.
Grainer's soundtrack music has more overall variety then his "Only When I Larf" effort but his best melody, "The Assassination Trot", was cut and only heard as the 45 singles "b" side, the "a" side being the films theme song "Life Is A Precious Thing". It is noticeable that Grainer's tune is far more digestible as the opening credits instrumental then when it has Hal Sharper's slightly cloying lyrics welded to it for the closing titles.
Two other Grainer/Sharper songs are included on the soundtrack but they are not much better then serviceable filler and easily forgotten.
The film has attracted a number of earnest reviews on IMDb "The Assassination Bureau"A contributor to the IMDb article on the movie indicates the basic situation of both book and film may have been based on Historical fact?
BEFORE WINTER COMES [24.3.69]
Early days of the cold war drama about two groups of soldiers stationed at a border crossing between Russian and American held territory in 1945 occupied Austria.
Lead actor David Niven channels his usual stiff upper lip British authority figure persona while Israeli actor/singer Topol plays an affable, multi-lingual army deserter who gets involved with wheeling and dealings on both sides only, for reasons of "army discipline", to be delivered back by his "friends" to the very system he ran away from. A young John Hurt plays a lieutenant who hasn't stifled his humanity with rigid protocol but holds no official position to stop those who can.
Filmed entirely on location in Austria, the birth country of Grainer's paternal great grandfather Carl Kreiner, the movies opening scenes may have echoed the Kreiner families 1853 cross country trek to board the German ship that would enable them to migrate to Australia.
Grainer's theme arrangement is strongly ethnic with a bias towards strummed Russian string instruments and rapid fire Western snare drums. Set to images of wagons and displaced people the opening credits instrumental uses a choir of male and female voices in a most interesting way to suggest hope for a new start after war time chaos.
The opening theme is reprised at the end following a scene that indicates Topol's character, "the interpreter", has realised he is going to be executed so the music arrangement becomes emptier, slower and sadder, the "winter" of the title.
LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS [30.3.69]
Most likely originally produced because of the high box office takings for 1963's "Tom Jones" both films are based on novels by 18th century social satirist Henry Fielding and both star actress Susanna York but the similarities end there.
"Tom Jones"[63] had a hyperactive score and an engaging sense of fun shown by the actors and the director while "Lock Up Your Daughters" just plods along in episodic fashion like a big budget "Carry On" comedy which may be due to it being a musical with all the witty Lionel Bart / Laurie Johnson songs deleted and merely workmanlike incidental music by Grainer substituted.
Leaving the 17 Johnston / Bart songs in would have meant cutting some scenes and a lot of the dialogue but that would probably have worked to the films advantage.
There is really only one flash of Grainer melodic fire and that's 44 minutes in illustrating, of all things, a street food fight with harpsichord, banjo and drums pushed by a slow - fast - faster - faster - faster "Zorba the Greek" style playing tempo.
Grainer's opening credits theme is strange - A hearty rope hauling male choir "Heave Ho" "Heave Ho" which morphs into "A Wea a Wea Wea" possibly to emphasise the fact that the three "heroes" are sailors but it doesn't seem very appropriate given that from the very start of the movie the salty tars are on land and energetically involved in their "R and R" activity.
FANNY CRADDOCK [19.4.69] LP track date of release unknown]
Bubbling and splashing away merrily instrumental inspired by the cooking show gargal and released on a Standard Music Library Comedy LP for children. It is claimed online to have been the 1963 theme for one of the formniable Mrs Cradocks many TV programs but a look through her BFI database Link to Screen Online database "Fanny Cradock" reveals she didn't work for the BBC until 1965 - 1975 and it's most unlikely while in those presitiguous surroundings she would have allowed a tune with the title "Buttered Crumpet" anywhere near her domain.
Link to Wikipedia article "Fanny Cradock"
The only other possibility is when she was employed by ITV and the only 1963 date of relevance there is her "Kitchen Magic" show 22.2.1963 which is also improbable as from 1960 - 1964 Grainer was the BBC golden boy and composing TV themes exclusively for them.
Grainers composition was used by the BBC for the 6 episodes of the Galton and Simpson Comedy show broadcast from 19.4.69 to 24.9.69
DESTINY OF A SPY [27.10.69]
It's watchable fare thanks to the personal attractiveness of its main stars Oliver Reed and Avenger Diana Rigg, the elaborate sets and the wide screen location scenery of London, Paris, Zurich, Vienna and Venice.
The philosophical musings on the ethics of killing people for "good" reasons that characterised the original book are not present of course although they would have made an interesting subtext given the war involvement debates of 1968 America.
Grainer's soundtrack music has more overall variety then his "Only When I Larf" effort but his best melody, "The Assassination Trot", was cut and only heard as the 45 singles "b" side, the "a" side being the films theme song "Life Is A Precious Thing". It is noticeable that Grainer's tune is far more digestible as the opening credits instrumental then when it has Hal Sharper's slightly cloying lyrics welded to it for the closing titles.
Two other Grainer/Sharper songs are included on the soundtrack but they are not much better then serviceable filler and easily forgotten.
The film has attracted a number of earnest reviews on IMDb "The Assassination Bureau"A contributor to the IMDb article on the movie indicates the basic situation of both book and film may have been based on Historical fact?
BEFORE WINTER COMES [24.3.69]
Early days of the cold war drama about two groups of soldiers stationed at a border crossing between Russian and American held territory in 1945 occupied Austria.
Lead actor David Niven channels his usual stiff upper lip British authority figure persona while Israeli actor/singer Topol plays an affable, multi-lingual army deserter who gets involved with wheeling and dealings on both sides only, for reasons of "army discipline", to be delivered back by his "friends" to the very system he ran away from. A young John Hurt plays a lieutenant who hasn't stifled his humanity with rigid protocol but holds no official position to stop those who can.
Filmed entirely on location in Austria, the birth country of Grainer's paternal great grandfather Carl Kreiner, the movies opening scenes may have echoed the Kreiner families 1853 cross country trek to board the German ship that would enable them to migrate to Australia.
Grainer's theme arrangement is strongly ethnic with a bias towards strummed Russian string instruments and rapid fire Western snare drums. Set to images of wagons and displaced people the opening credits instrumental uses a choir of male and female voices in a most interesting way to suggest hope for a new start after war time chaos.
The opening theme is reprised at the end following a scene that indicates Topol's character, "the interpreter", has realised he is going to be executed so the music arrangement becomes emptier, slower and sadder, the "winter" of the title.
LOCK UP YOUR DAUGHTERS [30.3.69]
Most likely originally produced because of the high box office takings for 1963's "Tom Jones" both films are based on novels by 18th century social satirist Henry Fielding and both star actress Susanna York but the similarities end there.
"Tom Jones"[63] had a hyperactive score and an engaging sense of fun shown by the actors and the director while "Lock Up Your Daughters" just plods along in episodic fashion like a big budget "Carry On" comedy which may be due to it being a musical with all the witty Lionel Bart / Laurie Johnson songs deleted and merely workmanlike incidental music by Grainer substituted.
Leaving the 17 Johnston / Bart songs in would have meant cutting some scenes and a lot of the dialogue but that would probably have worked to the films advantage.
There is really only one flash of Grainer melodic fire and that's 44 minutes in illustrating, of all things, a street food fight with harpsichord, banjo and drums pushed by a slow - fast - faster - faster - faster "Zorba the Greek" style playing tempo.
Grainer's opening credits theme is strange - A hearty rope hauling male choir "Heave Ho" "Heave Ho" which morphs into "A Wea a Wea Wea" possibly to emphasise the fact that the three "heroes" are sailors but it doesn't seem very appropriate given that from the very start of the movie the salty tars are on land and energetically involved in their "R and R" activity.
FANNY CRADDOCK [19.4.69] LP track date of release unknown]
Bubbling and splashing away merrily instrumental inspired by the cooking show gargal and released on a Standard Music Library Comedy LP for children. It is claimed online to have been the 1963 theme for one of the formniable Mrs Cradocks many TV programs but a look through her BFI database Link to Screen Online database "Fanny Cradock" reveals she didn't work for the BBC until 1965 - 1975 and it's most unlikely while in those presitiguous surroundings she would have allowed a tune with the title "Buttered Crumpet" anywhere near her domain.
Link to Wikipedia article "Fanny Cradock"
The only other possibility is when she was employed by ITV and the only 1963 date of relevance there is her "Kitchen Magic" show 22.2.1963 which is also improbable as from 1960 - 1964 Grainer was the BBC golden boy and composing TV themes exclusively for them.
Grainers composition was used by the BBC for the 6 episodes of the Galton and Simpson Comedy show broadcast from 19.4.69 to 24.9.69
DESTINY OF A SPY [27.10.69]
NY Times overview review "Destiny of a Spy"
Grainer's vaguely Russian flavour opening credits theme for mandolin, flutes and kettle drums is not very focused and does sound uncomfortably like the possible result of panic at a looming deadline with some hasty recycling of previous compositions and arrangements to fill a work brief.
PAUL TEMPLE [23.11.69]
Wikipedia Article "Paul Temple"
The series star, Francis Matthews said in a DVD interview he had a prolonged dispute with the shows producers about the way they changed the opening credits from "a lovely interesting design title sequence" to a zoomed movie of a figure, that was not him, running down a underground corridor "with a jangly version of the title music" in the background - probably an ill conceived attempt to lure "The Prisoner" audience into watching an episode.
Eventually Matthew's objections were taken note of and the opening video changed to 4 split screen images of him in a dinner jacket merging into a one profile shot accompanied by "a smooth version of the music".
Thanks to the changes in rhythm and music performance Grainer's excellent saxophone dominated theme conveys an emotional atmosphere of puzzles to be solved and the right person present to solve them.
"THEMES LIKE ---" [ RCA 1969 date of release unknown]
It's difficult to understand the reasoning behind the choice of compositions on this compilation album and the hodge podge running order of its play list. If it was meant to be a best of collection with a few rare items added, as these exercises traditionally pan out, it fails badly.
There are three Maigret incidental music tracks which anyone interested in that show would already have from the popular soundtrack lp while commercial hits like “Comedy Playhouse”, “That Was The Week That Was”, “Giants Of Steam”, “Dr Who”, “The Finest Hours” "Prisoner" “Only When I Larf” [opening credits theme] and “Paul Temple” are missing their place taken by obscure items like a dull version of the dynamic opening titles theme from “Before Winter Comes” and a song “Wild Daffodil” that becomes quite irritating after the novelty of hearing it sung in Grainers broad Australian accent wears off.
There are some worthy inclusions like the Strauss flavoured orchestral romp “Assassination Trot” which seems to have not made the final cut of the movie “The Assassination Bureau”, the calming 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,7 love theme from “Only When I Larf”, the rollicking “Jazz Age” the affectionate “Boy Meets Girl” and the inquisitive “Detective”.
1969 References
[1] Radio Times 2.1.1969
[2] Radio Times 8.2.1969
