Search - Various Artists, Elmer Bernstein :: True Grit: Music From The Classic Films Of John Wayne (Film Score Anthology)

True Grit Is Long Over Due

Jonathan C. Lane | Mogadore, OH | 02/10/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have always looked for a collection of songs from the movies of John Wayne, and I have finally found it. True Grit is a great way to take the Duke's movies with you wherever you go. When you listen to themes from "The Alamo" and "How The West Was Won", you can imagine the movie in your mind. The scores in this collection are all excellent. I am now waiting for volume 2 to come out, there are still so many John Wayne songs that I can't find anywhere such as "The Ballad of The War Wagon" and the theme from "Chisum." If you are a fan of the films of John Wayne, you will truly enjoy True Grit."

Great, but not enough

Jonathan C. Lane | 03/02/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Its really nice to see music from some of John Wayne's best films assembled on one CD, but this compellation is like eating peanuts... you just want more. While I really like the album I sometimes wonder about the choices. Themes from "The Longest Day" and "How the West Was Won" don't really belong here because Wayne had only very small rolls in both of those films. I really wish they had excluded those themes and put in selections from Elmer Berstein's excellent musical score from "The Sons of Katie Elder" which would have nicely complemented the (too brief) sample taken from his "True Grit" soundtrack. And where is the main title theme from "Hatari" by the incomparable Henry Mancini? Still, I can't complain too much. Its nice to hear themes from a few of the Duke's movies because, sadly, its the only place you can hear most of them outside of watching the films themselves on video tape."

"The High & Mighty...The Searchers...Stagecoach...The Duke"

J. Lovins | Missouri-USA | 12/29/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Silva Screen, Paul Bateman and The City Of Prague Philharmonic decided to record "True Grit:Music From The Classic Films of John Wayne", the selections appeal to every fan that sat in a darkened theatre and watched "The Duke" swagger down the street to meet up with the local bad men of his town.Opening track is--- "STAGECOACH"(1939), same year as "Gone With The Wind" and "The Wizard Of Oz", many classic films came out and this John Ford production was the beginning of a wonderful relationship between Wayne and Ford...filmed with the back-drop of Monument Valley, unforgettable characters traveling through the wilderness bound for a destination of immortality---our composer from "STAGECOACH"(Richard Hagerman), once again proves lighting can strike twice...with his score of "SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON"(1949), just ten years later, this heart-warming theme "Leaving the Fort", is a real gem of outstanding composing---"THE QUIET MAN"(1952), the unforgettable music from Victor Young, takes us back to Ireland and all the green and warmth of the its people(see Silva Screen SSD-1118 for the entire and complete score)---"THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY"(1954), haunting and beautiful score from Academy Award Winner Dimitri Tiomkin, one of Wayne's most memorable performances, has never been released on VHS or DVD---"THE SEARCHERS"(1956), an Oscar Winning performance by "The Duke", but let's look at the legendary composer Max Steiner's score, heart wrenching, touching and compassionate beyond all words, typical Steiner signature always another character in the film is HIS MUSIC!In closing, looking forward to a Volume Two...this could include such titles as "THE SHOOTIST"..."ROOSTER COGBURN"..."TRAIN ROBBERS"..."CHISUM"..."THE UNDEFEATED"..."THE GREEN BERETS"..."THE WAR WAGON"..."SONS OF KATIE ELDER"..."THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE"..."HATARI"...just to name a few, could add many more...but for the time being Pilgrim, this will do just fine!Total Time: 64:25 on 15 Tracks ~ Silva Screen Records SSD-1037 ~ (1994)"