This is shaping up to be an exciting week for classic soundtrack fans. Hot on the heels of Film Score Monthly’s announcement of a Bronislau Kaper collection, Kritzerland unveiled its latest release Monday morning: Marvin Hamlisch’s score to the 1983 film Romantic Comedy. Hamlisch is too often underrated in the film scoring department, although can you really call someone underrated who has amassed three Academy Awards, three Golden Globes, four Emmy Awards, four Grammy Awards, a Tony Award and the Pulitzer Prize? Still, his acclaimed, clever and comedic score to 2009’s The Informant! (with its instantly-memorable theme) didn’t even warrant a pressed CD release on American shores. This makes Kritzerland’s release of Romantic Comedy even more of a treat. Based on the label's splendid release of Hamlisch’s Bananas score, the listener will be in good hands.

Romantic Comedy debuted on Broadway in 1979 starring Anthony Perkins as a playwright for whom the hits have dried up, and Mia Farrow as the woman who just might be able to end his writer’s block. For the 1983 film version, their roles were filled by Dudley Moore and Mary Steenburgen. Bernard Slade, creator of the immortal sitcom Bewitched, adapted his stage play for the film version which was directed by Arthur Hiller, the Oscar-nominated director of Love Story. Hamlisch was the perfect choice for this film which lived up to its title, riding a wave of success that had seen him in the previous years writing Broadway musicals A Chorus Line and They’re Playing Our Song, scoring films as diverse as The Spy Who Loved Me and Sophie’s Choice, and churning out massive pop hits like “Nobody Does It Better,” “The Way We Were” and “Theme from Ice Castles (Looking Through the Eyes of Love)” from his films. Adept at both sweeping romantic statements and broad comic scoring, Hamlisch composed a central theme for Romantic Comedy which he reset in various idioms and styles throughout the film.

Kritzerland’s premiere CD release is assembled from the original three-track session masters and includes four bonus tracks. Unfortunately, Peabo Bryson and Roberta Flack's end credits duet “Maybe,” with lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager set to music by her former flame Hamlisch and her then-husband Burt Bacharach in a rare collaboration, was unavailable for inclusion.  Kritzerland has located an instrumental of the theme, however, and it closes out the disc. Romantic Comedy can be pre-ordered here, and will arrive by the end of August, although pre-orders usually ship an average of four weeks early.  The full track listing and some sound samples can be found after the jump!

1. Main Title
2. The Wedding / First Rehearsal
3. Opening Night in Boston
4. Opening Night on Broadway / Goodnight, Phoebe
5. Allison Pregnant / It’s a Boy / It’s a Hit / Several Hits Later
6. Dinner for Sick Phoebe
7. Flop / It Was You
8. Our Second Act Doesn’t Work at All
9. New Play Rehearsals
10. Phoebe Leaves / Romantic Comedy
11. So Much For Happy Endings / Stop Talking and Collaborate / Happy Ending
12. Unused Source Music**
13. Opening Night Party Music (Out Here On My Own)**
14. Wedding Party Music**
15. Music to Write By (Don’t Blame Me)**

** bonus track