Victor Young was very nearly the Randy Newman of his day.  When Newman finally took home the Academy Award in 2002, it followed 15 unsuccessful nominations – a record which tied him with another film score legend, Alex North.  (North received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1986, five years before his death.)  When Young’s name was finally called as the winner of an Academy Award in 1957, it was a posthumous victory for the 22-time (!) nominee.  Victor Young died in November 1956 at just 56 years old (some sources say 57), but not before leaving behind a vast, rich body of work including 1943’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, cited as the first score to be issued on records.  Young also wrote a number of now-standard songs such as “When I Fall in Love” and “Stella by Starlight.”  Kritzerland is celebrating the Young oeuvre with the release of Victor Young at Paramount containing three scores from the great composer.  This 1,000-unit limited edition release is due by the last week of April but pre-orders directly from the label usually arrive an average of four weeks early.

This Victor Young triple bill comprises the scores to three films released between 1949 and 1951: The Accused (1949), September Affair (1950) and Appointment with Danger (1951).  None of these three scores have ever been released in audio format before, and all have been transferred directly from the elements in the Paramount vaults by the restoration experts at Kritzerland.  Ironically, Young wasn’t nominated for Oscars for any of these scores, but they’re no less melodic and memorable.  After the jump, we have all of the details on this Young treasure trove via the complete Kritzerland press release as well as the full track listing and pre-order link!

Paramount and Victor Young – one of the greatest studio/composer relationships in history.  Over the course of his career, Victor Young received an astonishing twenty-two Oscar nominations (in 1940 and 1941 he was nominated four times in the same year!). But he would not win the golden statuette during his lifetime – he won the Oscar for Best Music (Dramatic or Comedy Picture) posthumously for Around the World in Eighty Days.  Some of his themes are among the most beloved of all time.  For this CD, we are proud to present three world premiere releases – a Victor Young triple bill.

First up is Appointment With Danger, a 1951 crime film noir directed by Lewis Allen, starring Alan Ladd, Phyllis Calvert, Paul Stewart, Jan Sterling, Jack Webb and Harry Morgan.  For the film, Young composed a terrific score, beginning with an exciting “Prelude.”  From there he provides wonderful underscoring for the various plot turns, with nary a love theme to be heard.  This is Young in suspense and drama mode and he keeps things moving along right up until the exciting final cues.

Our second feature, The Accused, is another film noir, this one from 1949, starring Loretta Young, Robert Cummings, Wendell Corey and Sam Jaffe.  Beginning with a classic Young “Prelude” which sets the tone for all that follows, the score plays up the characters and their emotions. It features a beautiful theme, which is used throughout the score.  There’s also some suspense music here and there – it’s a terrific score straight down the line.

For our final feature, we have September Affair, a 1950 film starring Joseph Cotton, Joan Fontaine, Jessica Tandy and Robert Arthur.   The score for September Affair is a perfect example of what Young did as well as anyone – a gorgeously melodic, picturesque, touching and captivating score. You’ll musically visit Rome, Naples, Pompeii and Capri, and be a party to all the drama the characters face.  Young also subtly uses the great Kurt Weill/Maxwell Anderson song “September Song” skillfully in some cues.

This is the world premiere release for all three scores, and we present all the surviving cues from each, transferred from the elements in the Paramount vaults.  Victor Young died too young at 56 – but he left behind a brilliant film music legacy and we’re very pleased to bring these three great scores to CD for the first time.  Appointment With Danger/The Accused/September Affair is limited to 1000 copies only and is priced at $19.98, plus shipping.

You can pre-order Victor Young at Paramount at the link below directly from Kritzerland!

Victor Young, Victor Young at Paramount (Kritzerland KR-20027-8, 2014)

Appointment with Danger (1951)

1. Prelude
2. Ferrar Enters the Act
3. Tantum Ergo (Traditional)/Organ
4. Soderquist’s Swan Song/Ferrar’s Bad Manners
5. Goddard Plays Guinea Pig
6. Symphony No. 1 (excerpt) (Brahms)
7. Lonely Am I (Lilley)/Slow Bus to Memphis
8. The Ferrar Chase/Bridge to Hotel
9. The Clever Defense/The Boner
10. Regas Follows Nun (Bridge)
11. The Mail Robbery
12. The Short Straw
13. Cops and Robbers
14. Finale and End Cast

The Accused (1949)

1. Prelude
2. Shimmer/Bill’s Guardian
3. The Convalescent
4. The Vacant Chair
5. Cocktail Lounge–Radio Music
6. Cyclothymiac Cutie/Hall of Justice
7. Gypsy Violins
8. Heart to Heart Talk
9. End Title

September Affair (1950)

1. Rome 1948
2. The Naples Tour
3. Pompeii Tour*
4. Capri Tour*
5. The Letter**
6. Avenue of Obscurity**
7. The Telegram**/The New Love and the Old*
8. Maria**/Return Home and Finale*

(*) includes “September Song” by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson

(**) based on “September Song” by Kurt Weill and Maxwell Anderson