Issued in 1956 shortly after
James Dean
's death, this presents excerpts from the
soundtracks
of the three films to star the iconic actor:
East of Eden
,
Rebel Without a Cause
, and
Giant
, performed by
Ray Heindorf
and
the Warner Brothers Orchestra
. The
scores were composed by
Dean
's friend
Leonard Rosenman
, while
's score was penned by
Dimitri Tiomkin
. It's doubtful that the disc will hold much of compelling interest for listeners who aren't
devotees (who might be able to bring to mind specific scenes from the films associated with the included excerpts).
's portions are grand, string-heavy and dramatic, and soaked with a somber, humorless quality. The parts of
heard here are similar, but daredevil
cool jazz
pokes into the proceedings as an influence on
"The Gang/Chicken Run."
The two excerpts from
are far chirpier, though in a corny fashion, with
"Theme From Giant"
boasting the clip-clop rhythms, whistling, and strident choral vocals found in many
to American westerns. The CD reissue adds three bonus tracks, two of them being a 1956 single by
Heindorf
of the main themes from
(in different versions than the main themes excerpted on the original LP); the other is
Mitch Miller
's massive 1955 hit single
"The Yellow Rose of Texas."
~ Richie Unterberger