Harlow (1965)

Composer(s):
Neal Hefti

Released in:
1965

Reviews

A 30s Movie with a 60s Beat!
by filmfactsman (April 14, 2005)
It's hard to believe that this soundtrack recording is 40 years old. It was one of my favorite soundtracks when I first started collecting them in the mid-70s. Neal Hefti's movie and TV music scores were always pleasant and catchy for the body of work that he did in the 1960s including "Barefoot in the Park", "The Odd Couple", "Batman" (TV), "Lord Love a Duck", "How to Murder Your Wife", and "Sex and the Single Girl". Unfortunately, like some of his contemporaries (Vic Mizzy and Johnny Mandel among them), he was never really taken seriously by his fellow composers and wasn't even nominated for an Oscar. Actually "Harlow" sounds like many of his other scores--pure 60s pop. But it works so well in the now-campy film that it turned out to be an appropriate score after all. Take my advice and purchase this CD ASAP, before it goes out of print and skyrockets in price. It's a great listen and a smart investment!

Girl Talk
by Thomas Kiefner (July 4, 2003)
Neal Hefti, in his unique style, created a good soundtrack for Harlow. Hefti's big band style fit well into the story of Jean Harlow, played by Carroll Baker. While the main theme "Lonely Girl" is featured on 4 tracks in vocal and instrumental versions, it is the track "Girl Talk" which really got my attention. A beautiful theme which Hefti mixes his brass, piano and strings to perfection. It is one of those melodies that you will find yourself humming after you have heard it a few times. "Blues for Jean" is another fine example of the Hefti style. A simple blues theme that Neal slowly and creatively builds on. You can hear the years he spent with Count Basie on this particular track. For many years Neal spent his time composing, arranging, and orchestrating for Basie and many others before writing soundtracks for film and television. Neal will probably always be best remembered for his themes for "Batman" and "The Odd Couple", but "Girl Talk" is a great melody and worth the price of this CD.

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