I know it wasn't a replacement of the whole score ... but it might as well have been:

John Barry's "arrangement" of the James Bond Theme for a little-known movie called Dr. No - I seem to recall reading that the movie did good business!

Sorry, I jest! As Mr. Barry has said in various interviews (and no doubt is not alone in his views), when a movie appears not be working then the producer/director/management turn to the music score and look to replace it (it often being the last major component of the production) but if a movie is not working then it is likely to be something more deep routed - such as poor script, acting, direction, etc.

We love movie music but we must be realistic: a great score can make a good movie better and a poor movie seem not too bad but it's unlikely to make a poor movie great. Hence, logically, the replaced score only really works where the original score was completely out of kilter with the production.

Mitch, November 20, 2005; 1:12 AM

Hello,

I can't answer your question based on how big the movie hit at the box office, I think the better question is, can anyone name a replacement score that sounds better than the first score rejected? I can't think of any off hand, All the rejected scores that I own sound better to me than the replacement scores.

Best Regards,
David Phoenix, AZ.

deg63iami, November 20, 2005; 2:52 AM

David,

You ask "...can anyone name a replacement score that sounds better than the first score rejected?" and suggest that the original score is (usually) better.

I'm afraid I have to disagree with that - though of course it's a matter of taste.

The "unlucky" Michel Legrand was replaced by John Barry on The Appointment and again on Robin And Marian. Whilst his themes for the former are lovely enough, the melody produced by Barry, albeit monothematic, is much better. As for the latter movie, I haven't heard Legrand's score but I can't imagine a score any better than that produced by Barry - perfection from start to finish (and so under-rated!).

Also, Legrand's score for The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing: the replacement score by John Williams sounds a whole lot better on disc!

Another replacement which I think was for the best was Ron Goodwin's score in place of that by Wiliam Walton for Battle of Britain. Whilst the original is a little more "classy" - perhaps "classical", the tone of the movie being made at the end of 60's rather than a decade earlier called for a lighter score and Goodwin produced the goods.

I also liked Ry Cooder's score for Last Man Standing in the movie - though found it a bore on CD; the original score by Elmer Bernstein definitely sounds better on disc.

Mitch, November 20, 2005; 2:59 PM

Also,

As much as I love some of Graeme Revell's earlier work, the "replacement" score by Jerry Goldsmith for "The 13th Warrior" is nothing short of brilliant, imho - whereas Revell's score was fine, but lacked the epic scope and razor sharp execution of Jerry's version.

Best,
Burnie




blinddoc, November 20, 2005; 5:02 PM

The well documented story of Alfred Hitchcock's replacement of Bernard Herrmann's score to TORN CURTAIN is now legend. The score and it's replacement by the fine composer John Addison have been around for years and are good examples of different approaches to film scoring.

Mr. Herrmann scored the film with nothing but brass and percussion, creating a heavy, almost dreadful atmosphere related to the doings behind the IRON CURTAIN, while Mr. Addison, probably on the direction of Mr. Hitchcock, wrote something light and airey, inappropriate to the scenario, in my opinion, and the film died an ignoble death at the box-office, despite the box office appeal of such names as Paul Newman and Julie Andrews.

Check out the DVD of TORN CURTAIN. Universal, which at the time was responsible for pressuring Mr. Hitchcock for an up-tempo kind of score, something they could market to the young audience they were hoping to capture, includes the sequences composed by Mr. Herrmann on the extras. They are quite a revelation. But you get to decide.

weavercp, November 20, 2005; 6:52 PM

Roman Polanski's timeless classic "Chinatown" replaced with a superb Jerry Goldsmith Oscar nominated score.

sushislash, November 21, 2005; 1:33 AM

And there are many more scores:

http://www.rejectedfilmscores.150m.com

(Self-created site)

tharpdevenport, November 21, 2005; 3:20 AM

Ya!
Look at Timeline and Wolfen
There must be a history of rejected scores to date?
I think James Horner music would do some big justice to Howard The Duck if he was the composer of the film.
Since Zathura IS the sequal to Jamanji, I wonder why they just didn't get Horner to the music?

aclockwork_oranges71, November 23, 2005; 3:04 PM