Product Description
by Randall D. Larson (Author)
In the 1950s, Hammer Film Productions, a small British filmmaking company, introduced the world to a new genre of motion picture. Referred to by some as "horror," by others as "fantasy," Hammer films had a unique look and feel that many other studios would later attempt-and fail-to capture.
Hammer films also had a unique sound. For although the studio was small and the budgets limited, those involved in making the Hammer films recognized that the musical score was just as important as the set, the actors, and the script in telling the story. Consequently, Hammer Films Productions recruited the best musical talent to make its films come alive. Those artists and the work they did are chronicled here in careful detail by Randall D. Larson. From the studio's fledging days, through its great successes of the 60s and early 70s, Music from the House of Hammer offers an inside look at how the "Hammer sound" was developed and nurtured.Back Jacket
In Music from the House of Hammer, Randall D. Larson shows us how Hammer Film Productions's strikingly innovative use of music contributed both to the success of individual films and to the success of the studio. With music that was alternately romantic and experimental, Gothic and modern, Hammer composers helped shape the image of horror in the cinema. Remembrances by Leonard Salzedo, Monty Norman, Gerard Schurmann, Mario Nascimbene, and others, coupled with the author's critical analysis of each score, offer readers a sense of the history and artistry of the music that made Hammer films unforgettable.
Author Biography
Randall D. Larson has written a number of books, articles, and papers on film music, film novelizations, and horror literature.
