“On Dangerous Ground” (1952) deals with the frustrated and rather violent city cop Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan), who is sent to the countryside to solve a murder. There he gets to meet the blind woman Mary Malden (Ida Lupino), who seems to see the good in Wilson, who, first afraid by the warmth of human kindness, starts to open up… Very much supportive to Nicholas Ray’s directorial craftsmanship, composer Bernard Herrmann came on board the project… and delivered! If one wouldn’t know the movie, it could be assumed to listen to a Hitchcock / Herrmann collaboration. In fact “On Dangerous Ground” could be called a musical predecessor to “North By Northwest” (1959). Enjoy!
Hi Soundtrack Fred. Joe from Chicago here again. Thank you so much for posting this. I missed out on the FSM original. I did get the recent re-recording, but like many lovers of film music (and as a collector), I always prefer the original when possible. Take care.
Just watched this classic film noir the other day not knowing anything about the crew apart from director Ray. Well, not a minute into the opening credits I thought to myself, "that sounds just like a little brother to NORTH BY NORTHWEST." Great movie, great score. Thanks for the suite.
I tried getting this film remade in the '90s as a struggling screenwriter and got definite interest from a well-known producer, but those folk are wonders at complicating a situation rather than simplifying it. I really wanted either Harrison Ford or Clint Eastwood as Jim and definitely Winona Ryder as Mary. Getting those actors all lined up was part of the complication, but so was getting permission to use the original score. William Stromberg and the RSPO are releasing a new recording of the complete score along with Hitch's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, which should be splendid.
What a remarkable score. Absolutely one of Herrmann's finest. Represents the wide range of his compositions. Extraordinarily sweeping in its emotional underpinnings for an exceptional film. 🎥
Dang, my friend. You knocked this one out of the park. Herrmann can be quite complex and dark - in keeping with the noir motif - and yet there are (somewhat) lighter elements for Mary's leitmotif which then build and build to the ultimately sad ending of her brother and the reunion with Mary. Dang, this thing is complex! So much anguish and violence. Bernard Herrmann paints with a heavy aural brush that avoids being schmaltzy. Thanks Fred.
Hi, Frederik!! A little classic that, in a way, has been forgotten. Released after as William Wyler's " Detective Story " ( which deals with the same subject ), " On Dangerous Ground " is psychologically richer and more complex ( Ray was linked to European auteur theater and cinema ). Outstanding performance by Brit Ida Lupino - who was also a daring independent director and producer ( she directed some sequences while Ray was ill ). In the first third of the film, people recognize musical material that would be reworked by Herrmann in " Vertigo ", " North by Northwest ", " The Twilight Zone ", etc.. As always, here he just did what he wanted and how he wanted, obeying no one ( " either they gave me complete freedom or I resigned ", he said ). His trademarks are here: European style in delicate themes and the famous notes obssessively repeated, which earned him the nickname " Devotee of Our Lady of Perpetual Repetition ", from one of his many, many enemies, the composer David Raksin. Well... Thanks again, Frederik, and nice weekend!!
Ha! I think I bought the Film Score Monthly (FSM) release of Bernard Herrmann's score for 'On Dangerous Ground' several years ago, but I still haven't gotten around to listening to it, so this video will inspire me to finally give the soundtrack a proper listen, particularly given how much I have enjoyed other Bernard Herrmann scores. :)
Thank you for this gem, Fred! My exposure to this remarkable score was in the beautifully conducted and recorded Charles Gerhardt/National Philharmonic Orch Classic Filmscore Series on RCA, in which the score was represented by "The Death Hunt." And the London/Decca recording team in London did full justice to that thrilling theme. One could tell Gerhardt had a great affinity for Herrmann's music. But, of course, it's always special to hear Herrmann conducting his own music; and hearing him addressing the orchestra at the top was fun. I sure wish I had bought this when it was released, but great to have your suite here to enjoy! Now, to get hold of the movie!
Love this movie and this soundtrack is so marvelous! Every note and dynamic is so necessary. What an inspiration. But, then again, all of Maestro Herrmann's music is over-the-top masterful!!!!!! So much contrast and drama!!
Hi Soundtrack Fred, I don't comment enough on this sublime channel, paying tribute to this so subtle and particular art, to dress musically a movie. But I'm going to repair this injustice today... ;) I follow assiduously however each of your publications which opens me to many small cinematographic nuggets and their famous Soundtrack :) Thanks to you, I confess, that you have given me the desire to return to "my first loves of yesteryear..." The good old black and white movies, which have always had my little preference, for many reasons ;) It reminds me, too, of my teenage years when I used to raid the DVD section, Old School black and white movies, of my rental club... Nostalgia... So, thank you very much for this work, and what it brings me as enriching (re)discoveries and other little cinematographic nuggets ;) Stay Safe 🙏🏻✌🏻
Mamaziha, thank you so much for your warm words. They are really appreciated! Stay safe and thanks for commenting and enjoying the great music (and movies)! :-) Fred
One can hear how Bernard Herrmann's score for 'On Dangerous Ground' (1951) influenced his later scores for 'North by Northwest' (1959), 'Psycho' (1960), and even 'Jason and the Argonauts' (1963) as well as 'Mysterious Island (1961)'.
I love Herrmann's use of the anvil hammer in the dynamic Main Title theme of his brilliant score for this excellent 1951 Film Noir classic thriller from RKO Studios. He re-used elements of this score in VERTIGO (1958), NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), PSYCHO (1960), and others, but he never over-used his elements. They were all perfectly appropriate to the scenery.
I have listened to this one several times in the past few weeks. Have never seen the movie and knew nothing about the score. This suite is eminently enjoyable in its own right. Intense, romantic, suspenseful, heartbreaking, exciting. And yes, a foreshadow, as it turned out, of North by Northwest.
At around 2:37 and 3:57 you can hear traces of his score from North by Northwest. Hermann was one of the most original Hollywood composers of all time. The soundtrack makes me want to check out the movie now.
What about Popeye, the original disgruntled veteran? An inarticulate, former serviceman who gets hopped up on spinach and takes out his rage and alienation on Bluto; violently and obsessively. "That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more" - my blood runs cold when I hear those words. It always means someone is going to pay with their blood. Har har har! 😸
“On Dangerous Ground” (1952) deals with the frustrated and rather violent city cop Jim Wilson (Robert Ryan), who is sent to the countryside to solve a murder. There he gets to meet the blind woman Mary Malden (Ida Lupino), who seems to see the good in Wilson, who, first afraid by the warmth of human kindness, starts to open up…
Very much supportive to Nicholas Ray’s directorial craftsmanship, composer Bernard Herrmann came on board the project… and delivered! If one wouldn’t know the movie, it could be assumed to listen to a Hitchcock / Herrmann collaboration. In fact “On Dangerous Ground” could be called a musical predecessor to “North By Northwest” (1959). Enjoy!
Hi Soundtrack Fred. Joe from Chicago here again. Thank you so much for posting this. I missed out on the FSM original. I did get the recent re-recording, but like many lovers of film music (and as a collector), I always prefer the original when possible. Take care.
Just watched this classic film noir the other day not knowing anything about the crew apart from director Ray. Well, not a minute into the opening credits I thought to myself, "that sounds just like a little brother to NORTH BY NORTHWEST." Great movie, great score. Thanks for the suite.
Yes, but 'North by Northwest' came later, so technically 'North' is the little brother. :)
My wife says OMG! One of her top ten favorite films of all time! Great story of human redemption! She sends her many thanks, as always!
A great preservation from FSM. Ofcourse the new rerecording coming from Intrada in late Spring.
@@azahid Wow, thanks for the update! We have the FSM too!
One of my favorite soundtracks by Herrmann.
My wife adds that this was one of Herrmann's favorite film scores that he did.
I tried getting this film remade in the '90s as a struggling screenwriter and got definite interest from a well-known producer, but those folk are wonders at complicating a situation rather than simplifying it. I really wanted either Harrison Ford or Clint Eastwood as Jim and definitely Winona Ryder as Mary. Getting those actors all lined up was part of the complication, but so was getting permission to use the original score. William Stromberg and the RSPO are releasing a new recording of the complete score along with Hitch's THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH, which should be splendid.
The Death Hunt is absolutely jaw dropping intense on it's own. The rest of this score is brilliant. I just cannot get enough of those French Horns...
What a remarkable score. Absolutely one of Herrmann's finest. Represents the wide range of his compositions. Extraordinarily sweeping in its emotional underpinnings for an exceptional film. 🎥
Dang, my friend. You knocked this one out of the park. Herrmann can be quite complex and dark - in keeping with the noir motif - and yet there are (somewhat) lighter elements for Mary's leitmotif which then build and build to the ultimately sad ending of her brother and the reunion with Mary. Dang, this thing is complex! So much anguish and violence. Bernard Herrmann paints with a heavy aural brush that avoids being schmaltzy. Thanks Fred.
Hi, Frederik!! A little classic that, in a way, has been forgotten. Released after as William Wyler's " Detective Story " ( which deals with the same subject ), " On Dangerous Ground " is psychologically richer and more complex ( Ray was linked to European auteur theater and cinema ). Outstanding performance by Brit Ida Lupino - who was also a daring independent director and producer ( she directed some sequences while Ray was ill ). In the first third of the film, people recognize musical material that would be reworked by Herrmann in " Vertigo ", " North by Northwest ", " The Twilight Zone ", etc.. As always, here he just did what he wanted and how he wanted, obeying no one ( " either they gave me complete freedom or I resigned ", he said ). His trademarks are here: European style in delicate themes and the famous notes obssessively repeated, which earned him the nickname " Devotee of Our Lady of Perpetual Repetition ", from one of his many, many enemies, the composer David Raksin. Well... Thanks again, Frederik, and nice weekend!!
Ha! I think I bought the Film Score Monthly (FSM) release of Bernard Herrmann's score for 'On Dangerous Ground' several years ago, but I still haven't gotten around to listening to it, so this video will inspire me to finally give the soundtrack a proper listen, particularly given how much I have enjoyed other Bernard Herrmann scores. :)
Thank you for this gem, Fred! My exposure to this remarkable score was in the beautifully conducted and recorded Charles Gerhardt/National Philharmonic Orch Classic Filmscore Series on RCA, in which the score was represented by "The Death Hunt." And the London/Decca recording team in London did full justice to that thrilling theme. One could tell Gerhardt had a great affinity for Herrmann's music. But, of course, it's always special to hear Herrmann conducting his own music; and hearing him addressing the orchestra at the top was fun. I sure wish I had bought this when it was released, but great to have your suite here to enjoy! Now, to get hold of the movie!
Love this movie and this soundtrack is so marvelous! Every note and dynamic is so necessary. What an inspiration. But, then again, all of Maestro Herrmann's music is over-the-top masterful!!!!!! So much contrast and drama!!
This score you have presented is stunning. What a masterpiece
Hi Soundtrack Fred,
I don't comment enough on this sublime channel, paying tribute to this so subtle and particular art, to dress musically a movie. But I'm going to repair this injustice today... ;)
I follow assiduously however each of your publications which opens me to many small cinematographic nuggets and their famous Soundtrack :)
Thanks to you, I confess, that you have given me the desire to return to "my first loves of yesteryear..."
The good old black and white movies, which have always had my little preference, for many reasons ;)
It reminds me, too, of my teenage years when I used to raid the DVD section, Old School black and white movies, of my rental club... Nostalgia...
So, thank you very much for this work, and what it brings me as enriching (re)discoveries and other little cinematographic nuggets ;)
Stay Safe 🙏🏻✌🏻
Mamaziha,
thank you so much for your warm words. They are really appreciated! Stay safe and thanks for commenting and enjoying the great music (and movies)! :-)
Fred
One can hear how Bernard Herrmann's score for 'On Dangerous Ground' (1951) influenced his later scores for 'North by Northwest' (1959), 'Psycho' (1960), and even 'Jason and the Argonauts' (1963) as well as 'Mysterious Island (1961)'.
North by Northwest is note for note. You totally recycled, Bernie!
Thank you Soundtrack Fred. I just heard another amazing score today for a Japanese film from 1961 called Yojimbo
Wonderful film!
I love Herrmann's use of the anvil hammer in the dynamic Main Title theme of his brilliant score for this excellent 1951 Film Noir classic thriller from RKO Studios. He re-used elements of this score in VERTIGO (1958), NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), PSYCHO (1960), and others, but he never over-used his elements. They were all perfectly appropriate to the scenery.
Grazie Fred.👍🏻
Bernard Herrmann maestro della suspense.❤
Thank you so much for this.
I have listened to this one several times in the past few weeks. Have never seen the movie and knew nothing about the score. This suite is eminently enjoyable in its own right. Intense, romantic, suspenseful, heartbreaking, exciting. And yes, a foreshadow, as it turned out, of North by Northwest.
A great film and soundtrack well worth watching
At around 2:37 and 3:57 you can hear traces of his score from North by Northwest. Hermann was one of the most original Hollywood composers of all time. The soundtrack makes me want to check out the movie now.
Very much akin to "mysterious island"
real fear is to 3:55
robert ryan's jim wilson character was the predecessor of clint eastwood's dirty harry!
What about Popeye, the original disgruntled veteran? An inarticulate, former serviceman who gets hopped up on spinach and takes out his rage and alienation on Bluto; violently and obsessively.
"That's all I can stands, I can't stands no more" - my blood runs cold when I hear those words. It always means someone is going to pay with their blood.
Har har har! 😸
Take my word for it...crank up the cue The Silence..its his Twilight Zone theme and total Holst Neptune homage