France/United Kingdom 1992. Documentary by Joshua Valetsky. With Lucille Fletcher, James Stewart, Louis Kaufman, Don Crislip and David Raksin.
A well-documented portrait of Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975), the composer who rose to fame through his collaborations with Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock. At two o’clock[KA3]At the age of twenty, he began composing for radio. This is how he came into contact with Welles and his Mercury Theater. When he made his Hollywood debut with Citizen Kane, he brought Herrmann with him. He quickly became a respected composer, but was feared for his outbursts of anger. In 1956 he began working with Hitchcock on HARRY’S PROBLEM, a partnership that only ended in disagreement in 1966 when Hitch requested a love theme for TORN CURTAIN and Herrmann declined. He withdrew his entire score and John Addison was commissioned to write a new score. In this documentary, Shura[KA2]One of these was shown in the movie when Hitch brought them to the movie and as Herman saw them with his music. A whole series of people who knew Hermann well have their say and create a revealing portrait that shows us the man behind the artist. Waletzky wrote the screenplay and edited the film. Excerpts from Citizen Kane and The Ghost and the Lady. Muir, On Dangerous Ground, Cape Fear (1961), North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Psycho, Torn Curtain, La Marie Etta en Noir, The Sisters and Taxi Driver (his last composition). New footage shot by Mark Daniels and Jeffrey Feldman.
