“Battle Of Britain” is a movie with a lot to say about. Not only does Guy Hamilton’s movie feature an all-star cast and brilliant images, mainly caused by the not only authentic but real WWII planes you can see on screen. In fact, the production company did buy and restore(!) many of these original planes, of which 27 British Spitfires and 6 Hurricanes were collected in Britain and ca. 50 retired German Messerschmitt Bf-109’s and two Heinkel He-111 bombers were bought from the Spanish Air Force and further 32 and another two Junkers Ju 52 were borrowed from. Some planes were also flown by veterans. Now this is what one could call historic accuracy, which also can help over the little unilaterally plot. Another highly interesting story regarding the production of the movie is focused around the music: Although the score by Ron Goodwin is one of the best-known ever and his attempt to write a German (“Ace High”) March succeeded by still being played all over the world, he just had about three weeks to write, orchestrate and record the entire music. The reason for that is the rejection of the original score by no less than Britain’s very own Sir William Walton. Unfortunately, his music was dropped mainly because of its short running time of about 20 minutes, which hardly could be put and sold on LP. Thanks to Laurence Olivier, who would stand up for Walton, it could be managed to have at least one piece of the composer’s music (“Battle In The Air”) featured in the final cut, unfortunately causing trouble and bad reputation for Goodwin. The story behind the two scores is just fascinating and I invite you to read more about it here: www.daveswarbirds.com/bob/book/book11.htm All in all it can be said that the rejection of Walton’s score was not caused by a ‘musical failure’ only, but rather a commercially one. Also, it could be said that his score would be suited better for performances in concert halls rather than in a movie, while Goodwin’s score is in fact more striking and has some bite to it, perfectly reflecting the imagery on screen. But in the end, it is you, the listener or viewer who has to decide with which you would like to go (and thanks to newer DVD’s and Blu-ray’s you can switch between the two scores, while watching the movie). However, we can see ourselves very lucky indeed, as both scores survived in their entirety and can be enjoyed today, especially if you think that Walton’s score was originally thought to be lost but later found in the garage of legendary Anvil Studio sound engineer Eric Tomlinson, who carefully stored it away, surely knowing that the day of its resurrection would come. Enjoy!
I really like this score. Not theatrical but excellent nevertheless. Thankfully, it can be listened to out of context. It is quite enjoyable. Thanks Fred for the unexpected treasure.
Battle in the Air chokes me up every time I hear it. The thoughts of the 18, 19 & 20yo lads shitting bricks as they struggle to survive against the German fighters.
Many thanks for your precious informations about film and score.I Remember when I saw for the first time this movie at the theatre near me when I was young the the music was not the same I listened from LP of soundtrack by Goodwyn except Battle in the air. My very best thanks & regards !
I read Goodwin say that when he heard Battle in the Air was to be used he was a little upset, as he had done a piece to cover that part. I wonder if his Sep15 unused track lurks somewhere. Even in written form.
@@sarumano884I read something similar. Something about someone being friends with Walton and saying they wouldn’t work on the film if that section wasn’t used or something like that.
I can see why they used Ron Goodwin for the majority of the soundtrack. Using Walton sparingly made his contribution more special, and almost like he was invited to score Battle in the Air exclusively.
Your knowledge of film scoring is minimal and it shows. The Walton score, which is quite spare, fits the film hand-and-glove. The Goodwin score calls attention to itself, and is way too commercial all things considered.
William Walton is a legend. He composed two crowning ceremonies - for King George VI and his daughter Elizabeth II. In this rejected score i hear some parts of Walton's famous "Spitfire prelude and fugue". And the track "Battle in the air" was partially taken into the movie score. You can hear it while the scenes of "The Blitz" - the final great air battle which decided the Battle of Britain.
Bello Fred.👍🏻 Ma tra Ron Goodwin, William Walton, Malcolm Arnold, chi è il legittimo compositore del film? Anche questa è un'ottima scelta per mettere più in evidenza l'aviazione in un film di guerra! Guy Hamilton, oltre ad aver diretto alcuni capitoli di James Bond, va ricordato per "La giungla degli implacabili", "Funerale a Berlino", "Forza 10 da Navarone", "Assassinio allo specchio", "Delitto sotto il Sole" e "Remo Williams". Cosa mi consigliate, per poter apprezzare al meglio il genere bellico?💥 In Italia, il film ha il titolo "I lunghi giorni delle aquile".
I have the Goodwin and the Walton scores on disc and there's no doubt that Walton's main theme is the most heart-stirring and pride-inducing. But Goodwin's is the most suited to the cinema, and is the most 'thrilling'. I can see why the producers chose Goodwin's.
Ron Goodwins music is rightfully the real music for this great picture, which I saw in original release at the Gateshead Odeon. It’s miles more suited and is an inextricable part of the character of the picture. Walton didn’t do the business and was rightly dropped- and the reference to Wagners Siegfried is at best irritating.
@@Kardia_of_Rhodes not many ordinary picture goers would recognise let alone understand that weak mocking distortion of Siegfrieds leitmotif, irrelevant and puzzling to most of the audience, and very irritating to those who know The Ring, virtually sacrilege. MGM made the right call to drop it.
Goodwin's score captures the brashness and arrogance of the Germans well. Walton's battle of the air was great for that section, but would have diluted the effect if used throughout the movie.
during the 15/9/40 fight i have the actral german helmet that bruno falkes planes hit oil on windscreen.i had my mums brother work in costumers department he gave it me xmas 68
A garage would not be somewhere I'd store away something carefully, but well done to Eric Tomlinson for saving it for us all. Thanks Fred for uploading this. 😃👍
“Battle Of Britain” is a movie with a lot to say about. Not only does Guy Hamilton’s movie feature an all-star cast and brilliant images, mainly caused by the not only authentic but real WWII planes you can see on screen. In fact, the production company did buy and restore(!) many of these original planes, of which 27 British Spitfires and 6 Hurricanes were collected in Britain and ca. 50 retired German Messerschmitt Bf-109’s and two Heinkel He-111 bombers were bought from the Spanish Air Force and further 32 and another two Junkers Ju 52 were borrowed from. Some planes were also flown by veterans. Now this is what one could call historic accuracy, which also can help over the little unilaterally plot.
Another highly interesting story regarding the production of the movie is focused around the music: Although the score by Ron Goodwin is one of the best-known ever and his attempt to write a German (“Ace High”) March succeeded by still being played all over the world, he just had about three weeks to write, orchestrate and record the entire music. The reason for that is the rejection of the original score by no less than Britain’s very own Sir William Walton. Unfortunately, his music was dropped mainly because of its short running time of about 20 minutes, which hardly could be put and sold on LP. Thanks to Laurence Olivier, who would stand up for Walton, it could be managed to have at least one piece of the composer’s music (“Battle In The Air”) featured in the final cut, unfortunately causing trouble and bad reputation for Goodwin. The story behind the two scores is just fascinating and I invite you to read more about it here: www.daveswarbirds.com/bob/book/book11.htm
All in all it can be said that the rejection of Walton’s score was not caused by a ‘musical failure’ only, but rather a commercially one. Also, it could be said that his score would be suited better for performances in concert halls rather than in a movie, while Goodwin’s score is in fact more striking and has some bite to it, perfectly reflecting the imagery on screen. But in the end, it is you, the listener or viewer who has to decide with which you would like to go (and thanks to newer DVD’s and Blu-ray’s you can switch between the two scores, while watching the movie). However, we can see ourselves very lucky indeed, as both scores survived in their entirety and can be enjoyed today, especially if you think that Walton’s score was originally thought to be lost but later found in the garage of legendary Anvil Studio sound engineer Eric Tomlinson, who carefully stored it away, surely knowing that the day of its resurrection would come. Enjoy!
Of course NO BF 109s appeared in the film, they were Hispano Aviación HA-1109s, the exhaust ports are in the wrong place!
The ending score and Battle in the Air are essentials in the movie, if you ask me.
scramble/battle in the air is fantastic and i'm glad it's in the movie
I really like this score. Not theatrical but excellent nevertheless. Thankfully, it can be listened to out of context. It is quite enjoyable. Thanks Fred for the unexpected treasure.
Battle in the Air chokes me up every time I hear it. The thoughts of the 18, 19 & 20yo lads shitting bricks as they struggle to survive against the German fighters.
Many thanks for your precious informations about film and score.I Remember when I saw for the first time this movie at the theatre near me when I was young the the music was not the same I listened from LP of soundtrack by Goodwyn except Battle in the air. My very best thanks & regards !
I read Goodwin say that when he heard Battle in the Air was to be used he was a little upset, as he had done a piece to cover that part. I wonder if his Sep15 unused track lurks somewhere. Even in written form.
Does anyone truly care?
I read Goodwin asked the producers to use Walton's "Battle in the Air" because he (Goodwin) couldn't better it.
If Goodwin was upset at one single sequence of his not being used imagine how Walton must have felt at having 98% of his score rejected!
@@sarumano884I read something similar. Something about someone being friends with Walton and saying they wouldn’t work on the film if that section wasn’t used or something like that.
I can see why they used Ron Goodwin for the majority of the soundtrack. Using Walton sparingly made his contribution more special, and almost like he was invited to score Battle in the Air exclusively.
Your knowledge of film scoring is minimal and it shows. The Walton score, which is quite spare, fits the film hand-and-glove. The Goodwin score calls attention to itself, and is way too commercial all things considered.
No need to be so harsh. Their knowledge of film scoring is fine. They simply have different taste to you.
William Walton is a legend. He composed two crowning ceremonies - for King George VI and his daughter Elizabeth II. In this rejected score i hear some parts of Walton's famous "Spitfire prelude and fugue". And the track "Battle in the air" was partially taken into the movie score. You can hear it while the scenes of "The Blitz" - the final great air battle which decided the Battle of Britain.
V01102021. Descanse en Paz Gran Actor Christopher Plummer. Vivira inmortal en sus películas.
V01102021. Perfilado en Arquetipo de Militares. Por su gran portento físico; Interesantentemente unos opuestos a otros.
Do you have the German soundtrack of this movie? it's slightly different and has some prussians marches like the preussen gloria and badenweiler.
Bello Fred.👍🏻
Ma tra Ron Goodwin, William Walton, Malcolm Arnold, chi è il legittimo compositore del film?
Anche questa è un'ottima scelta per mettere più in evidenza l'aviazione in un film di guerra!
Guy Hamilton, oltre ad aver diretto alcuni capitoli di James Bond, va ricordato per "La giungla degli implacabili", "Funerale a Berlino", "Forza 10 da Navarone", "Assassinio allo specchio", "Delitto sotto il Sole" e "Remo Williams".
Cosa mi consigliate, per poter apprezzare al meglio il genere bellico?💥
In Italia, il film ha il titolo "I lunghi giorni delle aquile".
I have the Goodwin and the Walton scores on disc and there's no doubt that Walton's main theme is the most heart-stirring and pride-inducing. But Goodwin's is the most suited to the cinema, and is the most 'thrilling'. I can see why the producers chose Goodwin's.
Ron Goodwins music is rightfully the real music for this great picture, which I saw in original release at the Gateshead Odeon. It’s miles more suited and is an inextricable part of the character of the picture. Walton didn’t do the business and was rightly dropped- and the reference to Wagners Siegfried is at best irritating.
Ask yourself, "What music comes to mind when someone mentions 'Nazi Germany'?".
Works by Wagner are often touted as 'Hitler's Soundtrack'.
@@Kardia_of_Rhodes not many ordinary picture goers would recognise let alone understand that weak mocking distortion of Siegfrieds leitmotif, irrelevant and puzzling to most of the audience, and very irritating to those who know The Ring, virtually sacrilege. MGM made the right call to drop it.
@@1davidpeter You know nothing about music and your ignorance is blatently obvious.
Goodwin's score captures the brashness and arrogance of the Germans well. Walton's battle of the air was great for that section, but would have diluted the effect if used throughout the movie.
'Is everything up?'
'The lot, sir.'
'Reserves?'
'None.'
'That's what I've just told the Prime Minister.'
I tried watching the film with the Walton music but had to go back to Ron Goodwin - Waltons main theme sounds like a reworking of Crown Imperial.
Lots of Walton's music is very similar, from Richard III to 'Went the Day Well' and Crown Imperial etc.
Watching the film with this as tbe soundtrack doesn't quite work for me but nevertheless it is typical Walton & played on its own is still terrific.
during the 15/9/40 fight i have the actral german helmet that bruno falkes planes hit oil on windscreen.i had my mums brother work in costumers department he gave it me xmas 68
Love Walton.. this would've improved the film, to be honest
I like the one they went with. Funny thing is,if anyone has the fox movie channel? Their version actually has this as the soundtrack.
I always liked this score better.
V01102021. Su partitura o música representa: Heroísmo. Patriotismo. Nación. Dominacion. Victoria. Bienvenida. Poderio. Muerte. Suspenso. Caída.
I do not know if someone said it before, but the theme named as "Luftwaffe's Victory" is the hymn of the nazi party.
A garage would not be somewhere I'd store away something carefully, but well done to Eric Tomlinson for saving it for us all. Thanks Fred for uploading this. 😃👍