Hollywood doesn't often like to make films on very touchy subjects and heroin addiction is certainly not a greatly covered subject. Indeed, the only other film I can think of on the subject is Trainspotting which isn't Hollywood anyway and is much more recent. This 1955 picture from Otto Preminger features a heroin junky (which the liner notes refer to as 'dope' which in this case does mean heroin and not cannabis) played by Frank Sinatra who is trying to make it as a jazz drummer, while overcoming his addiction. The film itself is highly regarded and so too is Elmer Bernstein's intense, swing jazz score. As Bernstein points out, the music isn't really jazz since there is no element of improvisation, although it is written for a larger group of musicians where a lot of improvisation would be difficult, even more so when trying to fit to a motion picture.

Perhaps the most striking thing about the music is how atypical it seems for Bernstein. From the opening drum solo to the syncopated brass riffs that litter the score, little is in a style for which he is famous. The credit to Shorty Rodgers as jazz arranger does make one wonder how much influence he had over the end product, perhaps Bernstein wrote the melodic content and Rodgers arranged it for performance by his group, the Giants. Either way, the result is a raucous and bracing title tune and kicks off one of the first full scale uses of jazz in a film score. As the liner notes mention, jazz had been used on occasion in earlier scores, but never as the basis for the entire score. It is perhaps surprising just how strikingly aggressive jazz can be, tracks such as Breakup are strident, tense and utterly enthralling. Since man cannot score on jazz alone, some of Bernstein's more typical writing style makes itself apparent, notably during the lovely Molly, which subdues the main theme into a delicate string melody. However, in the end it's the jazz that has the greatest impact, a stomach churning musical assault that excites in a way that only a handful of scores are able to do.

I recall our school wind band having a game stab at the concert suite from the score. Unfortunately, our performance was deemed too unstable to appear in concert, despite some sterling playing by a stunning third trumpeter. OK, my playing was dreadful, I'm a pianist, not a jazz trumpeter. However, seeing Bernstein conduct the Royal Philharmonic in a bristling performance was an awe inspiring attack on the ear drums, just a shame the performance wasn't recorded for posterity. Unfortunately, the age of this album means that it is in mono and the listener cannot fully appreciate the spectacular performance of Shorty Rodgers and his Giants, one that would be hard to replicate in any re-recording. However, for Bernstein fans, an essential addition as a superb piece of film music history: the first fully jazz based score, Bernstein's first major score and his first Oscar nomination. Only missing out on a top rating because of the disappointing sound quality and shamefully brief liner notes, but the music is first class, can't say fairer than that.

Rating ~

1. Clarke Street (4:59)
   Featuring Pete Candoll on Trumpet
2. Zosh (4:31)
3. Frankie Machine (5:00)
   Featuring Short Rodgers on Flugel Horn
4. The Fix (3:32)
5. Molly (4:54)
6. Breakup (3:46)
7. Sunday Morning (2:51)
8. Desperation (2:50)
9. Audition (2:45)
   Featuring Shelly Manne, Shorty Rodgers and Milt Bernhart
10. The Cure (6:00)
11. Finale (4:10)

Total Time ~ 45:22