Blue Denim

Blue Denim, controversial and daring at the time of its release, now seems as ridiculous and as dated as Fifties slang ( Cool it, Pops! Hey Daddy-O!). Based on a play by Midnight Cowboy author James Leo Herlihy, it dealt with the issues of teenage pregnancy and abortion. The film was directed by Philip Dunne, who was mystified as to why his friend Herrmann agreed to do the picture. The score has been described as "Baby Vertigo" for its melodic similarities to the Hitchcock movie and for its overbearing presence in the drama. I've not heard it and have never felt compelled to buy the soundtrack, which is available on an FSM release (FSM Vol. 4, No. 15).

Around the time that Herrmann was busy with this project, he started writing for the cult TV series The Twilight Zone, the first episode of which aired in October 1959. Mention the name of the show to anyone and they're likely to respond with an imitation of the famous theme (Di-di-di-di, Di-di-di-di), which has become an aural meme for anything spooky or unexplained. Herrmann, however, did not write this piece of music (it  was composed for the second season by Romanian-born Marius Constant) and provided his own creepy "Main Title". Over a four year period Herrmann wrote scores for seven episodes. Working on a small television budget, the composer wrote for small pared-down orchestras - for the Living Doll episode, it was just a bass clarinet, two harps and a celeste - and effectively produced a series of other-worldly chamber pieces. The most celebrated is the gorgeous Walking Distance, written for a string ensemble and a harp, whilst the most curious is the repetitive tick-tock of 90 Years Without Slumbering. Working to tight deadlines, Herrmann could be forgiven for recycling some of his dark materials, but his inventiveness never flagged.

All the scores have been re-recorded (and, in some cases, reconstructed) and are available on a Varese Sarabande disc (VSD2-6087). Right now I'm listening to the ghostly vibraphones of Eye of the Beholder.