Tender is the Night

Tender is the Night is the last picture that Herrmann did at Fox, a studio with whom he had enjoyed a twenty year working relationship. When Alfred Newman retired as head of the studio's music department in 1960, Herrmann lost a champion in a man who had not only appreciated his gifts as a composer but had been willing to tolerate his abrasive character. Newman was succeeded by his brother Lionel, who took a dim view of Herrmann's compositional skills ("he couldn't write a tune to save his ass" was his considered judgement). There was also a personality clash between the two men, although, to be fair, pretty much any personality would clash with Herrmann's.

Herrmann turned down the job when he learnt that he would be required to incorporate the melodies of songwriting duo Sammy Fain and Paul Francis into his score. He soon relented, though, and snatched the commission from under the nose of his friend Lyn Murray to whom it had been reassigned. The two men never spoke to each other again, and it was a pattern that was to repeat itself in other Herrmann relationships as the composer became increasingly belligerent with age.

Herrmann's behaviour does him no credit and, ironically, his desire to be associated with a prestigious studio project backfired when the film was greeted with universal indifference. The score he produced is a dreary one and I'm listening to it right now under duress. There are seventeen tracks (including the ghastly end credits song) on Bernard Herrmann at Fox Vol.1 (VSD-6052). It has its defenders. Stephen C. Smith, Herrmann's biographer, calls it "eloquent" and claims it to be "one of the film's few virtues." I wouldn't know about that. Not seen the film. Don't want to.