Who Should Have Won The Oscar for Best Score-1955

 

The Oscar season is heating up with films that I have, mostly, not seen…lol. I hope to remedy that but, right now, with Valentine’s Day tomorrow, I thought I would pick a score that should not have won, even though I like it. I chose the year, 1955 because of the big romantic winner but, I don’t think they should have won. The one, I believe, should have won is the first one I mention here…

1. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM BY ELMER BERNSTEIN

This soundtrack was nominated but failed to win despite the great Jazz that is throughout the film and helps make this film even more popular despite the dismal plot. It is very well acted starring Frank Sinatra as a small time hood who gets back into drugs and under the thumb of his former, sleazy dealers. He has a wife, paralyzed from a car accident with Sinatra behind the wheel and a young woman who actually believes in him played by Kim Novak. I love the poster art of this film, the acting and that stellar soundtrack that I hope I can find one day.

2.  SUMMERTIME BY ALESSANDRO CICOGNINI

This is a great soundtrack that was not even nominated! It really gives you that longing to travel to Venice and has that romantic feel of the film. It stars Katherine Hepburn as a spinster teacher on her once in a lifetime visit to Venice, something she only dreamed about. She does not expect a romance but romance is what she gets in the beefcake of the 50s, Rossano Brazzi. He notices her legs, at first, but soon he locks eyes with Kate who quickly looks away and begins to be all nervous. Soon enough, he is wooing her and she is willing to be enchanted by him. Throughout you have this music that just adds to the romance. I really love this David Lean film which is thoroughly enchanting.

3. LOVE IS A MANY-SPLENDORED THING BY ALFRED NEWMAN

No, not Alfred E. Newman from Mad Magazine fame but the esteemed composer Alfred Newman who wrote many great scores including this one although Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster wrote  the song. Alfred developed the score to the magnitude to fit the film. I watched this movie a long time ago and found it boring as dirt. You had the boring Jennifer Jones as a Chinese doctor who falls in love with the American reporter, William Holden. She is widowed and he is separated from his wife, they meet and fall in love much to the displeasure of her family and his friends…you know, racism. Today, you would never have a white gal play an Eurasian but this was the nifty 50s who never thought of hiring an actual Asian actress besides, due to actual racist feelings, you could not have Holden kiss an actual Asian woman. This music is throughout the film and the song became a huge hit that has been sung by many people since then. This score won the Oscar and I do like it very much but it’s just not up to par with the Bernstein score. Funny, that, offscreen, Holden and Jones couldn’t stand each other. She was quite snotty to the staff, hated her makeup because she felt it made her look old and she didn’t want to act with Holden who was known to be a womanizer. She even ate raw garlic before their love scenes to make it difficult for Holden. At one point, Holden bought white roses as a peace offering but she threw them back in his face…lovely. 

So, do you agree with me? Which do you prefer or would you have chosen another score?