Legal Eagles
Intrada Special Collection Volume ISC 446

Intrada's latest release features Elmer Bernstein's score to the 1986 mystery/romance/thriller Legal Eagles.

Intrada's latest release features Elmer Bernstein's score to the 1986 mystery/romance/thriller Legal Eagles.

Continuing his fruitful relationship with director Ivan Reitman (including collaborations on Animal House and Ghostbusters), Legal Eagles would be the last time the two worked together.
The score for their last teaming is a charming one, with a warm, playful main theme. Yet don't be deceived: as with any part thriller, there is also suspense and action, as well as a strained, almost tortured theme for Chelsea Reardon. In many respects the score harkens back to his work in the '60s.

The album features the complete program released by MCA Records back in 1986 from source elements stored in the UMG vaults in excellent condition.

In the film, Robert Redford plays a dedicated lawyer in line for the top job as New York City’s District Attorney. Divorced but enjoying a great relationship with his precocious daughter, he finds his life turned upside down by two quite different women — Laura Kelly, an eccentric defense attorney notorious for once putting a dog on the witness stand; and her client Chelsea Deardon, a beautiful yet troubled performance artist convinced that her artist father was murdered by associates who stole his paintings but claimed they were destroyed in a fire.
Logan finds himself attracted to both women, while the trio finds their lives in danger as they uncover a decades-old criminal conspiracy.

Intrada Special Collection Volume ISC 446

More info at: Official Web Site Intrada

More info at: Composer Elmer Bernstein Official Site

CD Premiere of spirited Elmer Bernstein soundtrack from 1986 Ivan Reitman film! Director Reitman follows up his megahit 1984 comic actioner Ghostbusters with romantic thriller featuring megawatt star power: Robert Redford, Debra Winger, Darryl Hannah, Brian Dennehy, Terence Stamp, Steven Hill. Legal Eagles comes with Elmer Bernstein music and and a handful of songs by various artists including star Darryl Hannah featuring in “Put Out The Fire”. Elmer Bernstein anchors with not one but two primary themes, one for the Redford/Winger love story and a brighter, rhythmic tune for Redford’s legal activities, focusing on solving both a murder and art theft. Two other musical ideas figure prominently: the mysterious, sinuous melody with darker shadings for Hannah’s complex character and a charming theme for Hannah’s relationship with her missing father and the painting at the center of the missing art mystery. Each idea carries weight but demanding the spotlight is the dynamic, powerful action climax for the massive gallery fire and climactic rescue sequence. Here Bernstein delivers staccato rhythmic drive from horns under powerful low brass figures drawn from Redford’s legal activities theme played in fortissimo octaves - a Bernstein action cue signature. Soprano sax solos played by Stan Sulzman throughout score are further highlights. Intrada CD premiere presents identical contents and sequence as original MCA label album from 1986, mastered in crisp digital audio from Mitsubishi X-80 format two-track stereo album masters. Bernstein produced seven score selections covering major highlights of film soundtrack. Keith Grant records score at Olympic Studios in London, Shawn Murphy mixes, Chris Palmer & Pat Russ orchestrate, Elmer Bernstein composes, conducts the United Kingdom Symphony. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain!