The Don Is Dead
Intrada Special Collection Volume ISC 454

Intrada's latest release features Jerry Goldsmith's score to the 1973 Universal Pictures film The Don is Dead. Following Intrada's earlier release this year of Take Her, She's Mine, Don is also a score never before released. Like other Goldsmith's scores of the period such as A Step Out of Line, the composer chose a lean, gritty, percussive apporach, focusing on the suspense and tension of the proceedings.

Intrada Special Collection CD presents the first-ever release of Jerry Goldsmith score from '70s Mafia crime thriller The Don iIs Dead.

Intrada's latest release features Jerry Goldsmith's score to the 1973 Universal Pictures film The Don is Dead. Following Intrada's earlier release this year of Take Her, She's Mine, Don is also a score never before released.
Like other Goldsmith's scores of the period such as A Step Out of Line, the composer chose a lean, gritty, percussive apporach, focusing on the suspense and tension of the proceedings.
On top of the orchestra, Goldsmith introduces a lone, pulsating electronic motif to complete the natural acousitics, performed on stage live with the orchestra.
The electronics provide a prominent rhythmic figure used during suspense scenes that build slowly and climax in exciting bursts of orchestral violence. Although a mafia film, sandwiched in between releases of The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II, Goldsmith offers no sweeping traditional Italian melodies like those films, but rather a more subtle theme for guitar and flute introduced later in the film. The film's love theme, 'Our Last Night' is first heard in a vocal arrangement, on which Goldsmith collaborated with his wife, Carol.

This Intrada presentation of the complete score was mixed, edited and mastered from the ½” three-channel scoring session masters, stored in pristine condition within the Universal vaults.

Based on a novel by Marvin H. Albert, The Don Is Dead, the complex story had three young mob players—hot-headed Frank Regalbuto (Robert Forster) and brothers Tony (Frederic Forrest) and Vince (Al Lettieri) Fargo—becoming involved in a power struggle when Frank’s father, head of a mafia crime syndicate, dies and Frank is passed over for leadership in favor of elder statesman Don Angelo DiMorra (Anthony Quinn).

Scheming capo Luigi Orlando (Charles Cioffi) and his greedy wife, Marie (Jo Anne Meredith), urge Frank’s girlfriend Ruby (Angel Tompkins), a would-be singer, to approach DiMorra for career help—and Ruby understands that seducing the lonely Don is the fast track to getting him in her corner.
When a mysterious source leads the jealous Frank to an apartment Ruby shares with DiMorra, Frank goes berserk and beats Ruby brutally enough to put her in the hospital, pitting himself and his partners against the powerful Don DiMorra while Orlando and his wife wait to pick the spoils of the gang war.

INTRADA ISC 454

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First-ever release of Jerry Goldsmith score from '70s Mafia crime thriller! Richard Fleischer directs superb cast led by Anthony Quinn with solid support from Frederic Forrest, Robert Forster, Al Lettieri, Ina Balin, Abe Vigoda. Universal releases in late 1973. American crime-family thriller has either good fortune to be one of the first major Mafia tales following mega-success of The Godfather one year earlier… or misfortune of being sandwiched between that legendary 1972 Francis Ford Coppola epic and his equally legendary 1974 sequel, The Godfather Part II. Some obscurity resulted. No matter. The Don Is Dead holds it own albeit on a smaller scale. Greedy mob consigliere from one family sets into motion events that bring all-out warfare between two other families. Transfer of power between crime families, loyalty and honor, brotherhood, love - all play out on violent canvas. Enter Jerry Goldsmith. His score is brought to life by a full symphony, augmented by one solitary synth that provides prominent rhythm and color to key suspense sequences. Cues develop with synth device, strings, piano as mobsters work within garages, warehouses, other places. As graphic violence inevitably results, Goldsmith brings in entire orchestra with bursts of aggressive action music. One such grim highlight: The beating of girlfriend (Angel Tompkins) by Forster affords Goldsmith opportunity to unleash dissonant strings, wild brass punctuation (especially with striking wah-wah effects) and other Goldsmith signatures. Similar chaotic orchestral fury also plays during vivid Quinn heart-ache scene, where entire orchestra cries out in pain. Other action bits come with intense strings, percussion of “The Confession” and climactic chase “A Great Memory”, where classic Goldsmith rhythmic ostinato leads the pursuit. In contrast are numerous sequences of suspense as well os gorgeous love theme, heard both in vocal rendition, “Our Last Night”, written by Goldsmith with wife Carole and in transparent orchestral treatment. CD also features beautiful arrangement of love theme, recorded for but not used in final film, as well alternate version of lengthy title sequence. Mixed, edited and mastered from pristine condition 1/2” three-channel stereo session masters. Informative booklet notes by Jeff Bond, dramatic graphic design by Kay Marshall. Recorded in April and June of 1973. Jerry Goldsmith conducts. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain!