Athena

This post of the soundtrack to Athena was inspired by nothing more profound than me watching the film the other day, and deciding to transfer the record for my own amusement. (I believe I have an expanded soundtrack CD around here someplace, but who knows where that is.)

Athena was a most peculiar movie, with Louis Calhern as the patriarch of a physical culture sect that included his daughters Jane Powell and Debbie Reynolds as well as (among others) future sword-and-sandal stalwart Steve Reeves. This was certainly the only musical from Hollywood's heyday that featured a body-building contest as part of the plot.

The film provides love interests for Reynolds and Powell in the persons of crooner Vic Damone (who really does wear that set of carmine-colored tails in the movie) and the dour Edmund Purdom, who dumps Linda Christian for a somewhat-addled Powell during the proceedings. Purdom had much better chemistry with Christian, to the point of later marrying her in real life.

Powell and Reynolds were among Hollywood's most charming commodities and the film is fun to watch - and listen to, with its fine score from the distinguished Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane. The studio may not have thought much of the tunes, however, for they brought back the team's "The Boy [here, Girl] Next Door" from Meet Me in St. Louis for an encore. I find it most enjoyable, with wonderfully relaxed and effective performances of the gorgeous "Love Can Change the Stars" and "Venezia" from Damone, and the terrific "Imagine" from Damone and Reynolds. On the other hand, Powell's waltz feature "Vocalize" was surely inspired by her breakthrough performance of "It's a Most Unusual Day" in A Date with Judy. And Reynolds's hectic "I Never Felt Better" is reminiscent of "I Cain't Say No" from Oklahoma!

Lobby card

The program concludes with Powell's version of "Chacun le sait" from Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment. In truth, she is a little squally, and the track has several clumsy splices.

For some reason, M-G-M ceded rights to the soundtrack to Mercury, which provided its usual gravelly pressings for this 1954 10-inch LP. The sound is perfectly fine, nonetheless.

Note (June 2024): I have much improved the sound for this version, removing the high frequency glare and mastering it in ambient stereo.

LINK

I Love Melvin

Two of the young stars of Singin' in the Rain got their own movie after the success of the earlier film, and while it was not the hit that Singin' was, it did well and is well-remembered.

The songs on this 1953 soundtrack LP are good - if not as good as the music from its predecessor. They are done nicely by the enduringly likable Debbie Reynolds and Donald O'Connor, with an assist by young Noreen Corcoran.

The music is by Josef Myrow, who had a short but notable career in Hollywood, with songs for Three Little Girls in Blue, Mother Wore Tights, the French Line and Bundle of Joy. Here he is paired with the prolific lyricist Mack Gordon. None of the songs here were big hits, but elsewhere Myrow was responsible for some very popular numbers, including You Make Me Feel So Young, Somewhere in the Night and Give Me the Simple Life.

The sound here is good, allowing you to enjoy the typically polished M-G-M arrangements (by Skip Martin) and performances (led by Georgie Stoll).

REMASTERED VERSION

Tammy and the Bachelor; Interlude

Back to our series of 50s soundtracks on 12-inch LPs. Here we have two Frank Skinner scores that haven't reappeared since the original issue in 1957 - odd, considering that the theme music from Tammy and the Bachelor was quite a big hit for Debbie Reynolds, who played the title character.

The Tammy theme and lyrics were actually the handiwork of the inescapable Livingston and Evans, not Skinner. As was noted by Carevaggio in a recent comment, Universal had a collaborative culture where several composers might contribute to the final product.

In that regard, Soundtrackcollector.com suggests that Henry Mancini was involved in the Interlude score, but there is no evidence of that on the record. Also no indication of who is playing the piano part.

I'm particularly fond of the cover of this LP; actually two covers, as sometimes happened with soundtrack albums of this vintage. A nice photo of the young Reynolds above. Below we have Rossano Brazzi looked ardent and June Allyson looking unconscious.

As a bonus, I've included the McGuire Sisters' hit recording of the Interlude theme.

Note (July 2025): this has now been remastered in ambient stereo. There also is a separate track devoted to Reynolds' singing of the Tammy theme.

LINK to ambient stereo remastering