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by Andrew Billen
© Associated Newspapers Ltd., 21 April 1999

For some, getting an interview with John Barry would be like being granted an audience with God. When last year he conducted a sell-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Caitlin Moran, a young journalist from The Times, described the three standing ovations he received as looking, from where she sat, "like praying". Be sure to spot Jonathan Ross among the disciples for Barry's return to the RAH this Friday and Saturday. In his sleeve notes for Themeology, The Best of John Barry, he wrote: "The man's a god!"

John Barry is not God - and his record with women would suggest he is not even a saint - but he is Britain's greatest film music composer. He has scored a record 10 Bond movies and won five Oscars, the last, for Dances with Wolves in 1990, coming 25 years after his first, for Born Free. A further discography is almost superfluous. Two biographies have recently been published, one by the music journalist Eddi Fiegel, who discovered him in her teenage in the mid-Eighties after being poleaxed by his Persuaders and Goldfinger themes. Jarvis Cocker, Iggy Pop, Portishead, Paul Hartnoll of Orbital and Chrissie Hynde are all believers. (Pulp, Hynde and Iggy contributed to a tribute album last year). The classical music world is being converted. Classic FM has named him one of the 10 composers of the new millennium - which sounds a bit much until you get into last year's The Beyondness of Things, the soundtrack, as it were, of the unmade biopic of Barry's life, and ask yourself if it is more or less moving, richer or less rich, than Gorecki or Taverner.

Despite all this, my own image of Barry is not of a Messiah - not even of a composer of a Messiah. It is a confusion of James Bond and one of his loucher enemies, of Roger Moore in The Persuaders and Gene Barry in Burke's Law (although I accept this last association may be nominal confusion). And I am not lightly going to discard these preconceptions. Barry was a Sixties jet-setter, he did share a bachelor pad with Michael Caine, he was married to Jane Birkin and he is a multi-millionaire with places in Chelsea and Oyster Bay, Upstate New York.

We meet in the bar of what was once the Hyde Park Hotel where I am reassured to see he orders a rum and Coke. In no other respect, however, is he the sleazy-slick lounge lizard of my fantasy. Thin, white-haired, dressed in a collarless shirt and a tweed jacket, he looks almost ascetic. Only his deep voice is opulent: silky Yorkshire but guest-starring the odd Americanism, such as "gotten" for "got".

John Barry - his original surname, Prendergast, already jettisoned - arrived in Soho from Yorkshire in 1958, leader of his own rock and roll band. The John Barry Seven collaborated with Adam Faith on his first hit, What Do You Want, and in 1959 Barry got to write the score for Faith's movie Beat Girl. A few films later, he arranged Monty Norman's James Bond theme for Dr No and did so so successfully that he became a Bond fixture. The route from Faith to Connery plots the course of Britain from The Six-Five Special to the full horror of Swinging London. And he was just the epitome of that, wasn't he?

"God," he says, "I didn't think so at the time. We didn't even know it was the Sixties. I mean, Mike Caine and I can reflect on it now but at the time ... I suppose we knew something was happening, pre-Beatles: the movie industry was happening; the music industry was happening."

Barry was happening. He had married Barbara Pickard, an electrical store worker from Scarborough, in 1960. She bore him a daughter, Susie. In a sneak preview of social mores to come, he left her for the Swedish au pair. Ulla gave him a second daughter, Sian, and returned to her homeland. Fortunately, Barry's little black book contained numbers for Shirley Bassey, Britt Ekland and Charlotte Rampling. "Barry was a big ladies' man," Caine said, pot to kettle. By now, surely, Barry must have noticed things had changed a bit from the wartime York of his childhood?

"Oh, that was for sure. There was just a kind of new-found freedom. We were all earning. We were the new crew with money. We all had our independence. We were shopping at Turnbull and Asser. We had the sports cars."

And the E-type wife, I say, quoting Newsweek, which reported that after marrying Birkin in 1965, he "drove off in his E-type jag with his E-type wife". She was 17, young enough to climb on to the bonnet of the jag and mouth "I love you" through the windows. He was 31, old enough to know better. "I don't think Jane Birkin would like to be called an E-type wife," is his reply.

A third daughter - Kate - a second divorce. Nights with Ingrid Boulting, the "Biba girl". In 1969 he wed Jane Sidey. Fiegel calls the marriage short-lived ⁽¹⁾, even by his standards, presumably. Did he mean his vows? "Of course. I came from a family where marriages lasted for ever. I've a brother and sister who are happily married, aunts and uncles, grandpas and grandmas going right back on both sides with a whole history of complete marital fidelity and longevity. But I went to a convent school and then to St Peter's, the oldest school in England and probably the strictest, and then I worked for my father for three years, which was strong discipline, then three years in the Army. I'd had all the discipline I needed in my life. By the time I came out of the Army and formed a group, I guess you could say I went happily mad ... I think it reads a lot worse than it was."

In 1978 he married his fourth wife, Laurie, 24 years his junior. Yet this marriage endured and four years ago they had a son together. He calls her the "glue" of the deal, "very strong and a fantastic mother".

But we have jumped forward, and I mean to loiter in his impossibly hectic heyday. "I remember," he says, "going to a restaurant in LA in the Seventies with Ian La Frenais and Dick Clement [writers of The Likely Lads] and we were talking about those times and Ian said, 'I can't think how the hell we did all the work we did.' I said, 'I know! One year I did eight movies and I still had a good time. I think it's called youth.'"

And self-discipline. Barry emphasises the rigour of his childhood at his two Catholic schools, the first run by nuns so sadistic that when the Luftwaffe bombed them he was thrilled. When I ask if he ever spoke to his parents about his unhappiness he laughs and says you didn't do that to parents in York in the Thirties and Forties. Jack Xavier Prendergast was a handshaking rather than a hugging father, but John noted his devotion to the cinema chain he owned and to his family, with whom he preferred to share his spare time. Later, during National Service, Barry too chose to work rather than socialise. In a storehouse in Cyprus, he taught himself to compose by correspondence course. Barry's libido ran loose in the Sixties but his work ethic was too well-trained to abscond with it. He would get up at eight and work till one, walk to the King's Road, take a long lunch, perhaps a siesta, and get back in front of the piano before the evening parties started. And it was drink rather than drugs? "Absolutely. Italian restaurants, Italian wine. It wasn't even as boozy as people pretend. We weren't hitting the whisky bottles."

It helped that he was quick. He wrote Born Free in 12 minutes and Midnight Cowboy in 20. Sometimes it took longer. In Caine's autobiography, he recalls being kept awake, off and on, till dawn one night. He found Barry slumped over the piano having just finished Goldfinger.

With the self-discipline came the self-confidence to endure criticism. Harry Saltzman, the Bond producer, hated the Goldfinger theme and much of the rest of what he came up with: "Harry would start with, 'This is crap!' And it went downhill from there." The knocks toughened him - although Caine, who met him on Zulu, says he was tough anyway. By Prince of Tides in 1991, when Barbra Streisand phoned to say she had been listening to his theme again and "was hearing something else", Barry could tell her this was one of the most joyless professional experiences of his life and quit.

His will is clearly flint but it is applied to a world he knows is just as hard. The innocence of his childhood ended, he says, with the bombing of his school and the news that his elder brother's best friend had been shot down over Germany. The puzzle is how this wartime Yorkshire dourness becomes transformed into the romantic melancholy of his work. The archetypal Barry melody is not a bumptious James Bond theme but The Ipcress File music played on a Hungarian dulcimer and interrupted by Harry Palmer's bachelor coffee grinder. The tune is called The Man Alone and it finally leads to that great tone poem to aloneness, The Beyondness of Things.

"I guess I'm attracted to those things," he says. "Somewhere in Time is about the sense of loss. Out of Africa was most certainly about loss. Dances with Wolves was."

And Born Free? "Well, that was really a parody." Otherwise it's sad music? "It comes out that way. Music comes out of the man. I don't know how you can separate yourself."

In America in 1988 Barry underwent surgery for a ruptured oesophagus. "I was given the last rites. When I came round after the first operation, there was this priest hovering over me. It was like a 13-hour operation, and then I had three more operations over a period of 18 months."

I ask if his slow recovery, which was followed by a renaissance in his career with the Oscar for Dances With Wolves and then the renewal of having a baby son, had brought him back to God. "I don't think I ever went away," he says. "I mean, once you are born a Catholic and you go to a convent, you don't. There was a time in my late teens prior to going in the Army, but once I went to Egypt, when the trouble [over Suez] started there, and then in Cyprus I came back."

At first this surprises me, for no traces of Catholic guilt attach to his regular visits to the register office. Then, however, I remember that his choice of book on Desert Island Discs was The Imitation of Christ by Thomas á Kempis; and this was in 1967. Barry has a new album out this week, a jazz score inspired by Chet Baker called Playing by Heart (Decca), the soundtrack to a movie of the same name. His next project, however, is inspired by a book on Celtic wisdom, Anam Cara, by Father John O'Donoghue.

So does he still go to church? "On my own. Not when services are on. In my own time, to Brompton Oratory or Farm Street. I get great solace in it. I maybe go three times a week, for half an hour. My son was christened at Farm Street and he's called Jonpatrick. It is just something I can't imagine being without. You say, 'Why do you go?' I can't imagine not going, especially after the illness ..."

It hits me that the link between the stubborn Yorkshire playboy and his yearning music must be the same Church that dominated, terrified but subliminally inspired his youth. One Sunday, he tells me, he got up early and heard the Pope's official photographer interviewed on television. "And the interviewer says, 'What's his Holiness's favourite piece of music?' And I'm expecting him to say Beethoven's Ninth or something and he says, 'The soundtrack from Dances with Wolves.' I just went crazy."

A spiritual discussion is not what I had prepared for when I knotted my flashiest tie to meet John Barry this morning. Getting his photograph taken, however, the world races back into focus. Did we catch that TV drama the other night? The theme? A straight steal from The Beyondness of Things. "I'm going to sue the bastards," he says. Exit á Kempis. Enter, to a bass line of wah-woahs, Goldfinger.

© Associated Newspapers Ltd., 21 April 1999

June, 2011: We have been contacted by John's third wife, Jane Sidey, who has informed us that contrary to the reference to a "short-lived marriage" in Andrew Billen's 1999 article "Dude Barry was a lady-killer", the couple were actually married from 1969 to 1978, making it his second-longest marriage. We are happy to put the record straight.

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King's Conversation

Most of the millions who have been escaping into the darkness of the cinema during the last decade will agree that films have gained enormously in size and impact in those years, but few perceive how much is due to the revolution in film scoring pioneered by the two men KING brings together this month.

Mancini takes justifiable pride in having freed the cinema from the 'Hungarian' school of composers. It is quite staggering to realise that only six years ago in the United States, where jazz in its various forms had developed an unprecedented musical power and worldwide acceptance, film music was still firmly rooted in Nineteenth Century Europe, engulfing audiences in endless classical strings and choirs. The pop explosion, which brought the modern jazz idiom into the commercial cinema, adding a new dimension of credibility and excitement to the actors and the action, derives almost entirely from the success of Mancini's approach to Peter Gunn, a break-away American television series of the early Sixties.

In his way, John Barry performed his own miracles in this country. Most of those who remember his name, know him as the leader of the John Barry Seven, Britain's prototype pop group. It would be easy to dismiss him as a likely young lad who rode to early riches on the pop bandwagon, thought of a good number for James Bond, and let the pop-conscious film producers do the rest.

This simple-minded myth takes no account of the great technical competence and originality with which he handles orchestras and arrangements and the many years of hard academic study before the Seven were even thought of the idea of a pop group in fact grew out of the decline of Britain's big bands in the Fifties. Barry had been a trumpeter in the Green Howards for three years, using the military band as a heaven-sent instrument for proving his ideas in composition and arrangement. He intended to carry on with band arrangements professionally after leaving the 'mob' and worked for both Dankworth and Ted Heath - but a chance meeting with Jack Parnell in Blackpool changed his course. Parnell, about to break up his own band, told Barry: "We're doomed." Work was too scarce to support the overheads of a big band organisation, and Barry realised the future might lie with a smaller group, travelling light. The Seven were a success, and there followed a profitable association with Adam Faith, but it was Barry himself who decided to change direction again, and he left the Seven for the film business. As Mancini says, it was Barry's achievement to set a style for British film music and open the doors of the big movie-making companies to British composers. Mancini's own story is best told by himself in this recorded meeting between the two men.

BARRY: How much does the finance and politics of a movie get in your way, Hank? I mean a movie is made by a team, and whenever you have more than one person able to pass an opinion, you get conflict. One never walks into a uniquely happy marriage. Although you might hit it off with a certain producer-director and have a very, very strong understanding, as I have with Forbes and which I think you have with Donen and Blake Edwards.

MANCINI: I tell you what. This is one of the fringe benefits of success. I think you, John, might find this too. When you have had a good success people are less apt to question you. I feel especially sorry for many excellent musicians I know, working in television, scoring all those 36 hours of TV film a week. Those composers - and some are pretty good names to have to put up with so much dirt from producers and directors of their little films. Whereas those very same producers - if I were to come in and do one of the segments - I wouldn't even have to talk to them if I didn't want to. And that's one of those benefits. It's like having the power locked up. It's great to have, and they don't question you. Of course, it puts it all on you, and you're on your own. But you know the kind of dirt I'm talking about, John.

BARRY: Oh they say "I don't like that tune" or "It's not the tune I want; I can't hum it" so then you say 'Well, hum me White Christmas' and they make these strange croaking sounds, and you say "Yeah, you've got a great ear". I mean this guy can't even whistle the simplest thing and yet he's going to criticise you after he's hired you.

MANCINI: More basic still - and I've seen it happen - you go in to record and you've lived with this scene and you've got what you think is the right dramatic approach but some producer or director will come up and try to lead the band. I've seen this happen. He'll come right up behind the writer and actually try to lead the band from behind the fellow who's leading it, trying to make a different tempo of something. And the poor guy's up there sweating and he doesn't even know what's going on.

But the big mistake these boys, my friends, make is turning around and asking "What do you think?" That's where the noose is. And that's what you have to learn. You see normally you'll find that a director or a producer is a very forward guy because he has to tell so many people what to do. And the accepted picture of a composer is the exact opposite, a man who can't articulate what he wants. Now producers and directors know this, and so that makes for a basic conflict. And producers and directors think they know an awful lot about music when it comes right down to it. There are some I won't work for. The things even name composers have to go through with these guys sometimes is - well, beyond belief. If I got a call from them, or my agent got a call, I'd say "Forget it." Even if it were to do another 'Gone With The Wind' I don't think I'd accept. I mean, they don't understand anything-not even actors. These are well-known people I'm talking about and actors go away from their films hating them. Well, if the guy you're paying a million dollars to act in your film doesn't like you, then what am I likely to think?

BARRY: One can also have a conflict between the director and the producer and his associate producer and so on, and all these people on their side of the fence often can't even agree on how the film should be made. That's what I encountered last year on 'Born Free'. The director, James Hill, thought it was an unsentimental picture. That was his brief to me for the score. "This," he said, "is not going to be a sentimental picture." Well, then I saw it and I told him "Look. If you had set out to make the great family picture bursting with sentiment, you couldn't have got closer". Well, Carl Foreman agreed with me in a way, but he was also trying to keep Jimmy Hill happy and then there were two other producers with their own views. Altogether, I had a hell of a time through­out the scoring of that picture. In fact, I did get my score through in the teeth of the opposition and I was pretty pleased afterwards that the music was so successful with the public and the critics. I think that proved to me finally that it's a terrible mistake to compromise over a basic matter like that. I did compromise once: that was another African film - it seems to be the African films that have the hang-ups. This one was a Frank Ross production with Robert Mitchum. The main character was a kind of spoof biblical figure in the eyes of the tribe, called Mr Moses, and my idea was to do a real satirical send-up of a biblical score, which I thought was the right way, I mean that's where the humour lay in the film script. But no, they didn't want that, they didn't want anything, and it turned out a really bad compromise score. But these are things you learn.

MANCINI: Yes, well I've had a few things like that. But I think producers and directors are really like a lot of women or wives. They need to be told. You have to come in with a strong point of view - after all, it's a highly specialised thing we do, it's not something you could pull someone in off the street for. In terms of importance it's within the top five most important jobs in a film. You have to be able to come in and articulate what you want to do. I've always been able to do this by talking. A lot of the fellows do it by playing their stuff - I don't know whether you do this, John - but I don't play so good. If I played well I wouldn't compose. I found that out a long time ago. That's why I turned to arranging, because I played so badly. On the other hand, a good piano player, he can fool them pretty good by putting all the runs and trills and everything in ....

BARRY: ... and if they ever got down the simple one-note idea behind it all they'd say "Well, what's that?"

MANCINI: You can always get a good idea across provided you find the right words to use. I find there are a few simple, key words. For example, a key word is wistful.

BARRY: Another problem is to translate the producer's thoughts, because what he says he wants is not really what he wants at all. I know a certain producer who, over a wild battle scene, said he wanted Gustav Mahler. Now he didn't want Gustav Mahler at all, but he was impressed by the great Teutonic power and weight of the name. You could tell by the way he said the name what he wanted.

MANCINI: If you'd played him Mahler he'd probably have said "That's not Mahler, that's not what I asked for." But what has changed everything has been the pop explosion in film scoring. In the old days, before the jazz or modern approach came in, every score had its roots in - well, we used to say "from Hungary." It was all the Middle and Eastern European classical tradition. Dimitri Tiomkin's music is a very good example of this. But listen to those old movies on TV and you see what I mean. In the heyday of the studios when I first started writing for movies in 1952, every studio had a staff orchestra which was under contract. Like our studio, which was not the biggest, but had 35 men, and every picture was done by the same 35 men. Well, naturally enough I suppose, the boys took it easy. They wouldn't practice; they'd work maybe three or four days a week and played golf the rest of the time. A great system from the union's stand­point but for a writer with ideas who really wanted to do something original, like for brass - well, he'd write it with all good intentions but the boys simply weren't up to it. They'd fall out and get tired after the first hour. I did an Orson Welles picture, 'A Touch of Evil,' and it was nearly all in the idiom of the day. Around 1956 there was a lot of rock and a lot of mambo that was popular then-and I managed to convince our department head that we couldn't do it with the boys, so we got Pete Candoli in, and Ray Lin and all these high-powered brass men and it came up great. Pete was trumpet player with Woody Herman, like Ray, and these were real blowers of the first calibre. Don't get me wrong, those 35 men in the orchestra could get a good sound too but only at a certain level and with a certain kind of music - it was either from Tchaikovsky or from Bartok.

BARRY: There are so many different attitudes to film music, even in the business. There's the whole question of whether one considers oneself to be a movie composer, or just a composer who happens to be living in 1966. Because for a composer living today movies are as natural an outlet as the orchestra was in previous centuries. Then there's the practical attitude to the job itself. Nobody, here or in America, starts with a big movie, that's for sure. You start usually - I know I did - on a B-type movie. But if your attitude as you write it is "Well, I'm only working on a B movie," then you'll always be writing for B movies, if you're writing at all. In all the first opportunities that you get to write, you hope to inject something that will make an A-type movie producer sit up and say "Yes, he's got something". Then maybe your opportunities can grow from there.

MANCINI: I know that when I did the thing that started me after six years at the studios - that was a TV series called 'Peter Gunn' - I was just about as anonymous as you can get. But because of Blake Edwards I got a chance. Now I could have done the job as it would have been done ordinarily, but this was an opportunity. Newness was on my side. I had a guy who said "Go ahead, do what you want" and this was what attracted an original approach to a very old subject. One thing you can't do is go into a score thinking this is going to be a great award-winning movie On the other hand take 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' - 'Moon River' was the most successful song by far ever to come out of one of my movies. It's really interesting to see how a song like this makes its success financially. At the last count, there were something like 500 separate recordings of the song, worldwide, which makes it one of the most recorded of all songs - getting into the 'White Christmas' class. Well, the royal­ties come in from that and from the song­writer royalties on the printed music, which is a tremendous business in the States. You don't have it here so much. In the States we have 35,000 marching bands and supplying them with printed music is a tremendous business. You see, each one of those bands has 75 to 100 kids, all blowing their heads off. And each one of those kids has to have a little book with music. And each one of these books, which is of course just the particular part for the instrument, costs between 75c. and a dollar. That's six to eight shillings. Well, you multiply that by a hundred and then by 35,000 and you begin to get an idea of where the big money is in a hit song. And then of course there are performances all over the world. The royalties on published music are about six cents-three cents to the composer, three to the lyricist - but that's if you don't publish it yourself. 'Moon River' was a very good thing for me in the sense that it enabled me, two or three movies later, to retain my own publication rights. Which just gives you the whole pie, in other words. Then on band arrangements you get ten per cent of the selling price, and then of course there are choruses-well, it gets ridiculous-every high school and college has a chorus, there might be say 20,000 choruses in the States. These range anywhere from 50 to 300 voices, and printed music is made up for these people too, to sing. Especially when you have a ballad which just goes on for ever. A big song is really unlimited. I mean, take recordings. The Andy Williams album of 'Moon River' on which 'Moon River' was the principal track, the last time I talked to him he said it had sold about two and a half million-which is the same for me as selling 2,500,000 singles, because the rate is the same. So when you add it all up 'Moon River' must have brought in say between three-quarters and a million dollars-and it's still going on. But those are the three categories of revenue-mechanicals, printed and per­formances.

BARRY: The Bond story is pretty much the same. Mostly printed music, but for­tunately with the Bond music you've got something that snowballs because it's a series, and so you've got things like sound track albums, albums of music to read James Bond by, and artists doing their own entire albums of Bond music. Not only the songs, but they start taking music cues over a certain piece of action, like Count Basic has just done an album called 'Basie meets Bond.' And of course it's an international market, the same as Hank's. I don't think you can write locally at all. I'm sure, Hank, you don't sit down and aim at an American market.

MANCINI: And you didn't sit down to write British music either. That's just the way it comes out. It's a point of view, that's all. You have to have that to start with or you have nothing. That's what gives you your unique quality. Let me tell you how new ideas really hit the Hollywood music scene. All of a sudden there's a new box, and new category of music, and underneath it is the name Barry, and next to it is another one with the name Mancini. Now you take one of these producers we've been talking about. He can only work, in terms of music, from what's gone before, from his experi­ence. So he suddenly turns round to his writers and says "What I want is this Barry sound" or it might be "this Mancini sound." He knows what that is - that's his fortress. Fellows come up to me and say "You sonofabitch - see what you've done to me. See what they've asked me to do" We become villains, in a kind of a way, because non-thinking producers are trying to get other fellows to imitate our achievements, saying "I want the music like it was in Thunderball," or "like it was in Hatari" because they happen to have an African movie, and that's what 'Hatari' was. And in the same way, all the Bond type pictures have taken their musical form from what John did.

BARRY: An awful lot is to do with getting a fresh, original approach. It's the same whether you're writing for a TV series or movies. If you get yourself into a movie-writing box, then that can be bad. It's all to do with the overall size of your approach to music and the writing of music.

MANCINI: That's why you're writing a stage musical now of 'Brighton Rock.' That's why I do a lot of concerts, about 35 concerts a year in America. It gets me out of my chair and on to my feet, to see what's going on.

BARRY: Of course, your way has to be different here. I mean, that's really how I came into the business, through concert performances and one-night stands with the Seven. Did you know you were going into movies?

MANCINI: Oh, I knew that all the time, even if no one else did. That was certainly my ambition, my goal, to write films. My mother and father came from Italy. He was the old school. He played flute but I started on piccolo because the flute was too big. I was in the Sons of Italy band in this small town in Pennsylvania. So I could do the whole repertoire of the Italian bands, which was the Rossini overtures, the Puccini overtures, all of this. I was brought up on that side with a very strict hand. What I'm doing today is directly related to that because it's a combination of the classical approach when needed, plus the excitement and the colour of the big bands of the Forties. They were very dramatic, those bands. But John let me tell you another way your success has changed things. It used to be that when an American producer came over here there was no question that there would be an American composer on the film too, come over to do the score. Now there's a beachhead of extremely competent British composers, and you have your own school of composing, so that's no longer the case. I'm one of the few Americans who do come over here and do films now.

BARRY: And of course in reverse, British composers are going to Hollywood.

MANCINI: Like John Addison. I saw him the other day, and he's going over.

BARRY: It's coming in through another musical door.

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Interview conducted 21/10/97
@ Hyde Park Mandarin Hotel

Where are you right now on The Beyondness of Things?

We recorded the orchestra on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Then rhythms and voices on Saturday. Then mixed it Sunday and Monday. The London Chamber Orchestra is the basis, but we’ve augmented it to a 90-piece orchestra. We brought Tommy Morgan the Harmonica player over from LA who’s terrific, and an English Sax player called David White. I think it’s a very interesting album.

- But it’s not a soundtrack?

It’s a tone poem. But it’s not one piece - it’s 12 separate tracks. Individual pieces.

- Have you been thinking towards something like this for some time?

Yes I have. Chris Roberts at Polygram I met about a year ago & said he’d love me to join the label. So I have a contract with them for 3 albums – not including soundtracks which we call a ‘best endeavour situation’. A lot of companies have their own affiliations with record companies. Fortunately this company that made Swept From The Sea was linked to Decca.

- So it was a wonderful opportunity to squeeze something else in. Am I right in thinking The Americans was your last non-soundtrack album? In 70....

Early ‘70s. I remember early ‘50s, late ‘50s, early ‘60s etc. That’s how I block things out.

- It’s quite a gap then.

I really love doing films & they keep coming along. I was with Sony for a while & did the 2 Moviola albums. That came about since they’d picked up the rights to Dances With Wolves. But I must say I’m really happy with the whole Polygram family. I really get a feeling they understand what I’m doing & what I’m about. Not to knock them but I never got that feeling with Sony. I was in the same group that handle Michael Jackson & the whole pop area. That’s what they’re used to & then you come along with this big orchestra piece & they don’t get it - that’s not their fault. It’s just finding the right niche & I finally feel I’ve found it. So maybe that’s one of the reasons I haven’t bothered recording something like this because I’ve not felt all that happy with the recording situations I’ve had. This is an entirely new opportunity to set aside time & do something. Come up with an idea, present it to them & do something.

- What does The Beyondness of Things ...

Mean? I just thought it was a great title! I love titles. It’s very difficult really. You’ll see from the track listing. It’s a series of thoughts. There’s a quote from a short story by Nabakov which explains some of it "_________________". I thought he’d put his finger right on it. It’s just a lot of very personal thoughts put into a dramatic context. I could go through each one and explain what it is -- but I’m not going to! (laughs). Hopefully people will react to it.

- So Swept From the Sea is the same label?

Yes. It’s had marvellous reviews in the States & been very well received.

- I know that was adapted from a Conrad short, and seeing your use of a quote on Beyondness, do you feel the need to ‘bone up’ on a film’s literary original when it has one?

I’ll tell you what happened on this one. The head of the movie company called me about Amy Foster as it was then. He said he was in England with the director Beeban Kidron (CHECK). Now I’d never heard the name & didn’t know if it was a lady or a man! So over the phone I’m expecting a guy, then this very charming woman starts talking from whom I asked for a script. In America when you want something you get it Fed-exed overnight. Here you stick it in the post and hope. So there I was waiting very eagerly for the screenplay & it didn’t come. So what I did was to go down to a local bookshop in Oyster Bay in New York, and bought a collection of the Conrad short stories. Read it. Liked it very much & I wrote 2 themes without reading the script. There were 2 things that were very obviously going to be there. This young man making this great journey from the Ukraine - Yanko’s Theme which represents the heart of the Russian background. A folksy theme. Then the Love Theme. He’s shipwrecked off the coast of Cornwall & can’t speak a word of English. The locals think he’s a madman, & Amy Foster is the girl who meets and befriends him all without communication. The first scene where they’re alone is in a barn. She goes to feed and wash him. So there’s this whole 2 and a half minutes scene with absolutely no dialogue. He wakes up and is cleaned. So the whole theme is a searching question mark - not a profound Out of Africa statement of grandeur. All very hesitant and temporary. I wrote both and recorded on piano and synthesiser. Beeban loved them and she hadn’t even shot the scene! I finally got the script & met with her. When I played the piano theme to her she loved it. I usually get 2 or 3 guys together to demo my ideas. And it worked beautifully. That’s a rare thing. But if you have a piece of literature of that quality you just know what’s going to be needed. You know he has reminiscences about his homeland. There’s a dance sequence where we go back to his home. I used a cimbalom. They had to have that in front to playback, then that was what was used as Yanko’s Theme. It’s a great movie in the sense that there are scenes without dialogue allowing the music to breathe.

- Vincent Perez is the central character.

Yes and he’s very emotional and sensitive.

- Although what you’ve just described was a rare occurrence, what I’ve always felt is your approach to scoring a film is to look at the whole thing at once. Identify an overall message or emotion and score that.

You’re absolutely right. I always go for a melody first, because it’s the most direct form of communication dramatically. It has to be versatile though. In Swept From The Sea, the love theme is used about 4 times without much change. But Yanko’s Theme used a number of times. He leaves his homeland on the train from Russia through Germany. Then the authentic dance. Then his reminiscences. Again when he dances with a little boy. It’s that one theme being used in many different ways. I remember Shostakovich saying about music to "keep the emotion intact". Once you capture that essence everything else springs from that daddy, the master file. You grow with other harmonic material. Maybe take fractions of the melody. That starts to dictate the rest of the score for you. I do love having a theme that works throughout - it’s not possible on every film. Take Out Of Africa - there was the main theme and there was Karen’s Theme. The rest was what I call scene by scene. On Dances Kevin showed me about 20 minutes of the opening sequence. A little tease of everything. So I got a feeling of the texture of the movie. All these things are terribly important. Then I went away and wrote 20 minutes of themes, knowing there had to be a John Dunbar Theme, knowing there had to be a journey theme when he takes off across this scape. Recorded them all with about 4 musicians. Played them to Kevin and he loved them. I never viewed Dances as a western but a story of a man who went out to the west. I said this to Michael Blake who wrote the script. He agreed. It’s this very heroic story of a man getting on a horse and riding across America. Everything I wrote in that movie was through his eyes. I had to dramatically get inside him and put myself on that horse. I hate writing music where I’m outside like the camera. It’s my job to get inside the soul of the person & react the way he must have thought getting on that horse.

Then I was nominated for an Academy Award, & I remember meeting Elmer Bernstein & he said "good luck but don’t build your hopes too high. There’s been some wonderful western scores written: Big Country, The Magnificent Seven, How The West Was Won. But they have this thing about western scores." So I said that was fine since this isn’t one! Theoretically then it’s the first western to win an Oscar - & written by an Englishman. I love that score, and I thought it was very spiritual. When he sees the slaughter of the buffaloes it breaks your heart. Michael told me the Indians never had a word for animals. It was another beast. I’m a man, that’s a beast.

- So ‘tatanka’ was that word?

Yes. Their naming of things was a literal thing based on whatever they first saw something do. Hence Dances With Wolves. I found that very interesting. When the Indians hunted buffalo, they only killed what they had to eat to survive. It was a big honour to be picked to go and kill to feed your family. The spirit behind all that action was wonderful. I was very moved by the story. I was up early at home watching a show that was interviewing the Pope’s personal photographer and had just published A Portrait of the Pope. All the time he’d been at the Vatican he’d taken these wonderful shots the official office didn’t want used. So he went directly to the Pope and showed what he wanted to publish and was given a direct blessing to go ahead. The interviewer asked what the Pope reads, and then asked about music. I’m waiting for him to say Beethoven’s 9th or something like that. He said he listens incessantly to Dances. That killed me. I phoned the producer and Kevin, then called the TV station to get the tapes. I think that’s a hell of a compliment.

- Isn’t a shame that from the point in time we’re talking about there’s subsequently been a real decline in the quality on films and their scores.

Oh it really is.

- Picking up on that perspective you took to scoring Dances of getting inside the character, I honestly feel that’s something very few other composers do, and wonder if that contributes to this decline?

But it sure works!

- The end result seems to be that there may be great films with scores whose albums don’t make for overly wonderful listening. Or a great album from a film where the music was lost. But with yourself it’s nearly always a great marriage on film followed by a great stand alone.

In the past 20 years I think there’s only been 4 platinum soundtrack albums - & I’m talking about scores not song albums. I’ve written 3 of them. I think Swept From the Sea has all that space in the movie to follow suit. A lot of that’s down to Beeban who really knew her stuff. We had the best of times. It’s getting subject with characters you can get inside. Sometimes you get a film in and you think ‘I can’t get inside this guy’. This whole thing with record companies pushing their albums, and the whole use of loud synthesised music is in their artificial creation it all gets lost. You know they know create horses hooves synthetically on a soundtrack? So what happens is you get a mush from the synthesised FX and music - they bleed into one another. It’s very difficult to find a movie to give you that room to be heard. Very rare you pick up a script with these qualities.

- Do you have another to look forward to?

I’m going to be starting a movie in November called Mercury Rising. Harold Becker directs Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin. When I heard about Bruce I had reservations. You see this Die Hard image. But they sent me script which has an action sequence at beginning and end, but the middle is this wonderfully drawn character with a little boy. An almost Hitchockian mystery. It’s not an action movie. The opening sets up this guy’s response to violence and the end is where the bad guy gets it! So that’s something I can get inside. You’re constantly looking for scripts where you can do that.

- So is that thin script pool largely responsible for the musical decline?

Well - what are the movies? When you look at the nature of these movies... These big blockbusters are for the kids.

- Hopefully the independents will get more and more popular.

Let’s hope. I’d rather not do a film unless I can enjoy it. It’s the way you move an audience and subconsciously they are communicated to. If I think back to something like Lion In Winter, I had that 120-piece orchestra and 40-piece choir. What that subconsciously did throughout was suggest how beholden the monarchy were to the Pope. There was this Roman Catholic presence in the score and felt the power of the Church. I met Jacqueline Kennedy at a party. She told me Jack and her loved the whole power struggle thing. That was the sort of opportunity you have to find. I don’t know what that movie would have been like if I hadn’t come up with that idea. Even Born Free in its Disneyesque way got across on that level. Thinking of songs, Midnight Cowboy is still shown at UCLA Film School as the best example of song in film. We didn’t go out and buy a bunch of songs. It was all written especially for the scenes. It was literally scoring with songs & took a lot of care with it. The scene where he steals bread & is spotted & is shamed just kills you. The loneliness of that song drifting down over it had such an atmosphere I couldn’t have got with a score. If it’s done right it can be terribly effective. That was John’s choice & I learned a lot from it. We spent 4 or 5 hours re-recording to film you know.

- What inspires you now.

I love to drive around New York. You see some amazing things. It’s full of all these oddities. I look at things and register them. You see something and think musically. I ride around with music on and look at things. Then for a moment you see things that coincide that can be really obscure. If you were looking at that in a movie you probably wouldn’t have played what you’re listening to. It’s quite a contrast that’s an education.

- I’ve recently befriended one of your biggest fans following in your footsteps - David Arnold. Have you heard Shaken and Stirred?

Absolutely. When I was at George Martin’s studio doing the demos for Swept From the Sea, George came in and asked if I knew David who was doing a Bond album. So we met and had lunch & he played me about 4 or 5 tracks which I thought were terrific. He’s kept the true Bond essence and given it a fresh twist. And cast it beautifully as well. It’s been a labour of love for him. I think it’ll do hugely well. The first single is already doing well.

- He refers to you in life and credits you on the album as ‘the guvnor’.

That’s very sweet of him. I’m looking forward to the song he’s co-written with Don Black for k d lang - she’s got a great voice. He’s doing a documentary they want to feature me in.

- Yes. In fact David’s wife asked me to recommend where the documentary directory could research your work. I recommended the redoubtable Geoff Leonard.

Yes he knows more about me than I know about myself!

- Do you know about the way David’s recording Tomorrow Never Dies? He gets about 20 minutes parcelled together a month to score.

(Sighs) It’s terrible. I had that situation. Goldfinger for instance. The Fort Knox raid we recorded on a Monday after getting the scene Friday. So I’ve had a few of those. In fact that’s what happened when I did King Kong for Dino De Laurentiis. There was this problem where there were 2 Kongs on the way simultaneously like a race. They’d shoot 2 or 3 reels, cut them and hand them to me. It’s not enough really. After shooting about 3 weeks, the other production gave up. So I suggested slowing up to Dino, but he says (mimics Dino perfectly) "No thees ees not the way wee do it John. I gotta get it out for Christmas." Anyway I ended up doing sessions all summer, and it went on and on. You don’t know where you’re leading - you should be able to look at the whole. You get forced into writing scene by scene which is a very unsatisfactory way to work.

- The result on TND is that the album’s cues need to be delivered before the whole score will be finished recording.

That happened to me once too on The Specialist. I did the score, then Gloria Estefan and her husband did all that Miami stuff and they wanted to bring out their song album way ahead. Yet in my contract I had 2 tracks on their album. I hadn’t written any music at that point. I was In London doing Moviola. I suggested writing 2 themes and recording with the Philharmonic at the same time. Fortunately he loved them. Then the instrumental album came out much later. It’s a very difficult thing, and producers don’t understand it. They come in and say ‘why can’t it be done?’ They don’t get it. The business has changed a lot you know.

 Paul Tonks

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King Kong May 11, 2021 • Available in US & Canada Scream Factory Product Note: Extras in progress and will be announced at a later date. Region A, 2 discs, 136 / 182 min, 2.35:1, color, English More information on the Shout Factory / Scream Factory website

The Dove 5 April 2021 Network 1974, 1080p HD 2.35:1, Mono / English, subtitles  English, Region  B,  105 mins. "An uplifting family drama based on the real life experiences of Robin Lee Graham who, at the age of sixteen, began a solo circumnavigation of the world in his small boat – the youngest person ever to do so." Network website

The IPCRESS File 27 Oct 2020 Kino Lorber Studio Classics DVD & BD! • 2K Restoration by ITV • Audio Commentary by Director Sidney J. Furie and Editor Peter Hunt • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Troy Howarth and Film Historian/Filmmaker Daniel Kremer • Interview with Star Michael Caine • Interview with Production Designer Ken Adams (sic) • TRAILERS FROM HELL with Howard Rodman • 3:07 Theatrical Trailer in Newly Remastered in HD • 1:07 Theatrical Trailer • 4 Radio Spots • Reversible BD Art • Dual-Layered BD50 Disc • Optional English Subtitles Color 109 Minutes 2.35:1 Not Rated From Harry Saltzman, the producer of James Bond classics Dr. No, Goldfinger, Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, comes a film widely recognized as one of the greatest spy thrillers of all time. The Ipcress File is the first film in the series of Harry Palmer mysteries, based on the bestsellers by Len Deighton (Funeral in Berlin), that made Michael Caine (Gambit, The Black Windmill) a star. It is the height of the cold war, and ex-thief Harry Palmer (Caine), now reluctantly working as a secret agent, has been called in to investigate a strange occurrence among a number of leading scientists. It seems the scientists have been kidnapped, but reappear only days after the kidnapping, brainwashed and useless. During the course of the investigation, a tape is uncovered with the word “Ipcress” on it. This stylish classic was directed by Sidney J. Furie (The Appaloosa), shot by Otto Heller (Peeping Tom) and edited by Peter R. Hunt (From Russia with Love), with production design by Ken Adam (Dr. Strangelove) and music by John Barry (Diamonds Are Forever). The great cast includes Nigel Green (Let’s Kill Uncle), Guy Doleman (Billion Dollar Brain), Sue Lloyd (The Bitch) and Gordon Jackson (The Great Escape).

The Day of The Locust 28 Oct 2020; pre-order at imprintfilms.com.au on July 31 Australian label Via Vision Entertainment has announced from the recently launched Imprint Collection: The Day of the Locust (1975)

The Deep Aug 3, 2020 101 Films "MORE INFO TBA!"

Walkabout Jun 27, 2020 Second Sight Films Limited Edition Blu-ray box set released July 27th. Brand new4K scan and restoration, new extras and 3 books!! Full details shortly, here's the gorgeous new artwork by Michael Boland...

The Last Valley Jun 23, 2020 Kino Lorber 1971, Color 125 Minutes 2.35:1, Region A   • Brand New HD Master – 2K Scans of Multiple 35mm Prints • Audio Commentary by Film Historians Howard S. Berger, Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson • Optional English Subtitles • Dual-Layered BD50 Disc • Trailers Color 125 Minutes 2.35:1 Rated PG From acclaimed writer/director James Clavell (Shogun, The Great Escape, To Sir, with Love, The Satan Bug), the stirring war epic The Last Valley stars screen greats Michael Caine (The Ipcress File, Kidnapped) and Omar Sharif (Juggernaut, Doctor Zhivago). As the Thirty Years’ War rages through 17th-century Germany, a fierce captain (Caine) lays waste to any village his army encounters. But when he arrives in an undisturbed valley where he meets a beautiful peasant girl (Florinda Bolkan, Flavia the Heretic), his long-dead memories of peace and happiness are reawakened. As war closes in, will he heed its call... or fight for the new life he has found? This powerful film is both a magnificent spectacle and an intensely personal story of love, friendship and loss. Co-starring Nigel Davenport (Mary, Queen of Scots), Per Oscarsson (Endless Night) and Arthur O’Connell (Anatomy of a Murder), with a rousing score by the great John Barry (The Lion in Winter) and top-notch cinematography by Norman Warwick (The Abominable Dr. Phibes) and John Wilcox (Dr. Who and the Daleks).

Mary, Queen of Scots Jun 09, 2020 Kino Lorber 1971, Color 132 min., Region A

Love Among the Ruins April 21, 2020 Kino Lorber Studio Classics From George Cukor, the legendary director of A Bill of Divorcement, Dinner at Eight, Holiday, The Women, The Philadelphia Story, Adam’s Rib and My Fair Lady! Love Among the Ruins (1975) • Brand New 2K Master • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Stephen Vagg • Dual-Layered BD50 Disc • Optional English Subtitles • Trailers

Robin and Marian February 3, 2020 HMV Exclusive Premium Collection Blu-ray + DVD Sony Pictures, 1976, 107 min 1080p, 1.85:1 (Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1), English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French: Dolby Digital 2.0, Subtitles:English SDH, French Discs: Blu-ray Disc, Two-disc set (1 BD-25, 1 DVD) DVD copy Region B

The Whisperers January 14th, 2020 Kino Lorber, B&W, 1967, 106 Minutes 1.66:1, Region A From Bryan Forbes, the legendary writer/director of Séance on a Wet Afternoon, The Wrong Box, The Stepford Wives and The Naked Face comes this gripping classic about an elderly woman who becomes increasingly ensnared by her own world of delusion and exploited by the very real world of morally corrupt people. Three-time Oscar nominee Dame Edith Evans received her final Oscar nomination (Best Actress in a Leading Role) for her performance as the eccentric Mrs. Ross, living alone in a meager apartment and hearing “whisperers” that plot against her. The whispering voices are right—but will anyone believe her? Gerry Turpin’s (Morgan: A Suitable Case of Treatment) stunning photography and John Barry’s (The Lion in Winter) haunting score are two of this powerful psychological drama’s best features. Brand New 2K Master NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Kat Ellinger Optional English Subtitles Dual-Layered BD50 Disc Trailers

Seance on a Wet Afternoon January 13th, 2020 Network,1080p, 1.66:1, Mono / English, Subtitles English, Region B, 116 mins Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough give outstanding performances in this classy British thriller, with Attenborough winning a BAFTA for Best British Actor and Stanley scoring an Oscar nomination. Written and directed by Bryan Forbes - who also won a Writers Guild award, an Edgar and a BAFTA nomination - Seance on a Wet Afternoon is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Myra Savage, a highly-strung spiritual medium, convinces her weak-willed husband to fake a child kidnapping so she can offer her services to the parents when all seems lost. Though horrified at the prospect, he reluctantly goes along with the plan - but becomes more convinced than ever that Myra is losing her grip on reality... SPECIAL FEATURES Memories on a Wet Afternoon – an interview with Bryan Forbes audio commentary with Bryan Forbes Theatrical trailer Image gallery

Inside Moves December 10, 2019. Scorpion Releasing, 1980, 113 min., Region A. Scorpion Releasing: Restored Inside Moves Detailed for Blu-ray      Posted September 27, 2019 04:40 PM by          Scorpion ReleasingScorpion Releasing has detailed its upcoming Blu-ray release of Richard Donner's film Inside Moves (1980), starring John Savage, David Morse, Diana Scarwid, Amy Wright, and Tony Burton. The release, which will be distributed by Kino Lorber, will be available for purchase on December 10. Synopsis: This poignant and offbeat dramedy follows Roary, a man who's been crippled by a recent suicide attempt. After resigning to spending most of his time in a bar full of down-trodden souls, Roary discovers that Jerry the Bartender has just been accepted to play basketball for the Golden State Warriors. As it turns out, helping Jerry train might just be the sort of transcendent therapy Roary and his fellow patrons need. Special Features and Technical Specs: BRAND NEW AND EXCLUSIVE REMASTER OF THE FILM NEW On-camera Interview with Director Richard Donner NEW On-camera Interview with Star John Savage Theatrical Trailer Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature More information on blu-ray.com

Follow Me! (The Public Eye) on DVD (Region B) and blu-ray 19th August, 2019 Extra: John Barry's complete score, taken from the master tapes.  From the Network website: If there’s one thing we love to do at Network it's to take series and films that were roundly ignored (or pilloried) on their original release and make them available to appreciative new viewers – and you'll probably never find a better example of an overlooked gem than Follow Me. Even director Carol Reed's biography makes scant mention of this, his directorial swansong. Hollywood ingénue Mia Farrow and stalwart character actor Michael Jayston star as a married couple in crisis – suspecting his wife of infidelity, the husband hires a private detective (Topol, then at the height of his Fiddler on the Roof fame) to follow her, only to set into motion an elaborate game of cat and mouse. Adapted from the popular play The Public Eye, by award-winning writer Peter Shaffer, Follow Me showcases its dazzling London locations to memorable effect, set to a haunting score by legendary composer John Barry. With all these elements in play, Follow Me seemed assured of success, and yet it inexplicably underperformed on release. Disappearing into oblivion, it’s now fondly remembered as a much sought-after film, barely glimpsed on television and virtually unobtainable on home media. Now, with everyone here at Network falling for its gentle-but-infectious humour, we’re setting the record straight and are proud to reintroduce Follow Me to viewers with this release – presented in its original Panavision widescreen aspect ratio from High Definition materials supplied by Universal. It includes a limited edition booklet by John Barry expert Geoff Leonard and Professor Laura Mayne and – in a world first – John Barry's original score as an isolated music track. Previously only available commercially as a re-recording – and edited down in the film itself – this will be the first time that Barry's original, full-length cues have been heard anywhere outside Universal's editing room in 1971. Part whimsical romantic comedy, part dreamy London time capsule, this beguiling film deserves the wider audience that eluded it originally in theatres – it’s long past time for it to finally have its day in the sun.

The Black Hole 13 August 2019 Disney Movie Club Exclusive Disney / Buena Vista, 1979, 95 min, Region free Aspect ratio: 2.35:1, Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit), Subtitles English SDH Article: Sci-Fi Disney Style: Remembering “The Black Hole” on its 40th Anniversary

It's All Happening 24 June 2019 Region 2 PAL, 97 mins, 1.66:1, Colour, Mono English, Subtitles English. Theatrical trailer Image gallery PDF material Shortly before he left EMI for Ember, John Barry appeared as himself in It's All Happening.  This film musical was basically a vehicle for Tommy Steele and quite likely part of the lure to acquire him from his lengthy stay with the rival record label, Decca. In the film, Barry is seen conducting an orchestra which accompanied fellow EMI artistes Johnny De Little (a Barry protege) and American visitor Dick Kallman in (mock) studio recording sessions. Apart from this on-screen appearance, Barry also arranged and accompanied songs by Tommy Steele and Marion Ryan. Also appearing in the film were EMI artistes Shane Fentone (later better known as Alvin Stardust), The Clyde Valley Stompers, Carol Deene, Russ Conway, Danny Williams and Geoff Love.  Barry did work with Conway and Williams on record, but not on this occasion. N.B. Both DVD and Blu-ray are available for pre-order, but are only available while stocks last!! Blu-ray version on Network website

Boom! 28 May 2019 Shout Factory are releasing Boom! on Blu-Ray on May 28, 2019. Info from the Shout Factory website: 113 min, 2.35:1, English, Region A,    Subtitles: English Taylor and Burton are explosive in this "heady serio-comic brew [from] Tennessee Williams ..." — Time Out Cinema icons (and twice-married couple) Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton light up the screen in what acclaimed playwright Tennessee Williams (A Streetcar Named Desire) described as the best film adaptation of his work he'd ever seen. Sissy Goforth (Taylor), the world's richest woman, has retired to her lavish island estate to dictate her memoirs. Her reclusive lifestyle is thrown into upheaval when roguish poet Chris Flanders (Burton) washes up on her beach. With the mysterious habit of calling upon a lady one step before the undertaker, Flanders has become known as "The Angel Of Death" — but an undaunted Goforth opts to tempt fate when she chooses to take Flanders as her next — and last — lover. A notorious bomb on its initial release, Boom! has since built up a cult following for its one-of-a-kind mixture of camp, lyricism, and the highly combustible chemistry of its two leads. More than fifty years after Boom!'s debut, Shout! Factory invites you to light the fuse on a re-examination of this highly unusual drama. Bonus Features     NEW Audio Commentary With Filmmaker John Waters     NEW "The Sound Of A Bomb: Contextualizing Boom!" With Film Critic/Author Alonso Duralde     Original Theatrical Trailer     Vintage Photo Galleries Product Information

They Might Be Giants 11 June 2019 Kino Lorber Studio Classics, Color, 91 Minutes 1.85:1, Rated G, Optional English subtitles • Audio Commentary with Director Anthony Harvey and Film Archivist Robert A. Harris • Madness… It's Beautiful - Featurette • Special expanded version, featuring additional footage not seen in the original theatrical release. • Theatrical Trailer

Howard The Duck 22 Apr 2019 British label 101 Films Collector's Edition. https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=24738 Synopsis: From executive producer George Lucas and the pages of Marvel Comics comes a comedy adventure spectacular about a fast-talking, cigar-chomping, beer-loving duck from a parallel universe who crashes to Earth and somehow winds up in Cleveland. As Howard attempts to return to his own planet, he falls in love with rock singer Beverly Switzler (Lea Thompson, Back to the Future) and must battle an evil invader known as the Dark Overlord. This wacky, elaborately produced spoof of life, love, comic books and horror movies is a misunderstood cult classic, ripe for rediscovery. Special Features and Technical Specs:     Howard: A New Cult Hero: Vic Pratt on Howard the Duck     Commentary with Wil Jones and Robert J.E. Simpson     Commentary with Charlie Brigden and Dan Whitehead     Limited edition booklet: includes 'How 'The Duck Who Couldn't Swim' Survived a Sinking Ship' by Lister Appleton and 'The Madness of King George' by Charlie Brigden     Additional Extras     A Look Back at Howard the Duck     Releasing the Duck News Featurette     The Stunts of Howard the Duck     The Special Effects of Howard the Duck     The Music of Howard the Duck     Teasers     Optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature

The Scarlet Letter 2 Jan 2019 KL Studio Classics, 2.35:1, 135 mins, Region A (Anamorphic, NTSC)

Robin and Marian 20 Nov 2018 Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 107 min., SpecialFeatures: Theatrical Trailer, AspectRatio: 16 X 9, ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 1.85:1 Region A No subtitles

The Quiller Memorandum 19 March, 2019 The Quiller Memorandum (1966) will be released on Blu-ray by Twilight Time on March 19, 2019. This will be a limited edition of 3000 copies. This will be from a new 4K transfer.

The Wrong Box 19 Nov 2018 Limited Blu-ray Edition (World Blu-ray premiere) • High Definition remaster • Original mono audio • The British Entertainment History Project Interview with Bryan Forbes (1994): archival audio recording of the celebrated filmmaker in conversation with Roy Fowler • New and exclusive audio commentary with film historians Josephine Botting and Vic Pratt • Interview with Nanette Newman (2018): the award-winning actor talks about The Wrong Box and her work with husband Bryan Forbes • Original theatrical trailer • Image gallery: promotional photography and publicity material • New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing • Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Vic Pratt, an overview of contemporary critical responses and historic articles on the film • World premiere on Blu-ray • Limited Edition of 3,000 copies

The Knack... and How to Get It June 18, 2018, United Kingdom, Blu-ray + DVD, BFI Video, 1965, 84 min, Region B

Deadfall February 8, 2018 (Apparently delayed - but was delivered on Feb 5!) United Kingdom, Region B, Dual Format Edition / Blu-ray + DVD, Signal One Entertainment, 1968, 120 min.

The L-Shaped Room Dec 19, 2017 Based on Lynne Reid Banks’ best-selling novel, The L-Shaped Room (1962) tells the tale of a young woman (the superb Leslie Caron), unmarried and pregnant, who takes a bed-sit in a run-down London rooming house to consider her situation. Screenwriter-director Bryan Forbes brings to vibrant life an eccentric community of misfits who become a kind of surrogate family; the stunning cast includes the wonderful likes of Tom Bell, Brock Peters, Cicely Courtneidge, and Patricia Phoenix. Beautifully shot by Douglas Slocombe, and featuring incidental music by John Barry. Starring: Leslie Caron, Tom Bell, Brock Peters, Avis Bunnage, Emlyn Williams, Cicely Courtneidge, Bernard Lee Directed By: Bryan Forbes; Written By: Bryan Forbes;  Score By: John Barry (Jazz Club Sequence); Language: English; Video: 1080p High Definition / 1.66:1 / B&W; Audio: English 1.0 DTS-HD MA; Subtitles: English SDH; Theatrical Release: 1962; Runtime: 126 Minutes; Rating: NR; Region Code: Region Free (A/B/C); Special Features: Isolated Music & Effects Track / Audio Commentary with Film Historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman / Original Theatrical Trailer; Genre: Drama; Limited Edition of 3,000 Units

The Chase 25 September 2017 United Kingdom, Powerhouse Limited Dual Format Edition (UK Blu-ray premiere) Nick Redman: "It's the same 4k restoration as we released last year - they licensed our commentary and the isolated score that Mike Matessino created from us as well." • 4K restoration from the original negative ( 4K means that the transfer is a 4K scan - on a blu-ray it is of course reflected as 1080p) • Original mono audio • Audio commentary with film historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman • Arthur Penn on ‘The Chase’ (1996, tbc mins): previously unseen footage from Paul Joyce’s documentary Marlon Brando: The Wild One • Matthew Penn on ‘The Chase’ (2017, tbc mins): a new interview with director Arthur Penn’s son • James Fox on ‘The Chase’ (2017, tbc mins): the renowned actor interviewed by Richard Ayoade • Super 8 version: original cut-down home cinema presentation • Isolated Score: experience John Barry’s original soundtrack music • Original theatrical trailer • Image gallery: on-set and promotional photography • New and improved English subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing • Limited edition exclusive booklet with a new essay by Christina Newland, an overview of contemporary critical responses, and historic articles on the film • UK premiere on Blu-ray • Limited Dual Format Edition of 3,000 copies • More TBC BBFC cert: 15 REGION FREE

The Lion in Winter Digitally Restored 17 Oct. 2016, United Kingdom, Region B/2, Studiocanal, 128 minutes   Bonus features: New interview with John Castle New interview with editor John Bloom Director’s commentary O’Toole on Hepburn – 5 min excerpt from TCM interview

The Chase October 30, 2016 English Video: 1080p High Definition / 2.35:1 / Color Audio: English 1.0 DTS-HD MA Subtitles: English SDH Theatrical Release: 1966 Runtime: 134 Minutes Rating: NR (Not Rated) Region Code: Region Free (A/B/C) Special Features: Isolated Score Track / Audio Commentary with Film Historians Lem Dobbs, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman / Original Theatrical Trailer

Beat Girl (Wild for Kicks) 25 April, 2016 BFI, Dual Format Edition Blu-ray + DVD, BFI Video , 1960, 89 min, Region B Beat Girl DVD/Blu-ray Extras: • Newly remastered in 2K and presented in both High Definition and Standard Definition • Original theatrical version (87 mins): from the negative, preserved by the BFI National Archive • Alternative version (92 mins) (Blu-ray only) • Alternative sequences (3 mins) (DVD only) • Extended version (92 mins): featuring an additional sequences with David Farrar and Noëlle Adam • An interview with Gillian Hills (2016, 25 mins) • Cross-Roads (John Fitchen, 1955, 25 mins): supernatural short featuring Christopher Lee • Beauty in Brief (c. 1955, 4 mins): forgotten saucy 1950s pin-up short • Goodnight with Sabrina (c. 1958, 3 mins): glamour short starring 1950s TV bombshell Sabrina, aka Norma Sykes • Illustrated booklet with new essays by Gillian Hills, Vic Pratt, Johnny Trunk and Jo Botting, and full film credits

Howard The Duck 8 March, 2016 Universal Studios, 110 min, 1080p, 1.85, Region A

Born Free December 8, 2015, Twlight Time. English, 1080p High Definition / 2.35:1, English 1.0 DTS-HD MA, Subtitltes: English SDH, 1966 / Color, 96 minutes Special Features: Isolated Score Track / Audio Commentary with Film Historians Jon Burlingame, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman / Original Theatrical Trailers Region Code: Region Free (A/B/C)   http://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?p=11145784 Twilight Time Twilight Time Insider "According to our contacts at Sony, this is one of the most expensive  and time-consuming restorations they have recently undertaken. 4K all the way."   "On the cusp of its 50th anniversary, Born Free has undergone a new Sony Pictures 4K restoration and its gorgeously photographed (by Kenneth Talbot) visual splendor will be showcased on Twilight Time’s new hi-def Blu-ray, coming home for the holidays. Barry’s ravishing score will be showcased on an Isolated Track, and the roaring-good Audio Commentary by movie music authority Jon Burlingame and TT’s own Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman explores the glories of maestro Barry as well as the film. Born Free arrives December 8; pre-orders open on November 20." http://www.twilighttimemovies.com

Click back cover to enlarge.

Monte Walsh July, 2015, Screen Archives release.

Six-Five Special May 4, 2015, Network (Britain), Region B/2, PAL, 85 minutes Performances by Lonnie Donegan, Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth, Petula Clark, The John Barry Seven and many more.

White Buffalo April 28, 2015, Studio: Kino Lorber, 97 minutes Multiple Formats, Blu-ray, Anamorphic, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, Region: Region A/1,  DVD Release

The Tamarind Seed February 9, 2015, Network (Britain) music suite featuring John Barry's outstanding film score - See more here

Raise The Titanic February 9, 2015, Network (Britain) music suite featuring John Barry's outstanding film score - See more here

The Legend of the Lone Ranger February 9, 2015, Network (Britain) music suite featuring John Barry's outstanding film score - See more here

The Quiller Memorandum July 28, 2014, 2.35:1, 104 mins, Region B

Monte Walsh March 21, 2014, 16:9 - 2.35:1 106 mins, Region B (Germany) "Restaurierte HD Neuabtastung"

Somewhere in Time March 4, 2014, + Ultraviolet 1.85:1, English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 French: DTS 2.0, 103 mins, Region A

Zulu January 22, 2014 Colour, 2.35:1, English 2.0 DTS-HD MA / English 1.0 DTS-HD MA, Region Free, 138 mins. Isolated Score Track. (on the 50th anniversary of the film's premiere, and the 135th anniversary of the battle of Rorke's Drift) Link

Die Todesfalle (Deadfall) November 22, 2013 Dolby, PAL, Surround Sound, Widescreen 16:9 - 1.66:1, 119 mins. Deutsch (Dolby Digital 2.0), English (Dolby Digital 2.0) Region B/2

Die Legende vom Lone Ranger 12. Juli 2013 Colour, Widescreen, PAL, German, English, Region B/2, Aspect Ratio: 16:9 - 2.35:1, Number of discs: 1, 97 minutes

Raise The Titanic January 21, 2014 (BluRay/DVD Combo), Anamorphic, Blu-ray, Color, NTSC, Widescreen, English, Region A/1, 1.85:1, 114 minutes

Peggy Sue Got Married July 30, 2013, Region A , 1.85:1

Howard The Duck (Howard - Ein tierischer Held January 18, 2013, Region A , 1.85:1, Deutsch (DTS-HD 2.0), Englisch (DTS-HD 2.0) Untertitel: Englisch, Region: Region B/2, Bildseitenformat: 16:9 - 1.77:1

The Lion in Winter DVD & Blu-Ray, Denmark, Fox/MGM, Widescreen 1.78:1, English - Dolby Digital Stereo (2.0), Subtitles Danish ; Finnish ; Norwegian ; Swedish,134 mins.

Walkabout September 10, 2012, Region B/2, language: English, subtitles: English, Universal Pictures UK

Follow Me September 05, 2012, Japan, Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen

High Road to China 17 April 2012, Subtitles: English, Region A (B, C untested) User comment: "Sad to report that the High Road To China Blu ray is locked to zone A.... The sound is mono and distorts ever so slightly whenever the score gets loud. The picture is generally quite milky. However, it is letterboxed correctly and image detail is good. It's just great to be able to watch this fun little movie again."- Mike.

The Persuaders 19 September, 2011, UK Special features

Bruce Lee - Mein letzter Kampf - Uncut 9 September, 2011, Germany Format: Widescreen, Sprache (language): Englisch (English) (DTS-HD 7.1) , Untertitel (sub-titles): Deutsch (German), Region: Region B/2 Bildseitenformat (screen format): 16:9 - 2.35:1, 100 Minuten

Jagged Edge 17 May, 2011, USA, Image Entertainment,|1985, 108 min, Region A

Midnight Cowboy 2 May, 2011, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment, Region B

Chaplin 15 February, 2011, United States, Lionsgate Home Entertainment, "15th Anniversary Edition" (the film opened in 1992...)

Dances With Wolves 11 January, 2011, United States, 20th Anniversary Edition, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1990, 236 min. Region A (USA), Locked to Zone A.

Mecury Rising 14 September, 2010, 111 min

Starcrash 7 September, 2010, 92 mins. Collectors report it is definitely NOT region locked, and WILLplay on un-modifiedUK Blu ray players.

Walkabout 18 May, 2010. Criterion, 1971, 1.78:1, 100 mins. Region A. * Audio commentary featuring director Nicolas Roeg and actress Jenny Agutter * Video interviews with Agutter and actor Luc Roeg * Gulpilil—One Red Blood (2002), an hour-long documentary on the life and career of actor David Gulpilil * Theatrical trailer * A booklet featuring an essay by author Paul Ryan

The Party's Over 17 May, 2010. with bonus DVD, 2 Discs, Bfi Video. "A rare and controversial look at the dark side of life lived by young people on the edge of mainstream society, starring Oliver Reed and directed by celebrated James Bond director, Guy Hamilton"

Out Of Africa 27 April 2010, 161 mins, USA. US release Region A, B (C untested) There's also a European bluray release in The Netherlands, e.g. Free Record Shop site. Though amazon.co.uk or play.com do not list it.

Der mit dem Wolf tanzt - Jubiläums Edition 4 February 2010, Germany, (2 Discs) Widescreen, Deutsch (DTS-HD 5.1), Deutsch (DTS-HD 7.1), Englisch (DTS-HD 5.1), Englisch (DTS-HD 7.1), Untertitel: Deutsch, 16:9 - 2.35:1, 234 Min.

Dances With Wolves november 2009

Howard The Duck 1 Sept, 2009. PAL, All Regions, 110 minutes

King Kong 17 June, 2009, Aspect ratio: 2.35:1, 134 min. Audio: English, French, Spanish. Subtitles French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Japanese,

Indecent Proposal Paramount Pictures, 1993, 117 mins, Rated R, Jun 09, 2009

The Man with the Golden Gun 12 May, 2009

Recent releases

The Ipcress File 10 Nov 2008, 107 minutes.

Zulu 3 Nov 2008, 133 minutes

Body Heat 7 Oct 2008, 113 minutes, Region free

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Upcoming and recent DVD releases

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The IPCRESS File 27 Oct 2020 Kino Lorber Studio Classics DVD & BD! • 2K Restoration by ITV • Audio Commentary by Director Sidney J. Furie and Editor Peter Hunt • NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historian Troy Howarth and Film Historian/Filmmaker Daniel Kremer • Interview with Star Michael Caine • Interview with Production Designer Ken Adams (sic) • TRAILERS FROM HELL with Howard Rodman • 3:07 Theatrical Trailer in Newly Remastered in HD • 1:07 Theatrical Trailer • 4 Radio Spots • Reversible BD Art • Dual-Layered BD50 Disc • Optional English Subtitles Color 109 Minutes 2.35:1 Not Rated From Harry Saltzman, the producer of James Bond classics Dr. No, Goldfinger, Thunderball and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, comes a film widely recognized as one of the greatest spy thrillers of all time. The Ipcress File is the first film in the series of Harry Palmer mysteries, based on the bestsellers by Len Deighton (Funeral in Berlin), that made Michael Caine (Gambit, The Black Windmill) a star. It is the height of the cold war, and ex-thief Harry Palmer (Caine), now reluctantly working as a secret agent, has been called in to investigate a strange occurrence among a number of leading scientists. It seems the scientists have been kidnapped, but reappear only days after the kidnapping, brainwashed and useless. During the course of the investigation, a tape is uncovered with the word “Ipcress” on it. This stylish classic was directed by Sidney J. Furie (The Appaloosa), shot by Otto Heller (Peeping Tom) and edited by Peter R. Hunt (From Russia with Love), with production design by Ken Adam (Dr. Strangelove) and music by John Barry (Diamonds Are Forever). The great cast includes Nigel Green (Let’s Kill Uncle), Guy Doleman (Billion Dollar Brain), Sue Lloyd (The Bitch) and Gordon Jackson (The Great Escape).

Love Among The Ruins April 21, 2020, Kino Lorber DVD & Blu-ray From George Cukor, the legendary director of A Bill of Divorcement, Dinner at Eight, Holiday, The Women, The Philadelphia Story, Adam’s Rib and My Fair Lady!

Robin and Marian February 3, 2020 HMV Exclusive Premium Collection Blu-ray + DVD Sony Pictures, 1976, 107 min 1080p, 1.85:1 (Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1), English: DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, French: Dolby Digital 2.0, Subtitles:English SDH, French Discs: Blu-ray Disc, Two-disc set (1 BD-25, 1 DVD) DVD copy Region B

Seance on a Wet Afternoon January 13th, 2020 Network,dvd, 1.66:1, Mono / English, Subtitles English, Region 2 (PAL), 111 mins Kim Stanley and Richard Attenborough give outstanding performances in this classy British thriller, with Attenborough winning a BAFTA for Best British Actor and Stanley scoring an Oscar nomination. Written and directed by Bryan Forbes - who also won a Writers Guild award, an Edgar and a BAFTA nomination - Seance on a Wet Afternoon is presented here as a brand-new High Definition transfer from original film elements in its original theatrical aspect ratio. Myra Savage, a highly-strung spiritual medium, convinces her weak-willed husband to fake a child kidnapping so she can offer her services to the parents when all seems lost. Though horrified at the prospect, he reluctantly goes along with the plan - but becomes more convinced than ever that Myra is losing her grip on reality... SPECIAL FEATURES Memories on a Wet Afternoon – an interview with Bryan Forbes audio commentary with Bryan Forbes Theatrical trailer Image gallery Network Website

Follow Me! (The Public Eye) DVD (Region B) and blu-ray 19th August, 2019 Extra: John Barry's complete score, taken from the master tapes.  From the Network website: If there’s one thing we love to do at Network it's to take series and films that were roundly ignored (or pilloried) on their original release and make them available to appreciative new viewers – and you'll probably never find a better example of an overlooked gem than Follow Me. Even director Carol Reed's biography makes scant mention of this, his directorial swansong. Hollywood ingénue Mia Farrow and stalwart character actor Michael Jayston star as a married couple in crisis – suspecting his wife of infidelity, the husband hires a private detective (Topol, then at the height of his Fiddler on the Roof fame) to follow her, only to set into motion an elaborate game of cat and mouse. Adapted from the popular play The Public Eye, by award-winning writer Peter Shaffer, Follow Me showcases its dazzling London locations to memorable effect, set to a haunting score by legendary composer John Barry. With all these elements in play, Follow Me seemed assured of success, and yet it inexplicably underperformed on release. Disappearing into oblivion, it’s now fondly remembered as a much sought-after film, barely glimpsed on television and virtually unobtainable on home media. Now, with everyone here at Network falling for its gentle-but-infectious humour, we’re setting the record straight and are proud to reintroduce Follow Me to viewers with this release – presented in its original Panavision widescreen aspect ratio from High Definition materials supplied by Universal. It includes a limited edition booklet by John Barry expert Geoff Leonard and Professor Laura Mayne and – in a world first – John Barry's original score as an isolated music track. Previously only available commercially as a re-recording – and edited down in the film itself – this will be the first time that Barry's original, full-length cues have been heard anywhere outside Universal's editing room in 1971. Part whimsical romantic comedy, part dreamy London time capsule, this beguiling film deserves the wider audience that eluded it originally in theatres – it’s long past time for it to finally have its day in the sun. Available to pre-order now Blu-ray or DVD

It's All Happening 24 June 2019 Region 2 PAL, 97 mins, 1.66:1, Colour, Mono English, Subtitles English. Theatrical trailer Image gallery PDF material Shortly before he left EMI for Ember, John Barry appeared as himself in It's All Happening.  This film musical was basically a vehicle for Tommy Steele and quite likely part of the lure to acquire him from his lengthy stay with the rival record label, Decca. In the film, Barry is seen conducting an orchestra which accompanied fellow EMI artistes Johnny De Little (a Barry protege) and American visitor Dick Kallman in (mock) studio recording sessions. Apart from this on-screen appearance, Barry also arranged and accompanied songs by Tommy Steele and Marion Ryan. Also appearing in the film were EMI artistes Shane Fentone (later better known as Alvin Stardust), The Clyde Valley Stompers, Carol Deene, Russ Conway, Danny Williams and Geoff Love.  Barry did work with Conway and Williams on record, but not on this occasion. N.B. Both DVD and Blu-ray are available for pre-order, but are only available while stocks last!! More information on the Network website

Orson Welles Great Mysteries February 11, 2019 1.33:1 / Colour, Mono / English, Subtitles None, Region 2 / PAL, 317 mins The legendary Orson Welles hosts thirteen mysterious tales from this much sought-after anthology series. Showcasing a haunting theme by John Barry, these macabre – often supernatural – dramas feature an astonishing array of talent, including Rupert Davies, Eli Wallach, Michael Kitchen, Patrick Magee, Donald Pleasence, Peter Cushing, Susannah York, Michael Gambon, Julie Dawn Cole, Kenneth Haigh, Harry Andrews, Dinsdale Landen, Christopher Lee, Jane Seymour and Ian Holm. The episodes featured on this set – including classic tales from Wilkie Collins, W.W. Jacobs, Honoré de Balzac, Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle – are: A Terribly Strange Bed Compliments of the Season The Ingenious Reporter The Monkey's Paw Captain Rogers For Sale - Silence La Grande Breteche An Affair of Honour In the Confessional The Furnished Room Under Suspicion The Leather Funnel Trial for Murder

The Betsy June 27, 2017 Ships to USA, 125 minutes, 16x9 letterbox, original aspect ratio 1.78:1, mono, 125 minutes. Made To Order DVD A DVD was previously released March 30, 1999, "*standard* DVD in odd cardbox packaging." John Barry and movie afficionado Alan has discovered that Warner Archive recut the pan-and-scan 4:3 version used for the 1999 dvd release of The Betsy, to make a pseudo Widesceen 2017 release with a terrible quality result. For images, see our snippets page. 125 minutes Aspect Ratio: 16 X 9 LETTERBOX|ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 1.78:1 Format: Made To Order DVD Audio Format: MONO 125 minutes Aspect Ratio: 16 X 9 LETTERBOX|ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO - 1.78:1 Format: Made To Order DVD Audio Format: MONO

The Tamarind Seed July 21, 2014, Network (Britain) music suite featuring John Barry's outstanding film score - See more here - See more at: http://networkonair.com/shop/2306-amorous-prawn-the-5027626421144.html#sthash.kpif6uKX.dpuf

Recent releases

What a Whopper 31 January 2011, Region 2, 86 minutes

Monte Walsh 16 November 2010, Region 1, widescreen, NTSC, English, English subtitles,

Amy Foster - Swept From The Sea 6 July 2010, 106 minutes, Widescreen A DVD of this film was first released in 1999.

Jagged Edge 7 June 2010, Region 2, 104 minutes, 1.85:1 A DVD of this film was first released in 2001.

The Whisperers NTSC, All Regions. 106 mins. DVD-R manufactured "on demand". Official MGM announcement...

The White Buffalo NTSC, All Regions. 97 mins. DVD-R manufactured "on demand". Official MGM announcement...

The Party's Over 17 May, 2010. Blu-ray with bonus DVD, 2 Discs, Bfi Video. "A rare and controversial look at the dark side of life lived by young people on the edge of mainstream society, starring Oliver Reed and directed by celebrated James Bond director, Guy Hamilton"

Mary, Queen of Scots Marie Reine d'Ecosse), Region 2, Second Sight Films Ltd. 128 minutes. 01-02-2010; isolated John Barry music track, commentary by film historians Nick Redman and Jon Burlingame.

The Gathering Region 1, 15 December 2009, 4 X 3 full frame,194 minutes. Warner Archive Collection

Mike's Murder NTSC, All Regions, Warner Bros, November 11, 2009, 110 minutes

BOOM! 2.35:1/16:9 anamorphic widescreen, Dolby Digital 2.0, Region 2

The Cool Mikado Region 2, 6 Jul 2009, 141 minutes

Petulia Region 2, in the UK on 27 April 2009. Bonuses: Theatrical Trailer, Featurette

Inside Moves Region 1, February 2, 2009 (USA)

The Wrong Box, August 13, 2007. Region 2. Colour, Subtitled, PAL, Widescreen, Sony Home Entertainment release.

Le Bison Blanc "The White Buffalo" Region 2, 19 november 2008; New film master: "Nouveau master restauré" No bonus.

Be My Guest , Region 2, November 3, 2008

A Jolly Bad Fellow, Region 1, October 21, 2008

Four In The Morning - Region 2. Due for release on 23/06/2008

The Wrong Box (La Caja de las Sorpresas) Región: 2. Imagen: Color - PAL - Fullscreen. Idiomas-Audio: Español - Dolby Digital Mono, Inglés - Dolby Digital Mono. Subtítulos: Portugués.

"Metrodome Distribution has announced the release of Howard the Duck for the 18th of February 2008. This release will mark the first time that the full, uncut version of the film has been available in the UK. The only confirmed bonus material is the original theatrical trailer."

Mary, Queen of Scots Marie Reine d'Ecosse), Universal StudioCanal Vidéo, No bonus, Region 2, 16/9 Anamorphique (compatible 4/3), 26/02/2008

It's All Happening 28 Jan 2008, Region 2, as part of Tommy Steele Collection : The Duke Wore Jeans / It's All Happening / The Tommy Steele Story / Tommy The Toreador

Howard The Duck October 5, English/German, region 2, 16:9.

Anne Of The Thousand Days / Mary, Queen Of Scots (2 Movie Collection). September 18, 2007. Audio: ENGLISH: Dolby Digital Mono Subtitles: English, French. 274 mins. Anamorphic Widescreen. Universal Studios. Presumably Region 1. Mary, Queen of Scots runs 2 Hours 9 Minutes. Jon Burlingame told me the isolated score is mono.

Mix Me A Person. September 17, 2007, as part of "Donald Sinden Icon Box Set: A Day To Remember", region 2. (11 Discs)

The L-Shaped Room. Region 2, June 4, 2007. English.

The Corn is Green Warner Home Video and Turner Classic Movies have announced the Region 1 DVD release of TCM Spotlight: Katharine Hepburn Collection for 29th May 2007. Together the studios will honour one of Hollywood’s legendary “grand dames” on the anniversary of her 100th birthday (May 12) with the debut of this collection which includes six films never on R1 DVD before -- The Corn is Green, Dragon Seed, Morning Glory, Sylvia Scarlett, Undercurrent and Without Love.

The Legend Of The Lone Ranger to be released on dvd again. Region 2, 07/05/2007. Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1.

Eleanor and Franklin Double Feature (The Early Years / The White House Years) for May 1st. Region 1. Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1. Number of discs: 2. HBO Home Video

Man in the Middle Region 1, April 24, 2007

The Quiller Memorandum Region 1, Widescreen Languages English - Dolby Digital (1.0) Mono

Body Heat Region 1, Deluxe Edition DVD from Warner Home Video (WHV) on October 24, Remastered in a 16x9 format enhanced for widescreen televisions. Includes Special Features. Link. Includes new interview with John Barry.

Deadfall Region 1, Fox studios, 17/10/2006, * Theatrical Trailer * Michael Caine Collection Trailers, Widescreen 2.35:1. Fox have informed us that their October (region 1) release of Deadfall will not only include interviews with John Barry & Bryan Forbes, but also an isolated score track!! This is obviously terrific news for Barry fans (whether or not you bought the CD) and makes this DVD an essential purchase. John Cork (of James Bond DVD fame) interviewed John Barry at his home. Very nice featurette. Street date is said to be October 17th and you can already pre-order it from the usual sites, such as amazon.com and competitors. Rejoice, rejoice!!

The Persuaders! Special Edition (Network) - the complete series : Region 2, 18/09/2006. Includes: Top of the Pops promotional film for John Barry’s single of The Persuaders! featuring Pan’s People

Seance On A Wet Afternoon: Special Edition Region 2, 5 June 2006.

The Quiller Memorandum: Special Edition Region 2, 8 May 2006.

Petulia Warner Home Video, Region 1; 20th June 2006. Newly remastered, anamorphic widescreen.

Le Knack... et comment l'avoir Region 2, May 3 2006, MGM / United Artists, French. Languages: English, French. Subtitles French.

Macadam Cowboy Midnight Cowboy Region 2, French. March 22 2006, 1.85:1, Français, Anglais, Italien, Allemand, Espagnol 2.0 mono. Sub-titles: Français, Espagnol, Néerlandais, Finlandais, Suédois, Norvégien, Danois, Portugais, Italien. Hard-of-hearing: Anglais, Allemand. No bonuses.

Midnight Cowboy R1, 21/02/2006, Widescreen, 2 Discs, All new documentaries, tribute to John Schlesinger, New interviews with Dustin Hoffman, John Voight and more.

The Ipcress File Region 2, January16, 2006. Review says "The Ipcress File now finally arrives in the UK in its original 2.35:1 Techniscope ratio, digitally remastered and part of an extras-packed two-disc release." 16th January 2006, United Kingdom, 103 minutes; 2.35:1 Anamorphic PAL, English DD2.0, Subtitles: None Special Features: # Commentary by Director Sidney J. Furie and Editor Peter Hunt # 'Candid Caine' Documentary (44 mins) # Interview With Actor Michael Caine (21 mins) # Interview With Production Designer Ken Adam (10 mins) # 'The Ipress File: Michael Caine Goes Stella' Sketch # Titles-less Credit Sequence # Stills Gallery # Theatrical Trailer # US Radio Spots DVD Distributor: Network DVD

The Ipcress File: Special Edition (With Bonus CD) Special Features Includes CD soundtrack A copy of the original Len Deighton novel Stylish slip-case Introductory booklet by Christopher Bray, author of 'Caine: A Class Act' Commentary with the director, Sidney Furie, and editor, Peter Hunt 'The Ipcress File - Caine Goes Stella': spoff introduction with Phil Cornwell and Michael Caine 'Candid Caine': Michael Caine talks frankly about his career in 1969 Exclusive interview with Caine on the making of the film Exclusive interview with the legendary Oscar-winning production designer, Sir Ken Adam, about making the film Stills gallery A3 dual-sided Ipcress File movie poster designs Original US radio adverts Original theatrical trailer

Raise The Titanic Region 1, Artisan, January 24th, 2006. A double feature: Raise the Titanic/Man Friday

The Tamarind Seed (Top Secret french title) Region 2, January 12 2006 Bonus: Filmography. Teaser.

King Kong Paramount has announced a re-packaged R1 DVD of King Kong for Nov 22, along with the original 1933 King Kong 2 disc-set DVD.

Hammett Region: 1, Color, Dolby, Paramount Home Video, November 1, 2005 Widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs. Stereo.

Raise The Titanic Region 4, MRA Entertainment, October 4th. Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.20:1, English Dolby Digital 2.0. Smoking: Yes (that's for Gareth!)

UN CAÏD (King Rat), Region 2, French, no bonus, October 5 2005

Frances, Region 2, French, September 12, 2005

Eleanor & Franklin: The Early Years region 1, August 30th, 2005, MGM, Color, Closed-captioned

Walkabout region 2, June 9th, 2005, Deutsch, Englisch, Extras: Fotogalerie Biografien Programmhinweise.

Never Let Go region 1, June 7th, 2005, MGM, Widescreen 1.66:1, B&W

Masquerade Region 2, 23/05/2005, Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic

The Golden Seal region 1, Full Screen, April 12, 2005 MGM website

Love Among The Ruins Region 4, 04/04/2005, COLOR . 112 mins . G . PAL

Hammett region 2, Feb 21, 2005, French. Also Spanish version Region 2, PAL, Widescreen

Until September Region 1, January 25, 2005, MGM, letterbox.

The Chase Region 2, december 12, 2004,Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic

Day Of The Locust (Le Jour du Fléau) Region 2, France. November 25th 2004 No bonus

Frances Region 2, 09/08/2004

The Black Hole Region 1, 4 August. See also: www.ultimatedisney.com A a new edition with better sound and featurette. The only way to get the score...

Deception Region 1, release date: 22/06/2004 Deception (aka Ruby Cairo)

The Glass Menagerie Region 2 on June 21

The Day Of The Locust "R1, to be available from Paramount on June 08"

Masquerade "R1, to be available from MGM on June 01"

The Last Valley R1, 125 min. Widescreen; English Dolby Digital mono; Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, May 25

The Tamarind See Region 2, but widescreen this time: 2.35:1, English - Dolby Digital (1.0) Mono, 29/03/2004

The Chase R1, to be available on Feb 24

My Sister's Keeper R2. February 16. Fullscreen 4:3 English - Dolby Digital (2.0) Stereo, Subtitles None listed Duration 1 hour and 36 minutes (approx)
A Killing Affair (US title of My sister's Keeper) Region 0, 6 October, 2003
A US release of A Killing Affair (US title of My sister's Keeper) has existed for some time, without us knowing. Three versions of A Killing Affair exist for Region 1 although some are supposed to be Region 0. Not a single review of video or sound quality is available, but the publishing studios are known for low-cost low quality products. See the artwork of these dvds: Thanks to Alan More for providing us with artwork and text.

Starcrash R2, to be available on Feb 15, in France.

King Kong (Fr) Janvier 2004, R2, collector edition 2 DVD - La bande-annonce originale - Les 10 scènes coupées inédites - La galerie de photos Le livre de 80 pages sur le film

Ipcress danger immediat (Ipcress file) Region 2, janvier 2004 Contenu : Le Film : Ipcress danger immédiat - La bande-annonce - Les filmographies - Le bonus caché - Les spots radio - La galerie de photos Included soundtrack on CD with Film on DVD collector limited edition.

Seance On A Wet Afternoon R2, Due for release on 26/01/2004, 16:9

Hammett Region: 4 Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Enhanced Transfer, Format: Widescreen, Languages: English Subtitles: None

Quelque part dans le temps (Somewhere In Time) R2, January 12 2004. French language version

Born Free / Living Free R2, 12/01/2004

Beat Girl For completists only, Beat Girl is available on DVD! You can order it from amazon.com, as did Peter Walker: However, a warning. The quality is not brilliant. Well, to be honest, it's appalling. Looks like it was made from a video recorded from a TV screening or similar. How do these companies get away with stuff like that? No, buy the video instead which is probably still available. You can make your own DVD from that, with the right equipment!

Chaplin Region 2, 09/23/03. anglais Encodage 1 stéréo Langue 2 français Encodage 2 Dolby surround Sous-titrage 1 français Format image 16:9 compatible 4/3 format d'origine respecté 1.85 Support simple face double couche Qualité Stéréo, couleur Durée 144 minutes

Ruby Cairo 09/25/03, Region 2, France, Widescreen release with stereo french & english audio (french subtitles hardcoded) Cinémascope - 1.66:1 Full Screen (Standard) - 1.33:1, 2 Langues et formats sonores : Français (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo), Anglais (Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo) Sous-titres : Français

Enigma 16/09/2003 a new special (Region 1) edition reissue of Enigma presented in anamorphic widescreen 1.85:1, Dolby 5.1, and also including new audio commentaries with director Michael Apted, deleted scenes, and trailer. Rather irritating that we have to wait until we have bought the first version to discover there's another, better, version available!

Mercury Rising R2, 08/09/2003. Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic, 1 hour and 47 minutes (approx)

The Lion In Winter September 8. Region 2. 129 minutes. DVD Features: Anamorphic Widescreen, Director’s audio commentary.

The Cotton Club September 8. Region 2. 124 minutes. DVD Features: Anamorphic Widescreen, Trailer.

The Quiller Memorandum due for release on 11/08/2003, The UK (Reg. 2) of The Quiller Memorandum (Carlton 37115 05383) is in Widescreen (2.35:1 approx.) and not 4:3. Languages: English - Dolby Digital (1.0) Mono Duration 1 hour and 33 minutes (approx) Available in France, "Excellent widescreen release languages: french dd5.1 english mono (with french subtitles hardcoded)"

Raise The Titanic DVD Region 2 is due for release on 11/08/2003. Languages English - Dolby Digital (1.0) Mono Duration 1 hour and 54 minutes (approx) The Carlton release is 16/9 not 4/3 but PAN & SCAN. The German DVD, however, is not very much appreciated, as can be read in the www.raisethetitanic.commessage board . In the meantime, now 2005, Carlton International has released a French DVD of Raise The Titanic: LA GUERRE DES ABIMES. Technical specs: Letterbox 2:35 (versus UK Widescreen 1:85 Pan & Scan) Sound: clean french mono only (versus UK poor stereo).

Legend Of The Lone Ranger 28 July 2003. Region 2, Fullscreen 4:3 Languages English - Dolby Digital (2.0) Stereo Duration 1 hour and 32 minutes (approx) "The R2 DVD of this film is actually in widescreen, not pan-and-scan as was advertised."

Cry The Beloved Country July, Region 1

My Life June 30, Region 2. Fullscreen 4:3 Languages English Duration 1 hour and 52 minutes (approx)

Darling / The L-Shaped Room (British New Wave Double Feature 1), on 23/06/2003, (WS 1.66:1)

Murphy's War (R1) widescreen due for release on 10/06/2003. Different artwork from R2 edition.

The Black Hole June 2; Region 1, Widescreen 2.35:1 Anamorphic, Dolby Digital (5.1) "The R2 disc is 16:9 enhanced (the R1 disc isn't) and therefore has better picture definition on a widescreen telly. On the other hand the R2 disc does not contain the pre-film overture, so the R1 disc is still the only "just like in cinemas" presentation."

Dances with Wolves (Special Edition) DVD, released on May 20. Extended version with never-before-seen additional scenes, etc. Region 1.

Born Free Region 1, March 4 2003. Both sound and picture quality are said to be excellent. Widescreen 2.35:1 Languages English - Dolby Digital (2.0) Subtitles English ; French ; Japanese ; Korean ; Spanish Duration 1 hour and 35 minutes (approx)

The White Buffalo Region 2, 10/2001,English; reportedly a dreadful quality.

Upcoming DVD releases

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With author's note (Cynthia Haagens)

I wrote the lyrics to "The Secrets of My Heart" and in the CD package they were mistranslated by a Japanese translator who transcribed the lyrics after listening to the song and getting the words completely wrong!! This has been a huge source of both laughs and irritation for me since I wrote the lyric!

Here is my actual lyric:

Private dreams I never told you
Come to hold me in the dark
Moonlit skies and long embraces
Eyes that shine from lovers' faces

You'll never know
The secrets of my heart

Unknown worlds you'll never share,
love
Call to you, we'll sleep apart
Empty arms will wait so lonely
I'll touch the night and let it hold me

You'll never show
The secrets of your heart

Private dreams are meant for living
Trace them with a treasure chart
Tell you all my hidden wishes
And never fly from lovers' kisses

If you could share
The secrets of my heart

Music John Barry
Lyrics Cynthia Haagens and Graeme Clifford
Performed by Kristina Nichols

with author's note (Cynthia Haagens)

I wrote the lyrics to "The Secrets of My Heart" and in the CD package they were mistranslated by a Japanese translator who transcribed the lyrics after listening to the song and getting the words completely wrong!! This has been a huge source of both laughs and irritation for me since I wrote the lyric!

Here is my actual lyric:

Private dreams I never told you
Come to hold me in the dark
Moonlit skies and long embraces
Eyes that shine from lovers' faces

You'll never know
The secrets of my heart

Unknown worlds you'll never share,
love
Call to you, we'll sleep apart
Empty arms will wait so lonely
I'll touch the night and let it hold me

You'll never show
The secrets of your heart

Private dreams are meant for living
Trace them with a treasure chart
Tell you all my hidden wishes
And never fly from lovers' kisses

If you could share
The secrets of my heart

Music John Barry
Lyrics Cynthia Haagens and Graeme Clifford
Performed by Kristina Nichols

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Our time is now,
Not one day soon.
Your eyes don’t lie,
Look how bright the stars
And how close the moon.

Our time is now,
And evermore.
It took a while
But a love like ours
Was worth waiting for.

Chorus:
Love has no season,
There are no rules.
Those who stop dreaming are fools.
So come with me
Because our time is now.

[Repeat chorus]

Our time is now.
Our time is now.
Our time is now.

John Barry
Don Black
Performed by Shirley Bassey on her album The Performance

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Give me a smile / Give me a sense of who I am/
Give me a breath of vanished days / and fires that once blazed within/

Give me a smile / Give me a vast yet private sky/
Give me a light beyond the light/
Where other worlds just might begin...

Cx: Give me the courage / to see how limitless we are/
and not be haunted by the past / the past has passed/

Give me a smile / give me a promise I can touch/
Give me a stillness in my soul / A reason for this earth to spin/
Give me a smile...

cx: repeat
Last verse repeat to end!

John Barry
Don Black
Lyics provided by Corina Brouder

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Just tick the days off one by one
Some days I feel these days will never end
Just to see you standing by my door
Made the way I've hungered for

Just tick the days off one by one
This is a love you don't recover from
Only fools tell you time goes so fast
And that the love, it doesn't last

Perfect love Brings a different kind of pain
It's a pain you will always taste
I need to taste that taste again

Just tick the days off one by one
Until tomorrow becomes here and now
Quietly just as an answered prayer
I'll turn around and you'll be there Together

Music by John Barry
Lyrics by Don Black
Performed by The Ten Tenors

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There Will Come A Day

There will come a day, one day I swear
When you will awake and find me there
Day after day I think of the day
When I will see you, just see you

There will come a night, I know there will
Where this won't stand perfectly still
Night after night, I dream of the night
I'll hold you, just hold you

All that stands between us
All that's in our way
Is the pain of waiting
And doubting every day

There will come a day, one day I swear
When you will awake and find me there
Day after day I think of the day
I'll see you, just see you
Hold you, just hold you
Love you and take you on

music by John Barry
Lyrics by Don Black
performed by The Ten Tenors