''How To Marry a Millionaire: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' is the official

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'' ...

for the 1953

20th Century-Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Disn ...

film ''

How to Marry a Millionaire ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' is a 1953 American screwball comedy film directed by Jean Negulesco and written and produced by Nunnally Johnson. The screenplay was based on the plays ''The Greeks Had a Word for It'' (1930) by Zoe Akins and ''Loc ...

''. The score was composed and directed by

Alfred Newman Alfred Newman (March 17, 1900 – February 17, 1970) was an American composer, arranger, and conductor of film music. From his start as a music prodigy, he came to be regarded as a respected figure in the history of film music. He won nine Acad ...

, with incidental music by

Cyril Mockridge Cyril John Mockridge (August 6, 1896 – January 18, 1979) was an England, English film and television composer who scored such films as ''Cheaper by the Dozen (1950 film), Cheaper by the Dozen'', ''River of No Return'' and ''The Man Who Shot Li ...

. The album was originally released on CD by

Film Score Monthly ''Film Score Monthly'' is an online magazine (and former print magazine) founded by editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall in June 1990 in music, 1990 as ''The Soundtrack Correspondence List''. It is dedicated to the art of Film sco ...

on March 15, 2001, as a limited edition of 3,000 copies, and then it was re-release on January 4, 2005.

Production

The film features an actual

overture Overture (from French ''ouverture'', "opening") in music was originally the instrumental introduction to a ballet, opera, or oratorio in the 17th century. During the early Romantic era, composers such as Beethoven and Mendelssohn composed overt ...

after the fashion of a live theatrical

extravaganza An extravaganza is a literary or musical work (often musical theatre) usually containing elements of burlesque, pantomime, music hall and parody in a spectacular production and characterized by freedom of style and structure. It sometimes also ha ...

. The 20th Century Fox Orchestra is arrayed before the camera to perform " Street Scene," conducted by Newman. This serves to highlight CinemaScope's new four-track magnetic

stereophonic sound Stereophonic sound, or more commonly stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configuration ...

system and

widescreen Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens. In film, a widescreen film is any film image with a width-to-height aspect ratio greater than t ...

visuals. The orchestra appears throughout in wide shots and there are no closeups of any of the players, nor of Newman. At the conclusion of "Street Scene," Newman turns to take a bow before launching into the "Main Title". The orchestra reappears briefly for the "End Title", also an arrangement of "Street Scene". Newman originally composed "Street Scene" for the

film version A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dia ...

Elmer Rice Elmer Rice (born Elmer Leopold Reizenstein, September 28, 1892 – May 8, 1967) was an American playwright. He is best known for his plays ''The Adding Machine'' (1923) and his Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of New York tenement life, '' Street Sce ...

's 1931 play '' Street Scene'', a portrayal of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

(which explains its distinctly Gershwinesque flavor, a la ''

Rhapsody in Blue ''Rhapsody in Blue'' is a 1924 musical composition written by George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects. Commissioned by bandleader Paul Whiteman, the work premiered i ...

''), and used it in numerous subsequent New York-based films (''

The Dark Corner ''The Dark Corner'' is a 1946 American crime film, crime film noir directed by Henry Hathaway and starring Lucille Ball, Clifton Webb, William Bendix and Mark Stevens (actor), Mark Stevens.. The film was not a commercial success but has since been ...

'', ''

Kiss of Death Kiss of Death may refer to: * Kiss of Judas, Judas's betrayal of Jesus with a kiss identifying him to his executioners * Kiss of death (mafia), a Mafia signal that someone has been marked for execution Film and television * ''Kiss of Death'' ...

'', ''

Cry of the City ''Cry of the City'' is a 1948 American film noir starring Victor Mature, Richard Conte, and Shelley Winters. Directed by Robert Siodmak, it is based on the novel by Henry Edward Helseth, ''The Chair for Martin Rome''. The screenwriter Ben Hecht ...

'', ''

I Wake Up Screaming ''I Wake Up Screaming'' (originally titled ''Hot Spot'') is a 1941 film noir. It is based on the novel of the same name by Steve Fisher, adapted by Dwight Taylor. The film stars Betty Grable, Victor Mature and Carole Landis, and features one of ...

'', ''How to Marry a Millionaire''). Much of the rest of the score for ''

'' consists of similarly familiar, preexisting compositions, including several pieces composed by

George Gershwin George Gershwin (; born Jacob Gershwine; September 26, 1898 – July 11, 1937) was an American composer and pianist whose compositions spanned popular, jazz and classical genres. Among his best-known works are the orchestral compositions ' ...

. The film's arrangement of Newman's "Street Scene" was performed in 1973 by

National Philharmonic Orchestra The National Philharmonic Orchestra was a British orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes. It was founded by RCA Records producer and conductor Charles Gerhardt and orchestra leader and contractor Sidney Sax. The orchestra was created ...

, conducted by Charles Gerhardt, for the album ''Captain from Castille – Classic Film Scores of Alfred Newman'', accompanied by a booklet in which Page Cook chronicles the background of the piece.

Release

The music soundtrack from ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' was first released on CD by

, as part of Film Score Monthly's series ''Golden Age Classics'', on March 15, 2001, as a limited edition of 3,000 copies, and then it was re-release on January 4, 2005. The album includes musical direction by

and

incidental music Incidental music is music in a play, television program, radio program, video game, or some other presentation form that is not primarily musical. The term is less frequently applied to film music, with such music being referred to instead as t ...

, and was produced by Film Score Monthly's editor-in-chief and executive producer Lukas Kendall alongside producer/director

Nick Redman Nick may refer to: * Nick (given name) * A cricket term for a slight deviation of the ball off the edge of the bat * British slang for being arrested * British slang for a police station * British slang for stealing * Short for nickname Pla ...

. The CD of ''How to Marry a Millionaire'' features the complete music recorded for the film in stereo including source music and unused cues. The booklet contains complete breakdowns of the songwriters represented and the orchestrators and arrangers utilized.

Track listing

* All music composed and conducted by Alfred Newman.

Credits and personnel

Personnel

*Conductor –

Lionel Newman Lionel Newman (January 4, 1916 – February 3, 1989) was an American conductor, pianist, and film and television composer. He won the Academy Award for Best Score of a Musical Picture for '' Hello Dolly!'' with Lennie Hayton in 1969. He ...

*Orchestra Manager –

Simon Waronker Simon Waronker (March 4, 1915 – June 7, 2005) was an American violinist and record producer from Los Angeles, California, best known for co-founding Liberty Records. Biography Graduating from high school at 13 years old, he won a scholarship ...

Instruments and musicians

*Violin – Victor Arno,

Sol Babitz Sol Babitz (October 11, 1911 – 1982) was an American violinist, musicologist, teacher, writer, and pioneer of historically informed performance. He married artist Mae Babitz in 1942 and had two daughters, artist and writer Eve Babitz born in 194 ...

, Israel Baker, Robert Barene, George Berres, Henry Camusi, Joachim Chassman, Dave Crocov, Adolph DiTullio, Peter Ellis, David Frisina, Benny Gill, Anatol Kaminsky, Murray Kellner, Eugene Lamas, Marvin Limonick, Paul Lowenkron, Marion McKinstry, Marshall Moss, Irma W. Neumann, Alex Pierce, Joseph Quadri, David Selmont, Paul C. Shure,

Felix Slatkin Felix Slatkin (December 22, 1915 – February 8, 1963) was an American violinist and conductor. Biography Slatkin was born in St. Louis, Missouri to a Jewish family originally named Zlotkin (though it is not certain) from areas of the Russian Empi ...

*Viola – Edgardo A. Acosta, Myer Bello, Donald A. Cole, Joseph DiFiore, Alvin Dinkin, Louis Kievman, Alex Neiman, Robert Ostrowsky, Sven Reher *Cello – Joseph Coppin, Joseph DiTullio, Armand Kaproff, Raphael "Ray" Kramer, Leonard Krupnick, Kurt Reher, Harold Schneier *Bass – Abraham Luboff, Peter A. Mercurio, C. Magdelano Rivera, Meyer (Mike) Rubin, Alex Walden *Flute – Luella Howard, Barbara Moore (Putnam), Sterling D. Smith *Oboe – Arnold Koblentz, William Kosinski, Gordon Pope *Clarinet – Russell Cheever, Charles Gentry, Arthur Herfurt, Glen Johnston, Edward R. Miller,

Abe Most Abe Most (February 27, 1920 – October 10, 2002) was a swing clarinetist and alto saxophonist who is known for his performances and recordings of the works of Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman. He began his career in 1939 as a member of Les Brown (ban ...

, Ted Nash,

Babe Russin Irving "Babe" Russin (June 18, 1911 – August 4, 1984) was an American tenor saxophone player. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Russin played with some of the best known jazz bands of the 1930s and 1940s, including Benny Goodman, Tommy Dorsey a ...

, William A. Ulyate *Bassoon – Don Christlieb, Arthur Fleming, Glen Johnston *French Horn – Alfred Brain, Wendell Hoss, Sinclair Lott, Alan I. Robinson, Harry Schmidt, Claude Eugene "Gene" Sherry *Trumpet – Frank Beach, John Clyman, Jack R. Coleman,

Conrad Gozzo Conrad Joseph Gozzo (February 6, 1922October 8, 1964) was an American trumpet player. He was a member of the NBC Hollywood staff orchestra at the time of his death. Early life Gozzo was born in New Britain, Connecticut on February 6, 1922, ...

, Manny Stevens *Trombone: Daniel D. Cerilly, Marlo Imes, Ray Klein, John Tranchitella, Lloyd E. Ulyate *Tuba – Clarence Karella *Piano – Urban Thielmann, Raymond Turner *Organ – Chauncey Haines *Guitar – Vito Mumolo *Harp – Anne Stockton (Mason) *Drums –

Richard Cornell Richard Cornell (16251693) was an English people, English Quaker ironmaster and resident of Long Island who is generally considered the first European settler on the Rockaway, Queens, Rockaway Peninsula in the present-day Borough of Queens, New Yor ...

, Paul DeDroit, Edgar Forrest, Preston Lodwick, Cameron Maus, Harold L. "Hal" Rees Credits and personnel adapted from the record label's official website.

References

External links

* (via

) *{{Allmusic, class=artist, id=mw0000543648, label=How To Marry a Millionaire (soundtrack) 1953 soundtrack albums Comedy film soundtracks