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Co-Produced by:
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Ford A. Thaxton
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Orchestrated by:
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Ira Hearshen
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Release Date:
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January 21st, 1989
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Availability:
Regular U.S. release.
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Filmtracks Recommends:
Buy it... if you are open to hearing a heavily dramatic score with
ethnic flavor and/or have The Mists of Avalon in your collection.
Avoid it... if you prefer your scores more contemporary and less driven
by melancholy passion.
Filmtracks Editorial Review:
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| | Holdridge | |
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Old Gringo: (Lee Holdridge) Known best as the last
major acting performance on the big screen by Gregory Peck, Old
Gringo is a doomed tale of adventure and romance in a Mexican hacienda
during the time of Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution. With its serious
drama darkened by a dismal plot and unforgiving ending, the film was met
with horror and distant admiration, with most of the attention going to
Peck's performance. The dark and depressing nature of the film is scored
brilliantly by veteran composer Lee Holdridge. A obvious choice for the
project, Holdridge grew out of musical roots in Costa Rica, conducting the
country's foremost symphony orchestra and eventually training in the United
States. Whether intentionally or not, the international flavor of his works
would resonate in several of his scores, including his eventual best-seller,
The Mists of Avalon. At the time of Old Gringo, Holdridge had
completed several scores for films that didn't achieve as much success as
expected, with the popular exception of Splash. Primarily a
television series and mini-series composer, his works rarely offered him a
chance to return to those Hispanic roots on a large scale. Old Gringo
gave him that opportunity at long last, and he made the most of it.
Employing a symphony orchestra rich with woodwinds and
acoustic guitars, Old Gringo would be a perfect collaboration between
Hispanic flavors and American themes and harmony, mirroring the love
triangle in the film with awesome results. Dramatically rich, the three
themes for Fonda, Smits, and Peck's characters weave in and out of each
other with ease through the lush performances of the score. Most famous is
the end titles suite, which remains the crown jewel of Holdridge's career
and a piece that you can hear every once in a while at live ceremonies. With
grand strings performing the theme for the American school teacher Harriet,
Holdridge uses the woodwinds delicately for the Peck character's cynical but
tender journey to his end and the acoustic guitars for the army general's
heritage, as well as the setting of the film. For film music fans who are
familiar with Holdridge's more modern works, and The Mists of Avalon
more specifically, you will hear the same dramatic, harmonic grandeur in
many parts of Old Gringo, but perhaps with more consistency.
A handful of large-scale action music prevails in the major
key, offering some stellar brass performances. Included on the album is the
orchestral performance of "Las Tres Pelonas," which was a favorite of
General Villa himself. A true sign of Holdridge's majesty of instrumentation
is heard at the end of the victorious cue for the raid on the bell tower,
which culminates into a fully orchestral statement of theme complete with a
large tolling bell. In the end, however, as the film wraps up its depressing
and melodramatic conclusion, the finale cue graces the film with an
outstanding combined performance of the guitar, harp, and full orchestra in
the end title suite. Nothing previous to this cue will matter, because the
awesome majesty of this piece will knock you off your feet. An easy listen
throughout its length, the album is significantly easier to digest than the
film itself, proving that Holdridge captured the spirit of the adventurous
story rather than allowing its grim proceedings to tarnish the attitude of
the locale. The sound quality of the Los Angeles recording crisp (for its
era). It's an easy recommendation on album, and yet another outstanding 1989
score. *****
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Viewer Ratings and Comments:
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• 1. Prologue (Main Title) (2:33)
• 2. Ride to the Hacienda (4:08)
• 3. The Battle (Conflict) (3:12)
• 4. Harriet's Theme (5:45)
• 5. Bitter's Last Ride (2:51)
• 6. The Mirrors (3:02)
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• 7. Nighttime (2:49)
• 8. The Bell Tower (1:17)
• 9. The Sigh (5:42)
• 10. The Battle (Resolution) (2:09)
• 11. Bitter's Destiny (3:18)
• 12. Finale (4:58)
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Insert includes a note about the score and film.
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