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In the case of Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero, a fully-rounded orchestra was required for the scope of the score, and the director also sought a choral sequence late in the picture as well, so Doyle recorded with a less expensive ensemble in Hungary. Their performances are adequate, the role of brass and percussion emphasized over strings in a rare shift for the composer. As per usual, a piano conveys the heart of Doyle's favorite theme in the score, that for Stubby and Conroy, and the composer once again performs these sequences himself with elegance. There isn't much of his typical bloated dramatism at work in this context; the only whining high-string drama from Doyle figures into "Rains Came Down," which is something of a relief. Listeners may find the bulk of the suspense and action material to be anonymous and redundant, and the main themes don't frequently translate into these sequences. Some may also have an allergic reaction to the accordion passages for the fleeting cues of French source-like diversion in the middle of the work. On the whole, though, Doyle manages to develop his two main themes well throughout the score. Some may have difficulty with the placement of these themes, however, as their usage doesn't always make sense in the narrative. The main theme for Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero is its most frequently applied, but it addresses the legend of the animal via an extremely malleable, heroic identity with a newsreel quality to its demeanor. It is very similar in style to the equivalent lead theme in Sir Billi. Introduced in trilling marching band format in "Sgt. Stubby March" with its full secondary phrasing, this idea reduces its presence until dominating the final ten minutes of the score. Solemn on strings and solo trumpet at the outset of "Goodbye," Stubby's legend theme momentarily overtakes the Stubby and Conroy theme in the middle of "Welcome to Yankee Division." Only its chords proceed in "My Dear Sister," starting to resemble the main character theme in The Emoji Movie at this moment, and Doyle hints but never outright states the theme in "Sergeant Stubby." Starting in "Comrades in Arms," though, the idea is substantially present, hummed by male chorus with no supporting instruments in that cue. It's restrained in the gravity of the entire ensemble at the start of "Stubby's Final Battle" before developing into an anthemic version with crashing cymbals and transitioning to the solo trumpet that typically performs the other main theme.

For listeners seeking little hidden gems in Doyle's works, Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero provides one significant attraction near its conclusion. A male chorus sings lines from Shakespeare to the legend theme in "Memoriae Tuae" with definite Henry V vibes, this cue making for a lovely companion to "Non Nobis, Domine" in an unexpected place. That legend theme is then joyously militaristic with snare and the wild flutes at the beginning of "Home," building to a heightened fanfare for the resolution to the score. Doyle has confessed that his favorite theme in Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero is the one for the relationship between Stubby and his human handler, Conroy. Always heartfelt and respectful, this theme is often conveyed on trumpet early and eventually espouses the composer's own piano performances. Previewed at the start of "Thank You Stubby" and teased until its formal introduction at 0:38 on trumpet, this identity is then passed to clarinet and piano for a few tender renditions. It's comedically stuttering on strings at 0:10 but returns to the noble trumpet solo at 0:40. A moment of pure Doyle style follows with the pretty performance on piano over strings at the outset of "Good Night Boy." The Stubby and Conroy theme prevails over the secondary duty theme late in "Training" on brass, and its chords alone define the rambling piano figures that prance through "He's My Dog." The idea is defeated in the middle of "Gas Mask Drill" but resumes its positive character thereafter, and it returns to piano at 0:36 into "Goodbye" before exploring the secondary lines further. Redemptive on trumpet at 0:18 into "Stubby the Stowaway" before shifting to horns, the theme accelerates to a more playful rendition in the middle of the cue and revisits the trumpet for a serious conclusion to the cue. This character idea breaks through the suspense late in "Searching for Conroy" for the solo piano while a nervous solo horn previews the cue with this theme in "The Trenches." It is determined in serious military tones at the start of "Welcome to Yankee Division" and is deconstructed to inform the pulsating pounding of tension in "Race Against Time." Doyle allows the idea to provide some warmth on clarinet at 1:23 into "A Brave Rescue" and uses it start "Clever Little Dog" with respect, dwelling on the resolving secondary lines. In slight, dramatic agony with several string layers starting at 0:45 into "Stubby the Hero," the theme returns to piano at 1:32 for some comfort but becomes badly fragmented in the minor mode in "Stubby Alone."

The Stubby and Conroy theme suffers from a sudden diminishment in the final portions of Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero. Finding its footing again at 0:25 into "Stubby Returns" with trumpet leading the way, the Stubby and Conroy theme becomes playfully bubbly in the second half of the cue but fizzles in the score thereafter. Only its chords provide proud chopping from strings in "Sergeant Stubby," and the theme oddly disappears from any obvious placement after the aforementioned "Stubby Returns," not even serving as any kind of interlude to the main legend theme. Doyle's secondary themes for Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero won't earn many enthusiasts, but they serve their purpose well enough. A duty theme consists of determined string rhythms or a bright rhythmic figure with some light attitude, and you can hear it at the opening and closing of "Stubby Meets Conroy." This material occupies "Training" in a brave military rhythm with wild flutes and crashing cymbals, and a shadow of this style briefly factors at the start of "Stubby the Stowaway" and builds early in "Chemical Attack" under wild flute lines in a panic. It provides resounding rhythmic force in the first half of "German Attack." Finally, a theme for the lead French character of the story is a friendly tune for accordion and other lighter shades, introduced in the last minute of "Chemical Attack" and adapted into an obnoxious accordion solo in "Marche de Nuit de Prayssas." This idea informs the dramatic action in the middle of "A Brave Rescue," but the French element eventually meanders into unrelated source-like comedy for the accordion in "Il Valzer di Riccardo." Almost as troublesome is "L'heure du Bain Parisien," which toys with strains of the other themes' chords on the accordion. These sideshow moments in Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero will cause some dissatisfaction with the score in the album's second half, and the muted suspense and action portions in the work's midsection do cause it to drag. The heart of the score is its piano and other renditions of the Stubby and Conroy theme, but these are held to a minimum in quantity compared to Doyle's straight drama assignments. The idea's disappearance in the final quarter of the score is also a disappointment, as is the somewhat sparse nature of the recording at some places, including the finale. The 59-minute album is a bit too long to sustain the experience, and a perfectly suitable 15-minute suite would suffice to combine the two main themes into a pleasantly bubbly and heartfelt exhibit of Doyle's standard children's music fare.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Patrick Doyle reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.53 (in 51 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.31 (in 28,618 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 59:06