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The brightest moments in The Traveling Executioner for the titular character are handled with the jazz, which is conveyed by harmonica, trombone, acoustic bass, saxophone, and piano while the rest of the orchestra assists for depth in the most comedic moments. Often joining the jazz are the score's carnival underpinnings, supplied by banging cowbell, small pipe organ, and snare drum. Then, of course, the chair has religious tones helmed by the organ and tolling chimes for the afterlife component. In the silliest chase scenes, pseudo Western spirit is supplied by acoustic guitar, banjo, and tambourine, striving for the personality of The Flim-Flam Man. Otherwise, the straight comedy is generated by electric bass, Hammond organ, and sound effects along with the carnival instrumentation. The delusional romanticism for the pontificating about death by the executioner is for dreamy strings, woodwinds, and harp, with hints of a romance theme on strings in "The Lawyer" that never goes anywhere. Finally, there are the horrific dissonant action cues, "The Loser" and "Unwelcome Visitor," that reprise some of the composer's most atonal, shrieking methodology from strings. Most of these modes of operation aren't sustained long enough to really appreciate, but the jazz and romanticism about death do manage to develop well enough. The latter may be the highlight for most Goldsmith collectors, the "Fields of Ambrosia" theme a delicate and orchestrally accessible, dreamy expression of hope for the afterlife but a fraud in reality. It's poured on with ridiculous hope over the executioner's speech in "The Fields of Ambrosia" while carnival organ puffs keep reminding you of the comedic stupidity of the scene. The idea shifts in "Instructions" to represent the executioner passing knowledge to a new assistant and accompanies "The Experiment" with fleeting hope. A long reprise accompanies the executioner's own turn in the chair in "The Fields Revisited," and the carnival undertones are mostly gone by this point, the film pretending to turn serious; it's quite a pretty moment for woodwinds from Goldsmith. Finally, a tolling chime and disjointed strings quietly resolve the theme at the outset of "End Title" after everything has gone to hell with the chair and gas poisoning is indicated as the newer choice method of killing.

For listeners seeking the cheekier side of Goldsmith's sense of humor, then the main theme of The Traveling Executioner is a clear winner, the jazzy identity for the stylishly attractive idea of the grifter's actions and his electro-curiosity in 1918. The theme is irreverent and silly to a fault but quite enjoyable and unique in the composer's career. Developed extensively in "Main Title" as the executioner rolls into town, the theme gives way to the religious climax for the reveal of the chair at the cue's end. Fragments inform the fields theme early in "The Fields of Ambrosia," but it is run through both action and comedy in "He Ain't Dead/The Fee," along with the religious motif. A harmonica-led performance in "The Fee" is carefree and leads to a massive ensemble rendition, while a subsequently lazy and slow version of the idea for Hammond organ in "The Paint Job" went unused. Adapting Julius Fucik's "Entry of the Gladiators" directly into the theme in "A New Client," Goldsmith clashes the jazz and carnival modes with snazzy exuberance. The silly chase mode returns in "Missing Chair" for jazz and carnival stylings once again, and Western elements influence that mode in "Short Circuited," complete with childish sound effect at the end. After the religious organ motif returns for the chair in "A Sight to Behold," the theme is resurrected as well for an easy and likeable performance that combines the jazz and Western styles. A reflective and depressed version for strings, organ, and harmonica went unused in "Past History," and the jazz version recurs in "A Special Treat," interspersed with comedic saxophone tragedy for the whores of the scene. The idea is adapted into the score's sleazy, sex-related alternate in "Late Work" and explodes in "The Getaway" as a hybrid jazz and Western identity of excitement. It mingles with the fields theme in "End Title" and reprises its opening performance for the new executioner leaving in the same truck for more adventures in death. Generally, the score really cooks in its jazz highlights but is otherwise too disjointed to enjoy, previewing everything from Magic to The 'Burbs. The brief work was only officially released on a decent-sounding, highly limited pressing by Film Score Monthly in 2002, supplanting long-running bootlegs. You might be able to glean ten minutes of really attractive jazz material for a compilation, and those high points will send enough of a charge into your butt to make it wiggle in your seat, but the remainder fails to connect.  ***   @Amazon.com: CD or Download

Bias Check:

For Jerry Goldsmith reviews at Filmtracks, the average editorial rating is 3.2 (in 146 reviews) and the average viewer rating is 3.22 (in 155,390 votes). The maximum rating is 5 stars.

Total Time: 39:35