On Dangerous Ground - Scoring Outtakes

Bernard Herrmann may have been among the greatest of all film composers, but like all gifted creators, his personality was a lil on the irrascible side, as this extract from an original studio recording illustrates.

[@jslasher1]

Benny suffered no fools gladly. He was a good friend and colleague for the last three years of his short life. I do miss him so.

[@ARIZJOE]

This is an outstanding movie. And the film score was an integral part of that. This video has a brief, interesting shots of the main characters in color. However, it is definitely a noir picture and could only be in B&W.

[@hansohff9292]

I read in a book on film scoring that sometimes one of the musicians would deliberately play badly. This was more out of affection just so that they could get a reaction out of Herrmann.

[@TheStockwell]

No offense intended, but that sounds like a fictitious story. That sort of "affection" isn't cute when you're a studio musician working for a film studio. Deliberately playing badly on company time is how you get replaced/and or fired.

[@michaelscribe4827]

Just caught this on MOVIE cable channel . The orchestra was fine, especially winds and percussion. Not all gifted creators are irascible but Herrmann apparently was, but that's the tragic romantic view of the creator -- the Beethoven thing which should have been put to bed long ago.

[@jslasher1]

The RKO Studio Orchestra was hardly up to performing Benny's complex music. Any wonder why he was so cross with the players.

[@sevenoeightful]

He was irascible and very difficult, but I'm not hearing that here. Typical working rehearsal. No fireworks here.