Day 11 – Favorite soundtrack – 30 Day Charlie Chaplin Challenge
This one is hard (wait, I already said that for almost every other day in this challenge, haha), and like the “Favorite Film” one, it can change from whatever mood I’m in. In fact, while writing this, I have changed my mind 3… no, 4 times. Then thought “Pfftt! I’ll list more than one.”
The Circus
One I can say for sure: The Circus was my favorite to listen to while studying back when I was in college. Back then, (early mid 1990s), it was *right* before the internet boom (I fist got on the internet 1995) so there was no mp3s or YouTube. And no album releases of many of his soundtracks at the time. The ones that were released were hard to find (Limelight and A Countess from Hong Kong). So what I did, so that I wouldn’t be distracted by what was going on on the screen, was turn down the brightness and contrast until the screen was mostly dark, and just listen.
I liked The Circus best to study to because it flowed from one song to the next without changing too drastically as the other films (does that make sense? I hope so).
The Circus is one of those films that Chaplin went back to years later to add the music (film originally released in 1928, he re-released in 1969/70 with his music). “Swing Little Girl”, sung by Chaplin, has a lot of lyrical similarities to Smile. The mandolin parts during “The Fortune Teller” is so beautiful and gets me choked up every time.
The Gold Rush
Another one I absolutely love is The Gold Rush:
Not only did Chaplin write some of his own music, he would use pieces from either pop music of the time or classical. When I was a young fan and watched the 1942 version of the Gold Rush (little edits that Chaplin did to his 1925 film with music and his narration), I heard the song played during “Georgia/The Dancehall29:40 and thought “Wait a second, I know that song. Isn’t that ‘Once Upon a Dream‘ from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty? But that movie came out in the 1950s! So what song is this?” A few months later I happened to listen to some Tchaikovsky on the radio and heard his Sleeping Beauty Waltz. Mystery solved!
This wouldn’t be the last time Chaplin would introduce me to work by great composers that (duh me) would take some time before I realize “Wait…I know this from somewhere”. And that brings me to my next favorite.
The Great Dictator
The Great Dictator was Chaplin’s first all talking movie he made. And made wonderful music, as well as including pieces from the classical realm, such as Brahms:
That was east to ID the song since it’s announced on the radio in the beginning.
But what I didn’t know was Chaplin also used Wagner, Hitler’s favorite composer, several times in the film. Below, the song is the prelude to his opera Lohengrin
How slow was I in realizing it was Wagner?
(whispers, embarrassingly) Didn’t know untillast year. After having been a Chaplin fan for almost 30 years.
I was listening to a classical music YouTube playlist, and again, hearing the song…”I know this from somewhere…”. Then I laughed, realized where I had heard it before, and thought how clever it was for Chaplin to use Hitler’s favorite composer just as an extra push to his satire.
Anyway, here is the complete soundtrack (with some rare bonus stuff), recently re-released by the official Chaplin estate in celebration of the film’s 80th anniversary:
Okay, so there was one soundtrack that was released that I owned when in college. And I listened to a lot in college, especially driving back and forth to classes. It was a re-recording of the City Lights soundtrack with Carl Davis conducting. I listened to this sooo muuuch. There were pieces missing, but most of it was there.
But below is the complete soundtrack:
Limelight
Another beautiful soundtrack, though not as much music sine it’s a “talkie”. Some silly songs too. “I’m an Animal Trainer” and “Terry’s Solo/Terry’s Theme (Eternally)/Pas de Deux” are two of my favorites!
Monsieur Verdoux
One that doesn’t get as much attention, partly because there is not that much music, is for Monsieur Verdoux. Some of the sound effects from the film are in there but still very good stuff! Both parts of “A Paris Boulevard” (a great cover here) is upbeat and chipper. And then there is “Finale” which is played while Verdoux, after being convicted of killing multiple women, is put in a cell, visited by reporters, a priest, read his conviction, offered a cigarette, rum, and then led out to the guillotine (I’m not really spoiling it either, since he talks from the here-after in the beginning of the film).
An extra note
(just realized that was a unintentional pun)
While I usually prefer listening to the original scores to the films, there is one album that I have referenced that was a big part of my early Chaplin-phile days and before the internet.
It’s called “Charlie! Music from the Classic Movies by Charles Chaplin” performed by the Munich Symphony Orchestra, arranged and conducted by Francis Shaw. Originally released during Chaplin’s centennial in 1989, re-released in 1993 (when I got it.)
The YouTube videos that I have previously linked show different album covers but the same versions of the songs. I just wanted to get that straight, especially if you go looking for a physical copy :).
Totally recommended and worth seeking out!
And the City Lights album that I mentioned above that I owned and wore out was “City Lights”, conducted by Carl Davis. Originally recorded in 1989 or centennial, re-released in 1991. Not the whole soundtrack, but a majority. Comes with a nice booklet about the re-recording and things they discovered.
Another high recommendation! (anything with Carl Davis is really good!)
