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In the annals of musical theater, there are more than a few great scores. Among them is Lerner and Loewe’s “Camelot” which has more than its share of great songs that shine away from the musical play.
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In 1964, Jack Warner produced “My Fair Lady” at Warner Brothers. It was an excellent film, if a bit too cautious. The play was a phenomenon and Jack didn’t want anyone mucking about with it. Going to see it was almost as exciting as going to church, even though the film itself was entertaining and beautiful to look at.
Four years later, Warner attempted to do the same thing with “Camelot.” In many ways, he failed, but in a couple of others, he outshone “My Fair Lady” and many other fine movie musicals. First, but not foremost, he enlisted the talents of John Truscott to design the film. No medieval tale has ever benefitted from so fine a vision. His sets and costumes are among the finest — yet most realistic — ever created. Second, and this is the best part (for me) — he acquired the services of the finest composer/conductor Hollywood has ever produced. Alfred Newman had already won 8 Academy Awards prior to scoring “Camelot.” Newman was one of a handful of composers who invented film scoring in the 1930s and 1940s. As head of the Fox music department from 1940-1959, Newman had the best orchestrators, best musicians and best composers working for him at Fox than could be found anywhere else.
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For “Camelot,” Newman had a free hand, along with his associate Ken Darby who had worked with Newman for nearly 20 years, collaborating on such film musicals as “Carousel,” “The King and I” and “South Pacific.”
The reason I’m making such a fuss over this — in addition to the fact that “Camelot” earned Newman his 9th Oscar — is that “Camelot” rates as one of the best scored musicals in film history and on this DVD, you can hear the entire musical score, free of dialogue and solo vocals, in 5.1CH stereo!
What separates “Camelot” from “My Fair Lady” is that in the latter, Warner would not let conductor Andre Previn alter the basic orchestrations of the play. Previn had some leeway, and it really shows in the score when he cuts loose. By and large, though, this did not include songs….just musical underscore/transitions. Newman, on the other hand, virtually co-composed the entire score. Using the thematic material, he wrote a dynamic, Erich-Wolfgang-Korngoldian (”Robin Hood,” “The Sea Hawk,” etc.) underscore that rouses you, thrills you and makes you feel great even if the film drama itself can’t quite live up to it.
Watching a film for this isolated score feature alone is something only die-hard music lovers could tolerate, but it’s there and can be enjoyed by anyone. Think of it as a full-orchestra karaoke feature and you can sing your favortie songs backed by one of the finest Hollywood orchestras ever assembled!
I’ve always been partial to “Camelot” for the score, the sets and the luminous presence of Vanessa Redgrave.
In truth, however, “Camelot” never looked as good in its first-run roadshow performances as it does on this DVD. This movie shimmers and sparkles and glows. It looks absolutely NEW. The sound does show its age in spots.
If only Arthur didn’t run around all the time calling Guinevere and Lancelot “Ginny” and “Lance.” (Lance. Ginny. Ginny. Lance.). That almost ruins the film for me — that and Arthur’s eccentric blue eye shadow. And if only Hollywood had not entrusted another great musical into the musically uninspired hands of Joshua Logan (one of Broadway’s greatest directors but whose heavy hand all but ruined the film versions of “South Pacific”, “Camelot” and “Paint Your Wagon.”)
It’s a whale of a movie. And the score is one of the finest ever committed to film.
Yes, ‘Camelot’ is a flawed movie, but a MAGICAL one, nonetheless. It is too long, and Franco Nero’s dubbed singing voice as ‘Lancelot’ is laughable, and YET! Yet, we have RICHARD HARRIS, so perfect as the failing King Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave, never lovelier than in her role as the torn Guinavere, and David Hemmings, a dastardly ‘mod’ Mordred reeking havoc on the troubled Kingdom. Franco Nero (dubbing notwithstanding) brings a wonderful comedic touch to Lancelot, and with the sumptious sets and costumes, ‘Camelot’ really is a BEAUTIFUL film. It has been critisized for having a ‘Sixties’ feel to it, but the somewhat hippy-ish design just adds to the pleasure; and it REALLY doesn’t matter that Richard Harris is wearing WAY to much blue eye-shadow – we’re in CAMELOT, for goodness sake! There may very well be a ‘legal limit to the snow’ there, but when it comes to make-up, no holds are barred! Oh, one can pick a MILLION holes in ‘Camelot’ – but why bother? It’s better just to pour yourself a glass of mead, light some candles, put ‘Camelot’ in your VCR and let Lerner and Loewes wonderful score sweep you into a magical time which never existed. ‘Camelot’ is pure escapism, but it’s escapism with ‘heart’, and that heart belongs to Richard Harris. This movie is HIS, and years after first seeing this movie, when I imagine the face of King Arthur, the face that I see is Richard Harris’.
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