20,000 vinyl LPs 408: Jerry Goldsmith ~ A Patch of Blue

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Jerry Goldsmith  ~ A Patch of Blue 

vinyl LP front cover 

 cover photo by 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

Today is the birthday of American composer, conductor and orchestrator Jerry Goldsmith. He was born on February 10, 1929, in Los Angeles, California. He had a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions between 1954 and 2003. He was considered one of film music's most innovative and influential composers.    

 

He composed scores for five films in the Star Trek franchise and three in the Rambo franchise, as well as for films including Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, The Omen, Alien, Poltergeist, The Secret of NIMH, Medicine Man, Gremlins, Hoosiers, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, Rudy and The Mummy. Of all the great scores he created, A Patch of Blue holds a cherished spot in my heart.    

 

Jerry Goldsmith  ~ A Patch of Blue 

vinyl LP front cover 

 cover photo by 

photo of album cover by Styrous®

 

 

A Patch of Blue is a 1965 American drama film directed and written by Guy Green about the friendship between an educated black man (played by Sidney Poitier) and an illiterate, blind, white 18-year-old girl (played by Elizabeth Hartman in her film debut), and the problems that plague their friendship in a racially divided America. Made in 1965 against the backdrop of the growing civil rights movement, the film explores racism while playing on the idea that "love is blind."       

 

Sidney Poitier gives a gentle, refined and lovable performance that brings on tears while the Shelley Winters role makes you want to hate her completely but she did win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. It was the final screen appearance for actor Wallace Ford; his portrayal of the loving but impotent father left the audience in tears.       

 

A Patch of Blue may be the best reviewed film ever (links below) and it has been translated into many foreign languages. 

 

                  

 

 

 

 

Jerry Goldsmith  ~ A Patch of Blue 

vinyl LP sides 1 & 2 

photos by Styrous®

 

   

Tracklist:
       
Side 1:

        

A1 - Main Title - A Patch Of Blue - 2:06
A2 - The Park - 2:04
A3 - Stringin' Beads - 1:43
A4 - Pineapple Juice & Discovery - 2:44
A5 - Ol' Pa, Help Me - 2:40
A6 - Just The Radio - 2:47

       
Side 2:
       
B1 - Waiting - 2:44
B2 - Friends - 1:45
B3 - Grandmom's Music Box - 1:55

B4 - I Walked Myself - 2:07

B5 - Finale - Love, The Equalizer - 3:25
        
Credits:
       
    Composed By, Conductor – Jerry Goldsmith
    Edited By [Edited & Equalized For Album] – Chuck Britz, Joe Sidone
    Film Director – Guy Green
    Film Producer – Pandro S. Berman
    Producer – Jackie Mills
        

Barcode and Other Identifiers

 

Jerry Goldsmith – A Patch Of Blue (Original Sound Track Recording)
Label: Mainstream Records – 56068
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Score 
       

         

Viewfinder links:         

        

Wallace Ford          

Elizabeth Hartman        

Sidney Poitier        

Shelly Winters       

        

Net links:        

        

The Angler ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                         

AWFJ ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                          

LetterBxd ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                          

Movie Mania Madness ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                           

Practical Pagan ~ A Patch of Blue (review)       

Shades of Black & White ~ A Patch of Blue (review)               

Silver Screen Classics ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                        

Variety ~ A Patch of Blue (review)               

        

YouTube links:           

 

A Patch of Blue trailer       

A Patch of Blue (10 tracks)        

        

         

        

        

         

        

        

        

Styrous® ~ Tuesday, February 10, 2026        
       

 

 

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20,000 Vinyl LPs 188: Bernard Herrmann ~ The Day the Earth Stood Still

Bernard Herrmann was born in New York City on June 29, 1911, under the name, Max Herman. There are maybe 10 film score composers that I think are the greatest, Nino Rota, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, etc., but at the very apex of the greats are Rota and Herrmann.    

Herrmann is known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo; his scores are brilliant. He also composed scores for many other films, including Citizen Kane for Orson Welles, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Cape Fear, Fahrenheit 451 for François Truffaut, and Taxi Driver for Martin Scorsese. He worked extensively in radio drama (composing for Orson Welles), composed the scores for several fantasy films by Ray Harryhausen and many TV programs, including the Rod Serling Twilight Zone series, and Have Gun – Will Travel. At the top of these film scores is the one that has never been matched for sheer terror and suspense, Psycho (link below).      

However, at the very top of this amazing pinnacle is what I consider his absolute best score, The Day the Earth Stood Still.         

The Day the Earth Stood Still

 movie poster

After seeing the film who will ever forget the themes he composed for the soundtrack with his signature use of the theremin? However, he did not rely entirely on a theremin or synthesizers; his use of the piano on Radar is brilliant (link below). This recording of four of his film scores includes The Day the Earth Stood Still.   

The Day the Earth Stood Still ~ LaserDisc front cover

art direction: Glenn Ross

illustration: Richard Krieger
photo of album cover by Styrous®

Then there is, "Klaatu Barada Nikto"; seems to me it's one of THE most well-known film lines EVER delivered (link below)!        

The Day the Earth Stood Still LaserDisc

front cover detail
art direction: Glenn Ross

illustration: Richard Krieger 

detail photo of album cover by Styrous®

And last, but certainly NOT least, there are the spectacular special effects! You could say they were ahead of their time, however, even by today's high-tech standards, they are stunning!!!!        

The Day the Earth Stood Still LaserDisc

front cover detail
art direction: Glenn Ross

illustration: Richard Krieger 

detail photo of album cover by Styrous®

One of the special effects was the robot "bodyguard", Gort, that spews forth laser-like death rays when danger threatens Klaatu, the extraterrestrial (back then they were called aliens) portrayed by Michael Rennie. What an amazing creature! It is the very best rendition of a robot EVER created which has never been surpassed.       

Gort was portrayed by seven-foot, seven-inch (231 cm)-tall actor Lock Martin wearing a thick foam-rubber suit designed and built by Addison Hehr. Two suits were created, fastened alternately from the front or back so that the robot would appear seamless from any angle in the completed scenes.               

The Day the Earth Stood Still ~ LaserDisc back cover

photo by Styrous®

The Day the Earth Stood Still was directed by Robert Wise, who edited Citizen Kane in 1941 and The Magnificent Ambersons in 1942 for director Orson Welles before going on to direct such major 1960s musicals as West Side Story in 1961 and The Sound of Music in 1965.      

The Day the Earth Stood Still was based on the story Farewell to the Master by Harry Bates (link below), which was first published in the October 1940 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.    
      
As with most films Day follows the story line of the book somewhat, with some major changes, it diverges radically in that  in the book the major character is Cliff Sutherland, a free-lance picture reporter. Klaatu is killed right off the bat and the robot is "Gnut" and green. 
      
Also, at the end, when Gnut is implored by Sutherland to tell his masters that the death of Klaatu was an accident, Gnut replies, "You misunderstand, I am the master!"       

The Day the Earth Stood Still 
LaserDisc back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

The Lux Radio Theater performed a dramatization of the script with Michael Rennie and Jean Peters on January 4, 1954 (link below).       
   

The Day the Earth Stood Still 
LaserDisc back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

In 1973 a Canadian progressive rock group, formed by John Woloschuk and Dee Long, named themselves Klaatu after the extraterrestrial, in the film The Day the Earth Stood Still. The band released the singles Anus Of Uranus / Sub-Rosa Subway and Dr. Marvello. More on them in a future article.                  

Klaatu

date & photographer unknown

 

The band struggled to get radio recognition. By 1975 Davies, along with producer Terry Brown, managed to land the band a deal with Capitol Records in the US and worldwide. Then, on February 17, 1977, a feature headlined ‘Could Klaatu Be Beatles? Mystery Is A Magical Tour’, written by Steve Smith, he asked, "Why did the album sound so much like the Fab Four? “It struck me almost immediately,” he says. “The track Sub-Rosa Subway is completely Beatlish.” 

The Day the Earth Stood Still 
LaserDisc back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

The Day the Earth Stood Still has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry and is ranked in the top 50 on the Time Out highly regarded list of the 100 Best Sci Fi Movies.          

The Day the Earth Stood Still 
LaserDisc back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

The Day the Earth Stood Still has aged better than almost all of its peers. The ideal of a society based on the predication of universal peace with a benevolent police state is a dream yet to be realized, if ever. The special effects are still effective, and the eerie Bernard Herrmann score sets the mood perfectly. Decades later, it remains a thought-provoking, worthwhile parable.       

      

The Day the Earth Stood Still 
LaserDisc back cover detail

detail photo by Styrous®

   

 

The Day the Earth Stood Still
LaserDisc, side 1 

photo by Styrous®

The Day the Earth Stood Still ~
LaserDisc, side 1 label 

photo by Styrous®

 

The Day the Earth Stood Still
LaserDisc, side 2 

photo by Styrous®

The Day the Earth Stood Still ~
LaserDisc, side 2 label 

photo by Styrous®

      

Viewfinder links:
        
Jerry Goldsmith         
Bernard Herrmann         
Alfred Hitchcock       
Lux Radio Theater        

Ennio Morricone     
Nino Rota       
Rod Serling            

The Twilight Zone      
Orson Welles           
Robert Wise        

        

Net links:
        
AFI ~ The Day the Earth Stood Still           
Cast & Crew          
1950's science fiction films         
Classic Film & TV Café (review)   
My Meaninigful Movies ~ The Day the Earth Stood Still      
Farewell to the Master PDF           
       
YouTube links:           
            
The Day the Earth Stood Still ~           
        Klaatu Comes in Peace         

        Gort Appears         
        Klaatu Barada Nikto   
        Klaatu's Speech        
        The Choice Is Ours       
The Day The Earth Stood Still movie trailer
Lux Radio Theater ~ The Day the Earth Stood Still (1 hr.)           
Bernard Herrmann ~  
        The Day the Earth Stood Still Suite (11 min. 37 sec.)     
        Radar         
        
         
      
       

      
    

        
        
         
Styrous® ~ Saturday, June 29, 2019          
      
     

   

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20,000 vinyl LPs 151: The Twilight Zone

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On October 2, 1959, a startling new television series premiered, it was called, The Twilight Zone  (link below) and it would forever change the way we viewed the world.        

In 1983, Varèse Sarabande issued a set of four albums with music from the series (links to YouTube below) which featured some of the greatest composers of film scores at that time: Marius Constant, Jerry Goldsmith, Nathan Van Cleave, Bernard Herrmann, Rene Garriguenc, Franz Waxman, Fred Steiner and Leonard Rosenman.      

The Twilight Zone, Volume One
Varèse Sarabande vinyl LP
photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Main Title Theme, composed by Marius Constant - 0:27
A2 - The Invaders, composed by Jerry Goldsmith - 12:57
A3 - Perchance To Dream, composed by Nathan Van Cleave - 9:52

Side 2:

B1 - Walking Distance, composed by Bernard Herrmann - 12:25
B2 - Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine, composed by Franz Waxman - 10:55
B3 - End Title Theme, composed by Marius Constant - 0:42

Notes:

Black labels reissue, with barcode on rear sleeve
Barcode and Other Identifiers

    Barcode: 03020-6811-19
    Matrix / Runout (Side A runout (etched)[stamped]): (STV 81171-A1 KM-10929-A) [+ KM +]
    Matrix / Runout (Side B runout (etched)[stamped]): (STV 81171-B KM-10929-B)[+ KM +]

Various ‎– The Twilight Zone Volume One
Label: Varèse Sarabande ‎– STV 81171
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack

The Twilight Zone, Volume Two
Varèse Sarabande vinyl LP
photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1- - Main Title Theme, Composed By Bernard Herrmann - 1:11
A2 - Where Is Everybody?, Composed By Bernard Herrmann - 11:20
A3 - 100 Yards Over The Rim, Composed By Bernard Herrmann & Fred Steiner - 12:20

Side 2:

B1 - The Big Tall Wish, Composed By Jerry Goldsmith - 11:54
B2 - A Stop at Willoughby, Composed By Nathan Scott - 12:27
B3 - End Title Theme, Composed By Bernard Herrmann - 1:05

Various ‎– The Twilight Zone Volume Two
Label: Varèse Sarabande ‎– STV 81178
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack

The Twilight Zone, Volume Three
Varèse Sarabande vinyl LP
photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1     Alternate Main Title Theme, Composed By Marius Constant - 0:38    
A2     Back There, Composed By Jerry Goldsmith - 12:51    
A3     And When The Sky Was Opened, Composed By Leonard Rosenman - 11:54    

Side 2:

B1     A World Of Difference, Composed By Nathan Van Cleave -  11:48    
B2     The Lonely, Composed By Bernard Herrmann - 11:09    
B3     Alternate End, Composed By Marius Constant - 0:54
    

Companies, etc.

    Phonographic Copyright (p) – Soundtrack Listeners Communications Inc.
    Copyright (c) – CBS Entertainment
    Licensed To – Soundtrack Listeners Communications Inc.
    Licensed From – Varèse Sarabande Records, Inc.
    Manufactured By – SLC Inc.

Credits:

    Composed By – Bernard Herrmann (tracks: B2), Jerry Goldsmith (tracks: A2), Leonard Rosenman (tracks: A3), Marius Constant (tracks: A1, B3), Nathan Van Cleave (tracks: B2)
    Liner Notes – Hiro Wada (2), John A. Vonde
    Mastered By [Digital Preparation] – Joe Gastwirt
    Producer [For Varèse Sarabande Records], Edited By, Sequenced By – Risty*

Various ‎– The Twilight Zone Volume Three
Label: Varèse Sarabande ‎– STV 81185
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack

The Twilight Zone, Volume Four
Varèse Sarabande vinyl LP
photo by Styrous®

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A1 - Alternate Main Title, Composed By Bernard Herrmann - 0:28   
A2 - Jazz Theme One, Composed By Jerry Goldsmith - 9:12
A3 - Jazz Theme Two, Composed By Rene Garriguenc - 3:12    
A4 - Nervous Man In A Four Dollar Room, Composed By Jerry Goldsmith     - 8:16
A5 - Elegy, Composed By Nathan Van Cleave - 8:14   

Side 1:

B1 - King Nine Will Not Return, Composed By Fred Steiner - 11:11    
B2 - Two, Composed By Nathan Van Cleave - 12:09    
B3 - Alternative End Title, Composed By Bernard Herrmann - 0:43
   
Credits:

    Composed By – Bernard Herrmann (tracks: A1, B3), Fred Steiner (tracks: B1), Jerry Goldsmith (tracks: A2. A4), Nathan Van Cleave (tracks: A5, B2), Rene Garriguenc (tracks: A3)

Label: Varèse Sarabande ‎– STV 81192
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Country: US
Released: 1983
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack

        

Viewfinder links:           

          

Rod Serling                  

The Twilight Zone & Rod Serling       

Leonard Rosenman         

Franz Waxman           

       

Net links:           

          

The Twilight Zone episodes                   

Syfy Wire ~   
    Remembering Rene Garriguenc (The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street) 

        

YouTube links:           

          

The Twilight Zone ~ intro        

                                 intro 1962     

                                 Theme        
The Twilight Zone ~ Volume One:      
         Jerry Goldsmith - The Invaders             
         Nathan Van Cleave ~ Perchance to Dream      
         Bernard Herrmann ~ Walking Distance          
         Franz Waxman ~ The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine        
The Twilight Zone ~ Volume Two:        
         Bernard Herrmann ~  Where Is Everybody?              
         Fred Steiner ~ 100 Yards Over The Rim            
         Jerry Goldsmith - The Big Tall Wish          
         Nathan Scott ~ A Stop at Willoughby       
The Twilight Zone ~ Volume Three:      
         Jerry Goldsmith - Back There             
         Leonard Rosenman ~ And When the Sky was Opened    
         Nathan Van Cleave ~ A World of Difference            
         Bernard Herrmann ~  The Lonely              
The Twilight Zone ~ Volume Four:       
         Jerry Goldsmith - Jazz Theme 2         

         Rene Garriguenc ~ Jazz Theme #3  
         Jerry Goldsmith - Nervous Man in a Four Dollar Room          
         Nathan Van Cleave ~ Elegy      
         Fred Steiner ~ King Nine Will Not Return       
         Nathan Van Cleave ~ Two             
      
   

    

       

           

    
     
       
     
       

Styrous® ~ Tuesday, October 2, 2018

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