GREEN FIRE/ BHOWANI JUNCTION

Miklos Rozsa scored two films for M-G-M in the mid-1950s set in exotic locations: modern-day Colombia for Green Fire (1954) and post-WWII India for Bhowani Junction (1956). Each movie required foreign sounds, yet the resultant scores are as different as night and day: grandiose symphonic scoring for Green Fire, and atmospheric, indigenous tracks for Bhowani Junction.

Green Fire is an action-adventure romance starring Stewart Granger as an emerald prospector and Grace Kelly as the owner of a Colombian coffee plantation. Granger finds an abandoned emerald mine and is determined to unearth its treasure, but his efforts put all involved in peril. Rozsa's stirring symphonic score features a rarity for him: a title song (with lyrics by Jack Brooks) created from the gorgeous main theme, which is otherwise used in everything from love scenes to the high-adventure thrills. FSM's premiere release features the complete underscore in stereo -- long sought by Rozsaphiles -- with bonus tracks of source cues and instrumental alternates of the main and end titles.

Bhowani Junction, directed by George Cukor, stars Ava Gardner as a half-caste torn between three loves amidst the English withdrawal from India. The film was shot on location in Pakistan and is a tactile portrait of a country reaching its boiling point. In keeping with the naturalistic presentation, the music is as much of a non-score as Rozsa ever composed: almost entirely source music, written in a faux-Indian style. His exotic backings are melodic and atmospheric, but sound unlike any of his traditionally dramatic scores. The cues are presented largely in stereo, with a bonus track culled from monaural masters.
* Excerpt from FILM SCORE MONTHLY

Green Fire

Prelude/Lost Mine 3:15
Leopard 2:18
Mining 1:32
Tropical Night (revised) 2:57
Tropical Night (original version) 2:57
Confessions 1:26
Romanza 2:11
Showdown/Green Fire/Nocturnal Visit/Speech Without Words 4:05
Boulder/Death 2:19
Grave/Alone 1:11
Bonus/Sluicing/Mujer Traidosa 3:31
El Moro 2:21
Courage/Detonator/Fight 4:05
Finale 1:32
Total Time: 36:06

Bonus Tracks

Prelude (instrumental) 3:14
Cartagena 2:15
Allegria 2:12
Maringa (instrumental) 2:16
Tejo 1:10
Maringa (vocal) 1:10
Green Fire (guitar version) 0:50
Finale (instrumental) 1:31
Total Time: 14:58

Bhowani Junction

Bhowani Station No. 1 2:12
Bhowani Station No. 2 0:45
Street Music No. 1 0:43
Sarina 3:08
Street Music No. 2 0:25
Jikiwiki Miki 0:39
Alakallala 3:19
Indian Rooftops 4:40
Bhowani Station No. 3 0:47
Bonus Suite 10:53
Total Time: 27:52

Total Disc Time: 78:57