THE LOST WEEKEND

Academy Award-nominated masterpiece of vintage film scoring makes world premiere release! Recently located 35mm magnetic transfers by Paramount Pictures of nearly every cue scored for 1945 ''Best Picture'' Oscar winner The Lost Weekend are made available for the first time ever, including never-before-heard alternates, revisions. Nealy 70 minutes of landmark score showcase Miklos Rozsa at his finest! Ray Milland (also an Academy Award-winner) plays alcoholic writer Don Birnam, Billy Wilder (yet another Oscar winner) directs, Charles Brackett & Wilder provide powerhouse screenplay (still another Academy Award), drawn from Charles Jackson's bestseller. All involved deliver an unflinching, harrowing tale to audiences then unaccustomed to such stark realism on screen. Hollywood history was made. Rozsa writes three major themes plus several smaller ideas, all with unique colors drawing on important moods of film. While tonal optimism does have its say, ambiguous harmonies of suspense, agitated motifs of nervous fear, sharply angled lines and intense chords for horror get majority of the spotlight. In what remain film scoring highlights for all time are two incredibly vivid musical portraits of alcoholic horror: first is famous ''Walk'' on Third Avenue with Birnam desperately attempting to sell his typewriter to afford another drinking binge. Second is ''Nightmare'' scene with Birnam confined in alcoholism ward. Here (in what ranks with Bernard Herrmann's legendary murder music for Psycho) Rozsa creates one of the most terrifying film cues ever: Birnam helplessly watches as mouse (portrayed by violin squeaks, woodwind chirps) is violently attacked by bat (menacing strings, slashing brass) and slain in horrific manner. An indelible film image made all the more unforgettable courtesy Miklos Rozsa. During the 1940's era, Rozsa was creating one magnificent ''film noir'' score after another. As with Double Indemnity, jagged melodic lines and dissonant harmonies for Lost Weekend abound, as with his Oscar-winning Spellbound, signature theremin colors have prominence. While suites and excerpts have been re-recorded by different artists over the years (including one with a synthesized theremin), this new Intrada CD is the first official release of the actual soundtrack recorded at Paramount's scoring stage in April & May 1945 under staff conductor Irvin Talbot. Exciting project supervised by Lukas Kendall, dramatic packaging designed by Joe Sikoryak with original 1945 campaign artwork courtesy Universal Pictures, authoritative notes from Rozsa scholar Frank DeWald. Watch for more vintage soundtracks from Paramount and other studios coming up ahead as new preservation efforts are underway! Golden Age soundtracks finally getting their premieres on CD at last! Miklos Rozsa composes, Irvin Talbot conducts. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain! ---INTRADA

01. Prelude (alternate)/New York Skyline (2:14)
02. Don Stays Home/The Weekend Begins (3:47)
03. Rye and William Shakespeare (1:25)
04. Broken Date and Hidden Bottle (3:45)
05. Phone Call (new version) (2:04)
06. Frustration (4:32)
07. The Novel (3:23)
08. Bottle Is Discovered (1:50)
09. Morning and Telephone (2:06)
10. The Walk (new version) (4:20)
11. Gloria and Fall (3:05)
12. The Alcoholic Ward/Night Alcoholic Ward/The Elevated (4:53)
13. Dawn/Nightmare (7:19)
14. The Rainy Day (2:04)
15. Suicide Attempt (5:22)
16. Long Finale (2:39)
Total Score Time: 55:23

The Extras
17. Prelude/Meet the People (1:51)
18. Rye and William Shakespeare (short version) (1:16)
19. Phone Call (original version) (1:52)
20. The Walk (original version) (4:34)
21. Alternate Finale/Cast of Characters (2:26)
22. Wild Theremin (0:45)
Total Extras Time: 12:56