Rampage

This exciting, colorful Elmer Bernstein soundtrack for Phil Karlson's jungle adventure, Rampage, from Warner Bros., sees release! 1963 outdoor adventure finds big-game trapper Robert Mitchum in competition with big-game hunter Jack Hawkins for both ultra-rare cat, lovely Elsa Martinelli. Sabu signs on as guide. Soon love & hate rears, rhinos & cats become fierce adversaries, danger & action takes center stage.

Elmer Bernstein anchors with extremely infectious main theme, heard in title song, then throughout score during jungle treks. Rhythmic activity gets spotlight. Ravishing love theme in signature Bernstein melody mode appears as well. Perhaps crown jewels of score are dynamic, aggressive action cues as trek leads to "The Enchantress", trapped inside cave. Action rears again as two hunters pit themselves against rare cat (and each other) during deadly pursuit through big city surroundings.

For opening portion of movie with romance flowering, Bernstein offers several original source cues in richly melodic, uptempo style. Versions based on love theme are memorable. Interesting to note score was written during same period as all-time classics To Kill A Mockingbird and The Great Escape.

One other item of interest: Bernstein only assigned broad titles to his actual cues to identify basic themes of score rather than give descriptive action. We retain his actual basic titles for our CD and include further complete cue assembly details inside booklet.

Complete, lengthy 78-minute score presented from crisp, mint condition scoring session mixes vaulted in mono (film was released in mono as well). Colorful packaging from Joe Sikoryak, informative notes from Jeff Bond all illuminate handsome production by Lukas Kendall. Elmer Bernstein conducts.

Intrada Special Collection release. AVAILABLE UNTIL JANUARY 17, 2012 OR WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!