AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS (1956) Victor Young, long promised recording info and musician list.

AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS long promised recording info!

It has taken a while but for those of you who care about such things, here are the exact recording dates for the musical soundtrack of "Around The World In Eighty Days" (1956), Oscar winner BEST PICTURE and BEST MUSICAL SCORE (Victor Young). It's only taken 10 years to collect this info, gulp, so it's a long time coming but it is accurate. Ready (the three of you in the world that care)? Here you go:

RKO Pathe (...Culver City) sound stage, conducted by Victor Young:

10-11-55,
10-19-55,
11-7-55.

This is pre-score six channel Westrex sound recorded live on the filming stage at great expense. The scene with Passpartout dancing in front of Gilbert Roland, the Pasa Doble scene, live with full orchestra!

Now, the actual scoring was done at Chaplin Studio aka Walter Wanger Studio aka Kling Studio (later Red S. then Perry Mason CBS, then A&M, now Henson Studio), 1416 North LaBrea Blvd. , Hollywood. This was done after Gene Ruggiero's picture editing was completed (Oscar winning best editor for 80 Days) and was audio engineered by the late Fred Hynes in 6 channel 35mm fullcoat using six Neumann microphones. Fred, the inventor of the six-channel Westrex Todd-AO sound process was a great source for Jeff Joseph and I when we were doing restoration research on this film. I received this recording information personally from him.

Kling Sessions conducted by composer Victor Young:

8-20-56,
8-21-56,
8-22-56,
8-23-56,
8-24-56,
8-27-56 (Double Session),
8-29-56,
9-19-56 overdubs (Choral),
and final end title music done to completed animation on 10-5-56.

There you go. As you know, Mike Todd wanted Victor Young to do it all over again at M-G-M (he liked their studio sound better) but Young refused. In fact, the stress killed him. After his death Todd had no choice but to go ahead and release the music as is. It won the Oscar for best score.

 

Not a chance in living hell.

 

Last part of the score to be recorded, the wonderful animated end credits music (called the "Epilogue" on the DECCA Soundtrack LP.) Recorded in four segments and blended together by Fred Hynes from four separate six channel 35mm mag fullcoats. Here is a decent six channel to two channel mix. Even could be the scratch mix I did back in 1989 though how it ended up on YouTube I have no idea.

 

I have the session list only for the Union musicians, sadly. I would say that whoever is playing in the movie is the actual guitar player. There is a Decca LP of Jose Greco that was recorded in Spain and it lists his guitar player (from the same year, 1956). Probably that guy..

 

You’re welcome.

 

Sorry, that echo drenched mono mix gets on my nerves. Try this, a little better but not by much.

 

Beautiful end credits, Mike Todd wanted people to sit through the credits and he made sure they damn well did.

 

When I was tiny, my dad brought home some DECCA LP's that his cousin (who worked in the business) had given him. The 80 Days soundtrack was one of them. I must have played that thing 1,000 times. My favorite soundtrack. When Jeff Joseph and I found the original music six channel score (still at Todd-AO in 1989) I flipped. So wonderful sounding, amazing music. Love the movie as well though I can see how it wouldn't be everyone's cup of Joe.

 

Ah, if it was only that easy.