Top Hat, White Tie and Tails oh my!

Erich Wolfgang Korngold is an Oscar winning composer for Warner Bros’ and receives great compliments on his film score for The Adventures of Robin Hood. He created a beautiful symphonic score and his, like many other film scores dating from the “Golden Age” of Hollywood, has been considered one of the best film scores ever written. Personally, I loved the music and like I expected, the music embodied the actions on the screen. Robin Hood’s motif was very noticeable with its major chords. It added a sort of happiness to the fight scenes because the music conveyed a sense of heroism for Robin, especially when he was winning (which was often) a fight.  My favorite scene from this film was the romantic moment between Lady Marian and Robin. The music had a wonderful effect on the scene and created a good balance to the ample amounts of action music. As much of a romantic person as I am, I definitely enjoyed the action in the movie which was amplified by the fast tempo and upbeat music that accompanied the sword fighting and table- throwing in the film.  There is no wondering why Korngold received an Academy Award for the film score; it was captivating, filled with mickey mousing, and had emotion woven into it.

Top Hat has become one of my favorite films; I’ve already downloaded most of the soundtrack to my ipod. The music was lively and essentially all in a major chord especially “Cheek to Cheek.”  It has become my favorite song due to its melodic tune, dynamic structure, and predominately major format. The only minor part in the song is when Jerry sings “dance with me, I want my arms about you.”  The tap dancing in the film was very original and I thought it added a personal touch. It displayed the actor’s talents; singings, dancing, tap dancing, and acting! If only actors today had as much talent. Irving Berlin did a wonderful job creating a film score that captured and enhanced the actor’s ability to convince the audience of their developing romance. The casting of Fred Astaire as Jerry was a brilliant choice, especially since he has worked with Berlin before and is especially known for “Puttin’ on the Ritz.” Irving Berlin did an excellent job writing the score for this film. He is a talented composer, like many others in his time. It is his success and natural talent that sets him apart from other composers.[411]