Music from 'Foreign Intrigue'

Foreign Intrigue was a 1956 film by the American writer-director Sheldon Reynolds, who primarily worked in television - including a series of the same name as the film just mentioned. 

The film was a made-in-Europe spy drama with Robert Mitchum providing the American star power.

Foreign Intrigue did not merit a soundtrack LP; like some other movies it was relegated to the 45 rpm bin, where both a single and EP could be found. Today we'll listen to the single, which has two pieces by different composers that are interesting in their own ways.

First is the "Foreign Intrigue Concerto," a quasi-Rachmaninoff composition, one of a long series of such pieces written for film soundtracks. The vogue for such works had been touched off by the "Warsaw Concerto," Richard Addinsell's enduring piece from the 1941 film Dangerous Moonlight. That was a war film; Foreign Intrigue was a postwar film involving Nazis, so perhaps it all makes sense.

Charles Norman and Paul Durand

The Foreign Intrigue Concerto was the handiwork of Charles Norman, a Swedish composer who mainly worked in Europe. The transfer of the concerto from soundtrack to vinyl was none too good, so I dubbed the piece directly from the film for this post, with the exception of a brassy coda from the record that I don't recall hearing in the film. The pianist is uncredited.

The second piece - imaginatively named "Intrigue" - is by the film's music director, the French composer Paul Durand. This is a repeating motif on the soundtrack. Here we have one of the treatments. The music is built on a memorable bass ostinato, which was almost inaudible on the 45 before I boosted the gain so you can hear it.

Surprisingly, "Intrigue" was turned into a vocal pop song, here represented by the Cadence single from the wonderful Barry Sisters. The lyrics were added by Ervin Drake, but it's the Barrys and Archie Bleyer's fine production that make it work.

The Barry Sisters - Merna and Claire

The opening bass line on their version may have you thinking - or rather it had me thinking - of "Hernando's Hideaway" from the 1955 musical The Pajama Game. That thought must have occurred to Drake, for he produced a sotto-voce opening to his lyrics - "What are you afraid you'll be revealing?" the Sisters whisper, and so on.

By the way, the film is a enjoyable watch, although the plot is full of holes. Bob Mitchum is always welcome and the cast also includes the exceptionally attractive and accomplished Geneviève Page and Ingrid Thulin.

LINK

Foreign Intrigue: Mitchum's in trouble!