The score was, according to its composer Louis Barron, a series of "bleeps, blurps, whirs, whines, throbs, hums, and screeches." The character Robby the Robot cost $125,000 to build (this was 1956), and was the progenitor of later iconic actor-inhabited robots like C-3PO and R2-D2. Forbidden Planet was the first science fiction film to take place completely away from earth, and presumably the first whose plot was loosely based on a Shakepeare play (The Tempest).
This week's Roll Credits, with Lynne Warfel and Bill Morelock, begins with Forbidden Planet's bleeps, burps, etc., but quickly moves on to the household name space movies it helped spawn: Star Trek and Star Wars.
We also listen to Bernard Herrmann's score to The Day the Earth Stood Still; John Williams pays "tribute" to two prominent European composers; and Bill deals with issues surrounding his apparent descendants in The Time Machine (the H.G. Wells' monster-species is spelled differently though; a saving grace.)
Hope you enjoy Roll Credits, the Sci-fi edition.
Playlist:
Louis & Bebe Barron - Forbidden Planet
John Mauceri, conductor
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Alexander Courage - Star Trek--The Television Show
John Williams, conductor
The Boston Pops
Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Jerry Goldsmith, conductor
London Symphony
Marius Constant - Theme from The Twilight Zone
Erich Kunzel, conductor
Cincinnati Pops
Ennio Morricone - The Thing
Paul Bateman, conductor
The City of Prague Philharmonic
Bernard Herrmann - The Day the Earth Stood Still
Bernard Herrmann, conductor
National Philharmonic
Alex North - Fanfare for 2001: A Space Odyssey
Erich Kunzel, conductor
Cincinnati Pops
Erich Wolfgang Korngold - King's Row, Main Title
Charles Gearhardt, conductor
National Philharmonic
John Williams - Star Wars, Main Theme
John Williams, conductor
Boston Pops
Dvorak - Piano Tri in e minor "Dumky": VI
Beaux Arts Trio
John Williams - E.T. Flying Theme
John Williams, conductor
Boston Pops
Klaus Badelt - The Time Machine: Morlocks Attack
Studio Orchestra
Bill Conti - The Right Stuff
Erich Kunzel, conductor
Cincinnati Pops
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