A review by JAMES SOUTHALL

Obviously trying to recreate the success of Patton, Joseph Sargent's 1977 biopic of Douglas MacArthur doesn't really come close.  Gregory Peck elevates the film considerably with his larger-than-life portrayal of a larger-than-life figure, and Sargent's choice of composer was especially salient, but otherwise the film is nothing much to write home about.  Jerry Goldsmith wrote one of his most famous and most brilliant scores for Patton, not only crafting great music (it's rare that he hasn't) but somehow going that extra mile, offering commentary on the character that went way further what was essential for the film, elevating it that much higher.

The score for MacArthur is not so extraordinary and so is frequently dismissed as a poor relative of Patton, a somewhat unfortunate notion because - while it is clearly not as good - it remains a fine effort.  The main theme - a ubiquitous presence at Goldsmith's concerts, always coupled with Patton - is a more conventional, JP Sousa-like march, but is colourful and memorable enough to make repeated listening always worthwhile.  Its most interesting component (and one which runs through various other tracks in the score) is actually the piano effect which opens it, which sees the pianist manually hitting the strings of the piano with a hammer.  It's slightly unsettling, and rather brilliant.  "I Shall Return" is probably the standout track, with the piano effect in full force, this time not introducing the march theme but forming part of a moving and rather inspirational piece.  It is clear that Goldsmith is abandoning any large-scale theatricals and writing a smaller score than many may have expected, but the decision works very well.

"The Treaty" is a particularly soft and gentle piece, surprisingly sweet for a movie like this, but it works well.  There is very little in the way of action music per se, but there is some fine suspense writing (particularly "Stand By", in which the tension can virtually be cut with a knife) and the odd boisterous rendition of the main theme ("A Last Gift" being the prime example), culminating with a full reprise for the finale.  MacArthur is well-written and frequently moving, certainly not A-grade Goldsmith, but not far behind.  Sadly it is one of the rarest of all Goldsmith CDs (Varese issued the only CD pressing in their earlier days) and surely a reissue is due, but if you can get hold of it, it's well worth it.

Tracks

1. MacArthur March (2:48)
2. I Shall Return (3:57)
3. The Treaty (2:34)
4. The Tunnel (2:35)
5. Statistics (3:03)
6. Stand By (2:04)
7. A Last Gift (2:22)
8. New Era (3:25)
9. The Landing (3:40)
10. The Minefield (2:30)
11. I Bid You Farewell / MacArthur March (reprise) (4:20)