MovieChat Forums > Grand Prix (1966) Discussion > Marice Jarre's score

Marice Jarre's score

posted 18 years ago by ljbtvr
11 replies | jump to latest

I was watching Dr. Zhivago once and a few bars of music came thru that I KNEW I'd heard elsewhere. Lo and behold, Jarre did the score for both Grand Prix & Dr. Zhivago. Although the scores are mostly different, there is one scene in Dr. Z that uses the main theme of GP (or a slight variation), which recurs throughout GP. Actually, I don't think it's too coincidental, since the GP theme sounds to me like it's some kind of waltz. Since Dr.Z was the earlier movie, I guess Jarre developed the few bars into something much larger.

[–] mrvolvo 17 years ago

You're not the only person to notice that. I've run across at least two other films (besides Dr. Zhivago) in which I noticed the music sounded familiar, and sure enough, I find in the end credits that Maurice Jarre scored the music. Not only does he tend to recycle short segments into different scores, but his limited style seems to give him away most of the time. His music has always seemed a little "too French" for my tastes.

John Williams never seems to re-use bits of music in different movie scores and I much prefer his style. I wonder what "Grand Prix" would have sounded like, had he scored it.

[–] philosophymom 17 years ago

I just watched "Grand Prix," and I have to say I thought the score was a really weak point. Distractingly "Zhivago"-esque in spots; just distracting in others. I'd love to see it (or hear it) re-scored.

[–] mrvolvo 17 years ago

Hah! I just remembered one of the other movies scored by Maurice Jarre; "Lawrence of Arabia", for which he won an Oscar for best score, four years before GP. Other than the main theme, much of the other music in this movie was virtually interchangeable with Grand Prix; it sounded almost exactly the same. He must have had these little tunes stuck in his head for a long time and decided to recycle them.

[–] lisajohn-4 17 years ago

TCM is showing Gran Prix right now (Feb. 22, 2008)and I was listening to the score over the opening credits. Sounded real familiar.......similar to the score from "Is Paris Burning"! I checked it out on IMDB and sure enough, the composer was Maurice Jarre! WOW....he got a lot of mileage (pun intended)out of that musical theme! I wonder how many movies total?

[–] hollyvolley 17 years ago

I love the theme music, but I've always wondered how they got a whole album out of it- I never did get the album, but wanted it for awhile.

Did you ever notice that it is even a little similar to "Hail To The Chief" ?
I guess the chief must be the Grandest Prix of them all! Ironically, James Garner sings a little of it in another movie- The one where he was running for President against Jack Lemon- "My Fellow Americans"

He say "Hail to the chief, he's the chief and he needs hailing..."

If it's like Dr, Zhivago, the Russian Premier must be involved! John Pierre Czarti. (You must agree he's very phar...) I don't know that score either, but my sister had "Somewhere My Love" on 45.

Those scores back in the sixties for those epics were a little repetitive, but memorable. Some of the overtures and intermissions are tedious, but a few of them: West Side Story, How the West Was Won, and South Pacific- have some great tracks

The earth finally demands the cooperation of its' citizens the nations can't, or won't, achieve

[–] cessnapilot150 16 years ago

I have a CD of the soundtrack and a copy of the original 33 1/3 LP. You are right, there isn't enough music to fill an album and the CD is a combination of Ryans Daughter and Grand Prix. There are about six original songs on the Grand Prix record and CD, and one of those is the overture.

[–] greenleafie 16 years ago

Jerry Goldsmith was going to compose the music for Grand Prix. He was under contract to 20th Century Fox and was on loan to MGM for this project. When Alex North got sick, Fox exercised its option to recall Goldsmith, so he could score The Sand Pebbles.

I like Jarre's music, especially the soft guitar that underscores Pat and Scott's marriage. The film is set mostly in Europe, so the "French" sound works very well.

[–] John-367 10 years ago

For the LP of Zulu John Barry wrote several extra pieces of music to fill the B side.

Films in general had less incidental music in those days - something I prefer as I hate wall-to-wall incidental music. It flattens the atmosphere, insists on telling you what to feel all the time and means that where music would be effective it often isn't because you have become so used to it that you no longer hear it.

[–] tmf_scipio 15 years ago

"John Williams never seems to re-use bits of music in different movie scores and I much prefer his style. I wonder what "Grand Prix" would have sounded like, had he scored it."

I know this post was from 3 years ago, but you should listen to Star Wars II, when Obi Wan jumps out the window, then listen to the Quidich match in HP2. Also, listen to ET, then Empire Strikes Back.

Williams definitely reuses ideas, or his Orchestrators do.

[–] Dispassionate1 12 years ago

I have not been able to pin down the date of a piece called "Coffee Bean" that was written by Louis Thomas Hardin (Moondog)but the main theme is unmistakeably the same as that from Grand Prix. And yes, all of the cars are not true F1, some of the acting is stiff and it's long but still one of my favorite movies.

[–] j_w_pepper 11 years ago

Feels strange to respond to a post from 2006, but I just watched GRAND PRIX tonight. Jarre's score reminded me most of his work on PARIS BRÛLE-T-IL (Is Paris Burning?). It is beautiful, but it is truly repetitive. So is the one for PARIS.

Marlowe had said 15 years ago: Dead men don't wear plaid. I still don't know what it means.