Song of the Day: Spartacus (“Soundtrack Suite”), composed by Alex North, is an integrated collage of the many themes from this Oscar-nominated score to the 1960 epic film, directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas in the title role, as well as Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton, Laurence Olivier, and Tony Curtis. In contrast to the muscular themes expressing the historic slave uprising led by Spartacus against the Roman republic, the sensitive love theme interwoven in this suite remains a cinematic gem. This year’s Academy Awards air on the Ides of March, a key date in Roman history; in this film, Julius Caesar is played by John Gavin, who starred in another 1960 hit film: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”. I began this 22nd Annual Film Music February Festival with a cue from another Alex North soundtrack and go full circle with a suite from one of his most acclaimed scores. Till next year …
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