Maury Laws, who as musical director for Rankin-Bass productions supervised the scoring of such animated TV classics as “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Frosty the Snowman” and “The Hobbit,” died March 28 in Appleton, Wisc. He was 95.
Laws’ greatest achievement in TV was arranging and conducting all of the music for the 1964 stop-motion animation version of “Rudolph,” which featured new songs by original “Rudolph” songwriter Johnny Marks. Laws’ warm orchestral settings for such songs as “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “There’s Always Tomorrow” and the title tune helped to make the hour-long show a holiday season perennial.
The success of “Rudolph” led to a series of animated specials by the Rankin-Bass company. Laws worked with Fred Astaire on “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1970), Danny Kaye on “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” (1971), Angela Lansbury on “The First Christmas” (1975) and Judy Collins on “The Wind in the Willows” (1987), often writing the songs with lyricist and...
Laws’ greatest achievement in TV was arranging and conducting all of the music for the 1964 stop-motion animation version of “Rudolph,” which featured new songs by original “Rudolph” songwriter Johnny Marks. Laws’ warm orchestral settings for such songs as “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “There’s Always Tomorrow” and the title tune helped to make the hour-long show a holiday season perennial.
The success of “Rudolph” led to a series of animated specials by the Rankin-Bass company. Laws worked with Fred Astaire on “Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town” (1970), Danny Kaye on “Here Comes Peter Cottontail” (1971), Angela Lansbury on “The First Christmas” (1975) and Judy Collins on “The Wind in the Willows” (1987), often writing the songs with lyricist and...
- 4/1/2019
- by Jon Burlingame
- Variety Film + TV
By John M. Whalen
Kino Lorber has released “Singing Guns” (1950), a Republic Pictures “singing cowboy” western filmed in Trucolor. The film is based on a western novel by Max Brand, and is pretty unremarkable except for the fact that the cowboy anti-hero, Rhiannon, an outlaw with a long bushy beard who has been robbing stagecoaches to the tune of over a $1 million, isn’t played by Roy, or Gene Autry, Rocky Lane Rex Allen, or any of the other western stars in Republic’s stable. Rhiannon, is played by a popular singer from that era named Vaughn Monroe.
I remember Vaughn Monroe when I was a kid. I used to hear him singing “Racing with the Moon,” on the radio. He had a rich baritone voice and my mother would turn up the radio every time it came on and sort of stare out into space with a funny look in her eyes.
Kino Lorber has released “Singing Guns” (1950), a Republic Pictures “singing cowboy” western filmed in Trucolor. The film is based on a western novel by Max Brand, and is pretty unremarkable except for the fact that the cowboy anti-hero, Rhiannon, an outlaw with a long bushy beard who has been robbing stagecoaches to the tune of over a $1 million, isn’t played by Roy, or Gene Autry, Rocky Lane Rex Allen, or any of the other western stars in Republic’s stable. Rhiannon, is played by a popular singer from that era named Vaughn Monroe.
I remember Vaughn Monroe when I was a kid. I used to hear him singing “Racing with the Moon,” on the radio. He had a rich baritone voice and my mother would turn up the radio every time it came on and sort of stare out into space with a funny look in her eyes.
- 9/16/2018
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Next week at Tfh we're featuring a modest tribute to Bela! ... Lugosi, of course. The films include Invisible Ghost (helmed by Gun Crazy's Joseph H. Lewis), 1947's Scared To Death, and the subject of today's Saturday Matinee, Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla. The sole reason for the existence of Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla is Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. If anything, that considerably narrows down the blame for this 74 minute pleasure-killer from 1952. It was at the height of Martin and Lewis' extraordinary success in the early fifties (each appearance was a near riot, on stage and off, a bobbysoxer's version of Beatlemania) that a motley collection of crooners and comics rushed in to steal some of the limelight. None were so brazen (or motley) than the team of Duke Mitchell and Sammy Petrillo. Mitchell was an erstwhile lounge singer with a predilection for imitating smooth...
- 8/23/2014
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
The Twelve Days of Christmas Classics is on! EW is putting the best versions of the most-covered Christmas songs up to a daily vote to compile the ultimate holiday playlist. (We’ve already covered “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire),” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.”) If your favorite singer isn’t in the list below, you better not pout: Each artist will only appear once throughout the 12 days. Listen to our top six, vote for your favorite, and let us know why you made your pick in the comments below.
- 12/12/2013
- by Katie Atkinson
- EW.com - PopWatch
Ivan Radford Dec 6, 2019
With the festive season approaching, here's a rundown of 10 all-time classic Christmas movie soundtracks.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, a sure sign that people will soon start ranking, once again, the best Christmas movies of all time--a crazy thing to do, because we all know it’s still Die Hard. But what about film music? From Vaughn Monroe serenading the end of John McClane’s adventure to Danny Elfman’s Nightmare before the big day, soundtracks are a big part of that seasonal feeling.
And so, as December draws in, here are the top 10 Christmas movie soundtracks of all time. (Probably.)
10. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Made in MGM’s heyday, this romantic musical is based on a series of shorts by Sally Benson, but really is a showcase for Judy Garland’s legendary larynx. The Wizard Of Oz star came into her own in the 1944 movie,...
With the festive season approaching, here's a rundown of 10 all-time classic Christmas movie soundtracks.
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, a sure sign that people will soon start ranking, once again, the best Christmas movies of all time--a crazy thing to do, because we all know it’s still Die Hard. But what about film music? From Vaughn Monroe serenading the end of John McClane’s adventure to Danny Elfman’s Nightmare before the big day, soundtracks are a big part of that seasonal feeling.
And so, as December draws in, here are the top 10 Christmas movie soundtracks of all time. (Probably.)
10. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
Made in MGM’s heyday, this romantic musical is based on a series of shorts by Sally Benson, but really is a showcase for Judy Garland’s legendary larynx. The Wizard Of Oz star came into her own in the 1944 movie,...
- 12/8/2012
- Den of Geek
Is there a more enjoyable action film than Die Hard ?
It’s seriously hard to think of any other film which has managed to so perfectly blend together explosive action, taut suspense and genuine humour. All of which is held together by an action hero as likeably down in his luck as cop John McLane – portrayed with a sublime mix of blue-collar normality and wise cracking heroism by Bruce Willis.
Pitting the New York cop against a gang of elite European terrorists, Die Hard’s simple but effective plot is propelled by the claustrophobic setting of the Nakatomi Plaza and the tight direction by John McTiernan (Predator). Willis doesn’t have Arnie’s bulging Pecs, Seagal’s martial arts skils or even Chuck Norris’ grizzled features. Instead, Die Hard gives us a hero whom we can all relate to – often realistically complaining about the dire situation at hand, showing signs of pain and emotional heartache,...
It’s seriously hard to think of any other film which has managed to so perfectly blend together explosive action, taut suspense and genuine humour. All of which is held together by an action hero as likeably down in his luck as cop John McLane – portrayed with a sublime mix of blue-collar normality and wise cracking heroism by Bruce Willis.
Pitting the New York cop against a gang of elite European terrorists, Die Hard’s simple but effective plot is propelled by the claustrophobic setting of the Nakatomi Plaza and the tight direction by John McTiernan (Predator). Willis doesn’t have Arnie’s bulging Pecs, Seagal’s martial arts skils or even Chuck Norris’ grizzled features. Instead, Die Hard gives us a hero whom we can all relate to – often realistically complaining about the dire situation at hand, showing signs of pain and emotional heartache,...
- 4/20/2012
- by Stephen Leigh
- Obsessed with Film
Kylie Minogue is "very excited" about Christmas. The "Better Than Today" singer will be spending a large part of the festive period with her boyfriend, Spanish model Andres Velencoso, and his relatives.
"I love Christmas. I get excited about the Christmas lights and caroling," she said. "I'm not entirely sure where I'll be yet. I'll either be in London with my man, Andres, or with his family in Spain."
Kylie, who is releasing a festive cover of 1945 classic "Let It Snow", originally recorded by Vaughn Monroe, recently admitted she can't contain her excitement when it snows in the places she visits because she never saw any when she was growing up in Australia.
She said, "I think it's kind of ironic that I'm singing 'Let It Snow' being an Australian - we don't have snow at Christmas time. So if in fact it does snow whilst I'm in New York this year,...
"I love Christmas. I get excited about the Christmas lights and caroling," she said. "I'm not entirely sure where I'll be yet. I'll either be in London with my man, Andres, or with his family in Spain."
Kylie, who is releasing a festive cover of 1945 classic "Let It Snow", originally recorded by Vaughn Monroe, recently admitted she can't contain her excitement when it snows in the places she visits because she never saw any when she was growing up in Australia.
She said, "I think it's kind of ironic that I'm singing 'Let It Snow' being an Australian - we don't have snow at Christmas time. So if in fact it does snow whilst I'm in New York this year,...
- 12/24/2010
- by celebrity-mania.com
- Celebrity Mania
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