Caged: The Dark Side Of Max Steiner (3CD) (Max Steiner)

A Brigham Young University Film Music Archive Production. All proceeds from this limited edition compact disc set go towards the acquisition, preservation of film music elements and future public releases.

CAGED: THE DARK SIDE OF MAX STEINER is a three-CD box set featuring music from seven of the famed composer's post-war films noir.

In addition to CAGED, other classic Steiner scores included are KEY LARGO, THE UNFAITHFUL, FLAMINGO ROAD, BACKFIRE, THE BREAKING POINT, and LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE. These works represent Steiner underscoring psychological drama with alternatingly intense and introspective accompaniment. The CD's include all of the surviving music from the scores represented, including music not used in the films and alternate tracks featuring Max working the orchestra.

CAGED has become a cult classic and features Oscar-nominated performances by Eleanor Parker and Hope Emerson, as well as an Oscar-nominated screenplay. Max Steiner's score brilliantly reflects the harrowing ordeal of a young girl sent to prison. KEY LARGO is John Huston's film version of the Maxwell Anderson play. Starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G. Robinson and Lionel Barrymore, the brilliant characterizations are sensitively given further depth by Steiner's compositions. THE UNFAITHFUL was Warner Bros.' reworking of their 1940 classic THE LETTER, with Ann Sheridan playing the role originally done by Bette Davis. Max Steiner had written an exotic score for the original and for the updated version he presents a far more urban musical setting. FLAMINGO ROAD is a film noir soap opera and Steiner provides a blowsy score that perfectly fits Joan Crawford's social-climbing carnival girl. BACKFIRE and THE BREAKING POINT both feature minimal contributions by Max Steiner but LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE is an all-out penny-dreadful musical murder-go-round. Starring Ruth Roman, Richard Todd and Mercedes McCambridge, the film was directed by King Vidor with an acute eye for psychological terror and Steiner does his part admirably to aid in establishing the mood.

All scores were recorded at Warner Bros. with orchestrations by Murray Cutter and conducted by Max Steiner. In addition to the soundtracks, the box set features a 36 page full-color booklet with essays by James V. D'Arc and Ray Faiola, as well as a generous amount of original photographs and publicity material. Disc mastering by Ray Faiola, Chelsea Rialto Studios. Package design by Jim Titus.