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"La trappola scatta a Beirut" (aka "Agent 505 Todesfalle Beirut") is a spy movie directed in 1966 by Manfred R. Kohler, with a screenplay by Manfred R. Kohler and Mario Siciliano, photography by Knut Seedorf and Rolf Kästel, editing by Waltraut Lindenau and Manfred R. Kohler, music by Ennio Morricone, production by Metheus (Rome), Rapid (Munich), and Compagnie Lyonnaise (Paris), distribution by Imperialcine, and starring Frederick Stafford, Chris Howland, Geneviève Cluny, Harald Leipnitz, Kim Arden, Willy Birgel, Carla Calò, Renate Ewert, Danny Tabara, René Wolfe, and Pierre Richard.
The plot:
Distracted from his well-deserved vacation, Agent S5S is sent together with a trusted collaborator to Beirut, where there is reason to suspect a gang of criminals is about to carry out an attack against all of humanity. Afraid of being immediately eliminated by cunning adversaries, our hero, before getting off the plane, hands over the red carnation (a symbol of recognition) to his traveling companion, an unsuspecting American. The tourist is then recognized and captured, giving the agent an opportunity to start his investigations, but in the course of his duties he must thwart a series of attacks and find the secret laboratory in order to disarm a missile originally designed to make the desert fertile, but which thanks to some modifications has become a potentially devastating instrument of destruction...
The music:
With "La trappola scatta a Beirut", Ennio Morricone entered the world of Eurospy with a great American-flavored jazz-swing score in which the composer completely eliminates the strings, leaving room for brass and rhythm section in the cues "La trappola scatta a Beirut (Titoli)," "Inseguimento," and "Missione pericolosa," and incorporating the organ to create atmospheres that evoke mystery and science fiction. There is no shortage of lounge moments either, such as the relaxing "Relax per un agente segreto," "Baci dopo le pallottole," "Languidamente," "Tramonto su Beirut," and the danceable "In piscina." Pure dynamite for all fans of the genre!
"Il successo" is a comedy film directed in 1963 by Mauro Morassi, with a screenplay by Ettore Scola and Ruggero Maccari, photography by Sandro D'Evae and Sergio D'Offizi, editing by Maurizio Lucidi, music by Ennio Morricone, production by Mario Cecchi Gori Per Fair Film, Incei Film, Montflour Film (Rome), and Cinetel (Paris), distribution by Incei - Columbia Tristar Home Video, and starring Vittorio Gassman, Anouk Aimée, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Cristina Gajoni, Riccardo Garrone, Filippo Scelzo, Grazia Maria Spina, Umberto D'Orsi, Leopoldo Trieste, Gastone Moschin, Annie Gorassini, Franca Polesello, Armando Bandini, Daniele Vargas, Mary Welles, Elisabetta Welinsky, Mino Doro, Vince Barbi, Carlo Bagno, Ugo Attanasio, and Carlo Kechler.
The plot:
Giulio, a real estate company manager, has a good wife and a true friend, but because he believes only money can bring happiness, he considers himself a failure. So, sniffing out a deal, he buys land on the Sardinian coast with a commitment to pay ten million within three months. To get the money, he compromises his dignity at every opportunity. He eventually succeeds, but in the large villa built with the proceeds of his speculation, he resides alone, without his wife and friend.
The music:
For "Il successo", Ennio Morricone wrote a jazzy OST with explosive winds and rhythms in "Il successo (Titoli)" and "Il successo (Finale)," featuring Nunzio Rotondo's trumpet. The life of the protagonist, a man who wants to reach the peak of professional success at any cost, is underlined by various themes that characterize his lifestyle, between parties and the desperate desire to reach enormous patrimonial wealth, as heard in "Con eleganza," "Il successo (Twist)," and "Allegra Sambina." The Maestro also composed a nostalgic theme for flute and small ensemble entitled "Per Vittorio," which is also reprised in the Latin version "Per Vittorio (Bossa)."
This CD, lasting 56:41, was taken from the mono master tapes of the original sessions (whose first edition was assembled by this writer under the supervision of Maestro Morricone himself), presents a good opportunity for all those who are only now discovering the greatness of Ennio Morricone to include it in their collections.
- Beat Records
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