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Dragon's Domain Records presents THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE, featuring music composed by Gerald Fried (THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., STAR TREK, ROOTS) for the 1968 dramatic film directed by Robert Aldrich (THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, THE DIRTY DOZEN, WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?), written by Frank Marcus and Lukas Heller, starring Beryl Reid, Susannah York, Coral Browne, Patricia Medina, Hugh Paddick, Cyril Delevanti, Sivi Aberg, William Beckley, Elaine Church, Brendan Dillon and Mike Freeman.
Released in 1968, THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE is based on the play by Frank Marcus and includes Beryl Reid reprising her original stage performance as June Buckridge. The film is notable for its frank exploration of sexuality, identity, and psychological dependence, topics that were still considered controversial in mainstream cinema at the time.
THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE centers on June Buckridge (Reid), a middle-aged actress best known for playing the beloved character "Sister George," a district nurse in a popular BBC radio soap opera "Applehurst." However, her professional life is in jeopardy as she suspects the producers are planning to kill off her character due to declining ratings and concerns over her off-screen behavior. Off-set, June is a frequently drunk,outspoken, cigar-chomping rabble-rouser in a turbulent and often abusive relationship with the much younger and immature Alice McNaught (York), who plays with dolls and has a minor job in the fashion industry. Life spirals out of control after an inebriated Joan sexually assaults two young Catholic nuns in a taxi, causing the vehicle to crash. A complaint is filed with the TV network by the diocese that places her in direct conflict with producer Mercy Croft (Browne), who also has an interest in Alice. This impending loss of identity for June, both as an actress and as the persona she has come to embody, forms the emotional core of the film.
Director Robert Aldrich and composer Gerald Fried worked together several times, on films such as TOO LATE THE HERO and THE GRISSOM GANG.THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE was their first collaboration.
Born February 1928 in the Bronx, Gerald Fried's interest in music found its first fruition at the High School of Music & Art in New York City. He attended The Juilliard School of Music as an oboe major,graduating in 1945. Among his earliest friends was a bright kid named Stanley Kubrick. The two of them used to hang around Greenwich Village and talk about their budding interests, Fried's in classical music and Kubrick's in filmmaking. Their interests merged when Kubrick began filming DAY OF THE FIGHT, an 18-minute short about boxing. Knowing Fried was a music major, Kubrick asked him if he could write the score for his boxing picture. Fried agreed, then spent months going to the movies to learn how film scores worked, there being no schools or courses on film music in those days. Fried wrote an effective score, and Kubrick sold the film to RKO Pathé. Fried rejoined Kubrick to score four more of his films, including THE KILLING and PATHS TO GLORY, where theyoung filmmaker first gained his reputation.
After the success of THE KILLING in 1956, Kubrick moved to Los Angeles, shortly followed by Fried, who was immediately hired to compose and arrange music for several films, including THE VAMPIRE, THE RETURN OF DRACULA, MACHINE GUN KELLY and I, MOBSTER, I BURY THE LIVING, and TIMBUKTU(1959). By the 1960s, Fried moved into television, scoring episodes of such seminal shows of the decade as GILLIGAN'S ISLAND, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.,MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE and STAR TREK. By the 1970s Fried was composing music for numerous made-for-TV movies. His best-known score of the decade was for the1977 miniseries ROOTS, which he took over scoring when Quincy Jones fell behind and was unable to meet the broadcast deadline for the eight-hour miniseries. Both Jones and Fried won Emmy Awards for their musical efforts on the series. During the '80s, Fried continued to compose music for television series,movies, and documentaries, and an occasional feature film. These are just two of the many magnificent scores Fried wrote throughout his career. The composer passed away on February 17, 2023 at the age of 95. His work remains a testament to his talent and dedication to the art of composition and he is remembered asa key figure in the evolution of music for film and television.
Dragon's Domain Records presents the world premiere release of THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE, featuring music composed by Gerald Fried. The music has been mastered by James Nelson at Digital Outland and the liner notes have been written by Scott Davis.
- BSX
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