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A question about the upcoming Criterion release of "Lonesome". What musical score is there for this movie? I know there is a Donald Sosin score for the companion feature, "Last Performance", but what about "Lonesome?"

Danny

Most likely, it'll be the original synchronized score with sound effects and dialogue. No idea who the composer was (and there's no credit listed on the IMDb or the Criterion website).

Pretty sure the music used originally is mostly a pastiche of popular tunes of the day.

Most likely, it'll be the original synchronized score with sound effects and dialogue. No idea who the composer was (and there's no credit listed on the IMDb or the Criterion website).

Yes, it'll be the original 1928 synchronized score with sound effects and the notorious three dialogue sequences.
And as usual with these types of scores from this period there was no single composer credited as it was mostly a compilation of popular tunes linked together with new compositions by the musical director (or whatever better title he could be given). In this case he is Joseph Cherniovsky (or Cherniavsky as listed in different sources). His tune "Original Theme" (as officially originally titled but later also known as "Lonesome" or "Lonesome Me") is heard 16 times in the movie's score, linking together such popular tunes as:
Four Walls
Oh, How I Hate to Get Up In the Morning
Goodbye Broadway, Hello Montreal
My Pet
We Love It
Golden Gate
There'll Be a Hot Time In the Old Town Tonight
In My Bouquet of Memories
Yes Sir, That's My Baby
Always
Somebody Sweet is Sweet on Me

Also several "Photoplay" type tunes are used, including:
Hustle-Bustle
Agitated Mysterioso
Over the Hurdles
Allegro Scherzoso No. 1
Speed
In a Merry Mood
Allez Up
Fireflies
Dramatic Agitato
Three Grotesque Themes
The Skyrocket
In the Sudan
Ouch!
The Third Degree
Animated Agitato
Wild Chase
The Tempest
The Riotous Mob

This sounds great, even with the by-all-accounts-lousy talking sequences forced in by Universal at the last minute (or so I've read). Too bad there isn't an option to watch it without these bits, which apparently stop the film dead in its tracks each time.

This sounds great, even with the by-all-accounts-lousy talking sequences forced in by Universal at the last minute (or so I've read). Too bad there isn't an option to watch it without these bits, which apparently stop the film dead in its tracks each time.

Actually, the first of the three is rather charming (but still unnecessary).
The second isn't too bad, but still unnecessary.
The third is the one that, as you put it so well, stops the film dead in its tracks.

This sounds great, even with the by-all-accounts-lousy talking sequences forced in by Universal at the last minute (or so I've read). Too bad there isn't an option to watch it without these bits, which apparently stop the film dead in its tracks each time.

Actually, the first of the three is rather charming (but still unnecessary).
The second isn't too bad, but still unnecessary.
The third is the one that, as you put it so well, stops the film dead in its tracks.

Thanks Rich for the wonderfully witty reply. I may never see the film, but I can just imagine sitting through these unwanted audio tracks.

I'll be grinning whenever I see this subject.

They're not as bad as everyone makes them out to be.

[Danny Burk]

They're not as bad as everyone makes them out to be.

Not as bad.....they're worse!

[Mike Gebert]

Maybe they aren't objectively bad in themselves, but they interrupt Lonesome like a Cal Worthington commercial in the middle of Sunrise.

I received the blu-ray today from deepdiscount. I've had time to sit through Lonesome in its entirety (for the first time too I may add), and it looks very nice. The score is the original synchronized score, and the three talking scenes are present. Broadway looks good too from the few minutes I observed, and the 2-color Technicolor finale is included. From the few minutes I watched of it, The Last Performance does not look as nice as the other two films, but I think that this is best surviving material. It is derived from a Danish print, and all the titles are in Danish (English subtitles are kindly provided). I hope to find the time to watch the other two features within the next few days.

Lonesome DVD reviews...

http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s3956lone.html
&
http://criterionforum.org/dvd_review.php?dvd_id=1038

I love the 3 sync dialogue scenes in Lonesome. Yes, they are an odd interruption in the film, and the dialogue is certainly clumsey. But they are cute, funny and quirky. For me they really make the film, and place it in that magical time between silent and sound.

Every time Alloy performed with Lonesome, we had the projectionist turn the sound from the track on for these three scenes.

Ideally, the originally released all-silent version would have been presented as well, before the studio-mandated talking scene additions (did Fejos direct these additional scenes?), but hey, I guess I can't really complain, considering the wealth of material in this set. Can't wait to get this baby.