Welcome to the “City of Fear”: Intrada Unearths Early Goldsmith

Intrada’s newest release batch has only one catalogue score (the other is a symphonic piece by Arthur Rubenstein) but it’s a keeper: it’s the earliest film work of legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith currently on CD.

City of Fear, a 1959 thriller about an escaped convict who believes himself to be in possession of a canister of heroin – but in fact has something much more dangerous – was only one of the first half-dozen credits for the young Goldsmith, and only his second film score after a host of television work. But the results are classic Goldsmith – tautly scored action with a lot of quirky runs for xylophone and piano (a mind-bending fact – the pianist on the recording is Goldsmith’s contemporary, the legendary John Williams) and adventurous horn segments.

Best of all, the whole score is included, mastered from the original mono session elements in Sony’s library. While one unspecified track features minimal effects from a music and effects track, the rest of it is an unadulterated listen to the work of a man who was destined for bigger things over the next half-century.

The album is on sale now, limited to 2,000 copies at $19.99. Check out the specs for City of Fear below!

Jerry Goldsmith, City of Fear: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Intrada Special Collection Vol. 170, 2011 – original film released 1959)

1. Get Away/Main Title
2. Road Block
3. Motel
4. The Facts
5. Montage #1
6. Tennis Shoes
7. The Shoes
8. Montage #2
9. You Can’t Stay
10. Taxicab
11. Waiting
12. Search
13. Track Down
14. End of the Road
15. Finale