At the January
21-22 Hollywood Celebrity and Collectors’ Show, two of Hollywood’s
finest talents generously gave of their time to sign books, photos, and CDs
for the benefit of Hollywood Heritage.
At the January
21-22 Hollywood Celebrity and Collectors’ Show, two of Hollywood’s
finest talents generously gave of their time to sign books, photos, and CDs
for the benefit of Hollywood Heritage.
Michael
York still retains his youthful charm and good looks after a 35-year movie,
television, and theatrical career, as many fans remarked. Starting in 1966 with
Franco Zeferelli’s The Taming of the Shrew with Elizabeth Taylor
and Richard Burton, his career includes many favorites on every filmgoer’s
list; Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, The Three Musketeers, The Four Musketeers,
Logan’s Run, Murder on the Orient Express, and more recently, the two
satiric Austin Powers films, as well as many others.
His stage career has also been a major triumph and was the subject of his most recent book, A Shakespearean Actor Prepares, which he signed at the show. Between his busy schedules, he donates much time to the Los Angeles community, especially as president of the award-winning non-profit California Youth Theater. The CYT recently bought and have been refurbishing the Ivar Theater in Hollywood as a wonderful 285-seat theater for their performances, classes, and rentals. If you would like to know more about CYT’s programs or how you can help, call (323) 461-7300.
Leonard Rosenman is not just one of the great composers of film music, but one of the very few Hollywood composers to have a successful concert hall career. Winner of two Oscars for music adaptation, Barry Lyndon and Bound for Glory, he also was nominated for an Oscar for his score to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. He also has two Emmys, composing television music for such shows as Combat, The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, The Twilight Zone, and television programs and movies right up into the 1990s.
His film music
career put him at the top with his first score in 1955 for East of Eden,
after being recommended to director Elia Kazan by the film’s star and
Leonard’s piano student ("lousy player, great friend"), James
Dean. His score is generally considered the first modern music score in movies,
and he followed up with Dean’s next film, Rebel Without a Cause.
His landmark score to Fantastic Voyage (1966) became the prototype for
science fiction films, with music, sound, and picture, blending together to
create a powerful experience.
His close friendship with James Dean continues to interest people today. At the time of his death, they were setting up a company to produce films, with Dean to act and direct and Leonard to compose the music. Who knows what that combination might have accomplished for the history of movies? What we do have is a brilliant collection of music from a man who is truly a gentleman and a scholar.
Hollywood Heritage is very grateful for the support given to us by Michael York and Leonard Rosenman and their wonderful careers, which we expect will continue to add to our filmic experience. And a special thanks to Hollywood Heritage board members Arnold Schwartzman and Kay Tornborg for helping to arrange Mr. York’s appearance, to Lukas Kendall and Film Score Monthly Magazine for Mr. Rosenman’s CD’s (check their website, http://www.filmscoremonthly.com, for limited edition soundtracks and more), to Hollywood Heritage board member Phil Dockter for preparing the photos as well as the continuing support of the show’s producers, Sharon and Ray Courts.