The Legion's Last Patrol - Stuart Granger - Britmovie

Stephen Laws · 08-12-2007, 01:42 PM

Hi,

Hope I'm not bending the Britmovie rules here slightly, but has anyone come across (or got a copy of) the 1963 movie THE LEGION'S LAST PATROL, starring Stewart Granger? It originally played as a second feature to THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS on its cinema release (the original West German/Italian title being MARCIA O CREPA - the creed of the French Foreign Legion - 'March or Die'). Back then, the theme music - by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino (as performed by popular trumpet player Nini Rosso) was a surprise Top 10 Hit in England - via the Ken Thorne Orchestra.

The reviews and stills of this movie (which has been almost impossible to track down) are fascinating, and suggest a first class performance by Granger, a gritty non-nonsense plot line and a great final twist.

Best
Stephen Lawswww.stephenlaws.com

mogburner · 17-12-2007, 09:57 PM

Yes, I saw the film when it was first released! Good film, but really great theme, performed by Ken Thorne Orchestra, solo trumpet Ray Davies. I got a 45 immediately, but long lost. Plenty available, though, but not on "News"

Not seen film anywhere on vid or DVD since, I'll keep hunting.
All the Best.
Mogburner

mogburner · 18-12-2007, 12:09 AM

More info.
Capt. Le Blanc GRANGER, Stewart
Nora GRAY, Dorian
Dolce Vita ARENA, Maurizio
Col. Dionne GARRANI, Ivo
Brescia TOZZI, Fausto
Paolo GARRONE, Riccardo
Ben Bled CASARAVILLA, Carlos
Barbarossa CARSTEN, Peter
Fritz BORSODY, Hans von
Kappa-Kappa CALVO, Rafael Luis
Petit Prince SCHÖNHERR, Dietmar
Garcia ANCHÓRIZ, Leo

Composer (Music Score) - Angelo Francesco Lavagnino
Cinematographer - Cecilio Paniagua
Screenwriter - Eric Bercovici
Screenwriter - Milton Krims
Screenwriter - Giuseppe Mangione
Art Director - Enrique Alarcon
Screenwriter - Mino Guerrini

Review Summary

In this action drama, set during the Algerian War, 1961, a Foreign Legion captain must stage a daring raid to kidnap a rebel leader. They are successful, but then the helicopter that was to pick them up is shot down. The men are forced to do an overland trek with their prisoner. Many of them do not make it across the burning desert. Those that do are shocked to learn that in their absence the political situation changed. The leader they kidnapped is now a crucial figure in helping to get the French to leave Algiers. The captain is so angry, that he thinks about killing the leader, but then cools off. He thinks of all the suffering and death his troop endured to bring the leader to safety.
Bio. Francesco Lavagnino

From All Movie Guide: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino was born into a family with musicians on both sides in 1909, and, attracted to the sight and sounds of a live theater orchestra, he first discovered film music as a boy during the silent era. He later attended the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan, where he studied composition under Renzo Bossi. He graduated in the early '30s and, in the years that followed, he composed several symphonies, a large body of chamber music, a small group of symphonic poems, and one opera. He was also a teacher at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena between the ages of 32-53. Lavagnino began composing music for films in the early '50s, and by the time he'd retired two decades later, had amassed credits for some 300 movies, including Orson Welles' Othello and Chimes at Midnight, the science fiction thriller Gorgo, the fantasy film Lost Continent, the adventure yarn Legend of the Lost, and costume epics such as The Last Days of Pompeii (1960). Lavagnino had a special gift for melody and a talent for orchestration that manifested themselves in the best of those scores, particularly Gorgo -- whose folk-based soundtrack is often referred to as the prettiest score ever to grace a dinosaur movie -- and Legend of the Lost. Lavagnino was very nearly the choice of Sergio Leone to score A Fistful of Dollars -- having composed the music for the director's The Last Days of Pompeii and The Colossus of Rhodes. Leone was favorably disposed toward him, but the insistence of Leone's distributor that he meet with Ennio Morricone led to the revelation that they had attended grammar school together, so the director gave the assignment to Morricone. Despite losing that job, Lavagnino remained one of the busiest screen composers in England, and continued working until the mid-'70s on films that included his share of spaghetti Westerns. He died August 21, 1987

Stephen Laws · 28-12-2007, 07:29 PM

Hello again,

If you come across a video or DVD Mogburner, please let me know.

Lavagnino was a great composer, but I fear that if he'd been given the composing assignment for A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS by director Sergio Leone, instead of Ennio Morricone - then the spaghetti western 'explosion' would never have happened. Lavagnino's 'style' was very 'American' for westerns - although, interestingly, when Morricone's western music completely re-invented the genre, Lavagnino's later western scores often imitated Morricone's 'style' (most probably at the insistence of the studio).

batman · 08-05-2008, 01:18 PM

KEN THORNE - THEME FROM THE LEGION'S LAST PATROL - 7" on eBay, also Soundtracks Themes, 7'' Singles, Records, Music (end time 11-May-08 20:54:00 BST)

KEN THORNE & ORCHESTRA -Legion's Last Patrol- 45 RPM - eBay (item 250154272509 end time May-09-08 07:07:54 PDT)

08-12-2007, 01:42 PM	#1
Stephen Laws Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Posts: 7 Country: iTrader: (0)	The Legion's Last Patrol - Stuart Granger Hi, Hope I'm not bending the Britmovie rules here slightly, but has anyone come across (or got a copy of) the 1963 movie THE LEGION'S LAST PATROL, starring Stewart Granger? It originally played as a second feature to THE DAY OF THE TRIFFIDS on its cinema release (the original West German/Italian title being MARCIA O CREPA - the creed of the French Foreign Legion - 'March or Die'). Back then, the theme music - by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino (as performed by popular trumpet player Nini Rosso) was a surprise Top 10 Hit in England - via the Ken Thorne Orchestra. The reviews and stills of this movie (which has been almost impossible to track down) are fascinating, and suggest a first class performance by Granger, a gritty non-nonsense plot line and a great final twist. Best Stephen Lawswww.stephenlaws.com

08-05-2008, 01:18 PM	#5
batman Chief Member OBME Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Norwich Posts: 12,779 My Mood: Country: iTrader: (8)	KEN THORNE - THEME FROM THE LEGION'S LAST PATROL - 7" on eBay, also Soundtracks Themes, 7'' Singles, Records, Music (end time 11-May-08 20:54:00 BST) KEN THORNE & ORCHESTRA -Legion's Last Patrol- 45 RPM - eBay (item 250154272509 end time May-09-08 07:07:54 PDT) __________________ Bats. I am MacIntyre from the silver metal planet .... I have come to look at your beautiful countryside.

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17-12-2007, 09:57 PM	#2
mogburner Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Steeple Bumstead Posts: 2 Country: iTrader: (0)	Yes, I saw the film when it was first released! Good film, but really great theme, performed by Ken Thorne Orchestra, solo trumpet Ray Davies. I got a 45 immediately, but long lost. Plenty available, though, but not on "News" Not seen film anywhere on vid or DVD since, I'll keep hunting. All the Best. Mogburner

18-12-2007, 12:09 AM	#3
mogburner Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Steeple Bumstead Posts: 2 Country: iTrader: (0)	More info. Capt. Le Blanc GRANGER, Stewart Nora GRAY, Dorian Dolce Vita ARENA, Maurizio Col. Dionne GARRANI, Ivo Brescia TOZZI, Fausto Paolo GARRONE, Riccardo Ben Bled CASARAVILLA, Carlos Barbarossa CARSTEN, Peter Fritz BORSODY, Hans von Kappa-Kappa CALVO, Rafael Luis Petit Prince SCHÖNHERR, Dietmar Garcia ANCHÓRIZ, Leo Composer (Music Score) - Angelo Francesco Lavagnino Cinematographer - Cecilio Paniagua Screenwriter - Eric Bercovici Screenwriter - Milton Krims Screenwriter - Giuseppe Mangione Art Director - Enrique Alarcon Screenwriter - Mino Guerrini Review Summary In this action drama, set during the Algerian War, 1961, a Foreign Legion captain must stage a daring raid to kidnap a rebel leader. They are successful, but then the helicopter that was to pick them up is shot down. The men are forced to do an overland trek with their prisoner. Many of them do not make it across the burning desert. Those that do are shocked to learn that in their absence the political situation changed. The leader they kidnapped is now a crucial figure in helping to get the French to leave Algiers. The captain is so angry, that he thinks about killing the leader, but then cools off. He thinks of all the suffering and death his troop endured to bring the leader to safety. Bio. Francesco Lavagnino From All Movie Guide: Angelo Francesco Lavagnino was born into a family with musicians on both sides in 1909, and, attracted to the sight and sounds of a live theater orchestra, he first discovered film music as a boy during the silent era. He later attended the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Music in Milan, where he studied composition under Renzo Bossi. He graduated in the early '30s and, in the years that followed, he composed several symphonies, a large body of chamber music, a small group of symphonic poems, and one opera. He was also a teacher at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana in Siena between the ages of 32-53. Lavagnino began composing music for films in the early '50s, and by the time he'd retired two decades later, had amassed credits for some 300 movies, including Orson Welles' Othello and Chimes at Midnight, the science fiction thriller Gorgo, the fantasy film Lost Continent, the adventure yarn Legend of the Lost, and costume epics such as The Last Days of Pompeii (1960). Lavagnino had a special gift for melody and a talent for orchestration that manifested themselves in the best of those scores, particularly Gorgo -- whose folk-based soundtrack is often referred to as the prettiest score ever to grace a dinosaur movie -- and Legend of the Lost. Lavagnino was very nearly the choice of Sergio Leone to score A Fistful of Dollars -- having composed the music for the director's The Last Days of Pompeii and The Colossus of Rhodes. Leone was favorably disposed toward him, but the insistence of Leone's distributor that he meet with Ennio Morricone led to the revelation that they had attended grammar school together, so the director gave the assignment to Morricone. Despite losing that job, Lavagnino remained one of the busiest screen composers in England, and continued working until the mid-'70s on films that included his share of spaghetti Westerns. He died August 21, 1987

28-12-2007, 07:29 PM	#4
Stephen Laws Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Newcastle upon Tyne Posts: 7 Country: iTrader: (0)	Hello again, If you come across a video or DVD Mogburner, please let me know. Lavagnino was a great composer, but I fear that if he'd been given the composing assignment for A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS by director Sergio Leone, instead of Ennio Morricone - then the spaghetti western 'explosion' would never have happened. Lavagnino's 'style' was very 'American' for westerns - although, interestingly, when Morricone's western music completely re-invented the genre, Lavagnino's later western scores often imitated Morricone's 'style' (most probably at the insistence of the studio).