The name Henry Mancini represents one of the greats of film music, but itapps also a virtual trademark.
The late and hugely popular composerapps elegantly nuanced work for movies and television make his melodies immediately recognizable, and many of them will be heard Tuesday and into early Wednesday, as Turner Classic Movies marks the 100th anniversary of his birth.
Mancini app who died in 1994 at age 70 app won four Oscars out of 18 nominations, and the TCM event will include two of the films that accounted for those wins, appBreakfast at Tiffanyappsapp (1961) and appDays of Wine and Rosesapp (1962). Both were directed by frequent Mancini collaborator Blake Edwards.
appBreakfast at Tiffanyapps,app starring Audrey Hepburn as the beguiling Holly Golightly, earned Academy Awards for Mancini for the theme song appMoon Riverapp (with lyrics by Johnny Mercer) and the overall score. The title song for appDays of Wine and Roses,app with Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick in an adaptation of a TV play about alcoholic spouses, also earned a gold statue. Manciniapps fourth and last Oscar was for the score for a project also done with Edwards: the musical appVictor/Victoriaapp (1982), which starred Edwardsapp wife, Julie Andrews. Mancini shared that award with lyricist Leslie Bricusse.
Among other titles in the TCM tribute that have particularly well-known Mancini themes are the Edwards-directed comedy appThe Pink Pantherapp (1963) app which launched a franchise that continued to feature Peter Sellers as the inept Inspector Jacques Clouseau app and director Stanley Donenapps comedy-mystery appCharadeapp (1963), with Cary Grant as an enigmatic man who gets involved with a recent widow The widow is played by the aforementioned Hepburn, who also turns up in two more attractions in the Mancini marathon, the 1967 releases appTwo for the Roadapp and appWait Until Dark.app
The Cleveland-born, Pennsylvania-raised Mancini didnappt get credit for much of his early movie work, which included Abbott and Costello comedies and sci-fi classics appTarantulaapp (1955) and appThe Deadly Mantisapp (1957). Films such as Orson Wellesapp appTouch of Evilapp (1958) finally put his name on his work, but he also gained fame for his TV efforts, including the themes for the series appPeter Gunnapp and appMr. Lucky.app (He counted among his later TV credits appRemington Steeleapp and his close friend Bob Newhartapps sitcom appNewhart.app)
appTouch of Evil,app starring Welles and Charlton Heston, also is among the Mancini-scored pictures that TCM will show. The day begins with the Rod Serling-written appA Christmas Carolapp update appCarol for Another Christmasapp (1964), then continues with the Steve McQueen-Jackie Gleason drama appSoldier in the Rainapp (1963), Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis in the big-budget comedy appThe Great Raceapp (1965), the Bob Hope vehicle appBachelor in Paradiseapp (1963) and the Glenn Ford-Genevieve Page romantic drama appDear Heartapp (1964).
