SUMMER HEAT (1987) with Music By Georges Delerue (Sort of) - Andy's Kino Lorber Review

[AndyDursin]

4/10

Curiously slender pre-WWII drama is set in the tobacco farms of North Carolina where a young mother (Lori Singer) finds herself falling for a handsome drifter (Bruce Abbott) even though she's saddled with a harried, overworked husband (Anthony Edwards). Some effort seemingly was invested here in evoking time and place, but the end result is detached and flat – much like Singer's performance – with some narration coming and – later – going as director Michie Gleason struggles to adapt a book by Louise Shivers.

Most curious are the music credits on this movie – the main film lists “Original Score by Richard Stone,” yet the first credit to roll at the end is a Kim Carnes song written by Barry Mann and Georges Delerue. Then right under that, the not insignificant – and rather wide open – credit for “Original Themes” listing Delerue, Mann and, right, Stone, who's credited with the actual score. That must have been some lawyers' roundtable figuring that out! Kino Lorber's Blu-Ray (1.85, mono) of this obscure Atlantic Releasing drama looks and sounds just fine, with the trailer included.

[Paul MacLean]

Stone was mainly a music editor -- who worked with Delerue on many projects. But if I recall right he was also a composer, and scored a couple of films.

Perhaps Delerue was supposed to score the film, but didn't have time, and passed it on to Stone. Or maybe the filmmakers couldn't afford a complete Delerue score, so they opted for something like Superman IV's division of labor.

[AndyDursin]

That makes sense. It's weird to have a major listing like that thrown into the end credits. Like if he provided themes shouldn't he have gotten credit at the front of the movie? It's like Richard Stone wrote the score, yet really didn't at the same time if 2 other composers are listed with "themes". Steve Tyrell was also credited as Music Supervisor on this film also! (he DID get credit in the front titles as Stone did)