Episode 18 - Fitzwilly
The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey - A podcast by Jeff Commings
During a break in recording the score for Valley of the Dolls (the subject of the next episode), John Williams decided to take on a comedy film starring Dick Van Dyke fresh off his eponymous TV show. "Fitzwilly" featured a stately comic main theme for the main character, a butler who moonlights as a thief to fund his employer's bank account. Williams also composed a decent love theme, made into a song by the soon-to-be-famous team of Alan and Marilyn Bergman. This film also marked the final time Williams would be credited as "Johnny Williams" onscreen, and his final comedy for 12 years. Host Jeff Commings analyzes the top moments in the score as we say goodbye to Williams' very impressive comedy film era.