BAFTA's John Barry cock-up(s)

[the_pauley]

Just sent the following e-mail to BAFTA after watching last night's debacle...

John Barry was a very worthy recipient of The BAFTA Fellowship Award, the first time the honour ever went to a composer.

What a pity BAFTA messed things up in such spectacular fashion.

First of all, in the montage of clips from movies that he supposedly composed for, you showed clips from The Spy Who Loved Me (composer, Marvin Hamlisch), License To Kill (Composer, Michael Kamen) and The World Is Not Enough (composer, David Arnold).

As if this were not careless enough, worse was to come.

As Barry stepped onto the stage to receive his honour, he was welcomed with the theme from From Russia With Love. Composer? Lionel Bart.

Barry, it seems, was too much of a gentleman to embarrass anyone by pointing this out.

Imagine if it were, for example an honour to Spielberg, would you show clips from Star Wars and Alien? I think not. I think it would have been nice if Barry had been extended the same care and courtesy in terms of research.

Beyond sloppy. Downright insulting.

Will let you know what their reply is, if I get one.

[godzilla]

That is truly unbelievable!
I happened to be flicking through just before they announced who was going to receive the award. I wish I had watched it now!

Did they actually play any music that he DID compose?!

[PoochJD]

Hi,

That's awful! I know awards-ceremonies have ballsed-up things before, but not on such a big scale as this! To me, this is both an insult to John Barry, as well as an insult to the viewers! BAFTA needs to get a good kick up the butt, and the person involved in combining the montage and music, should be sacked immediately!

I mean, how hard is it to select a few clips of music from one composer, of the ilk of the world-renowned John Barry?! With the internet, and even some of the most basic film history books, it should really have been an easy task.

I hope that BAFTA reply, and get lots of complaints about this!


Pooch

[Garrett]

With the From Russia With Love was and the composer of the music by John Barry and the lyrics by Lionel Bart, or was it solely Lionel Bart work?
I know I have check a couple of sources and I’m getting two different answers.

PS they would have been better playing Goldfinger.

[Garrett]

I have just played the dvd and on the talk over the voice says John Barry is responsible for the thunderous sound in this title sequence.
John Barry; says he arrange and conducted the title song for Lionel Bart.

Note the opening titles did not contain a song but the music of the song, the song is heard on the radio and on the end titles.

[the_pauley]

Yes, From Russia With Love was solely a Lionel Bart effort. Barry did arrange and conduct the insrumental version in the opening sequence, but he did not compose the song - neither music nor lyrics.

Further amazed at the newspaper mentions of Barry's award - not one has picked up on any of this. Speaks volumes for the cinematic knowledge of Fleet Street's movie journos - even in the broadsheets.

Still, if BAFTA can't get it right, what chance has your average Fleet Street cine-hack?

Still no reply to my e-mail by the way...

EDIT: Had a better idea - just sent the story to Private Eye. Type of embarassing tale they specialise in.

[Stuart Wright]

Well done. Let's hope *they* reply.