A Little Romance

Georges Delerue's only Oscar win was for A Little Romance, the film starring Laurence Olivier and the first role of Diane Lane. In a way it's curious that Delerue got it for this endearing score, endearing yes but still not his best. Perhaps it was the harmless sound that convinced the Oscar voters, perhaps it was his classical tone, perhaps it was "Off to Italy", "The Gondola", "End Title"? Yes we come to the treasure of this score and that's the waltz like elegance of these 3 cues, the cue that will be remembered more than the actual main theme (though harmless it all sounds opening the score). The rest is an eclectic bag, with the classical waltz theme for Laurence Olivier's character, the piano jazz for the "Birthday Party" or the band practice in "The Bicycle Race". Definitely appropriate, but not always a favorite of mine, A Little Romance is definitely easy listening. It's just several things that linger in the mind, making it no Oscar winner in my book.

Harmless and joyful main theme, a breath of fresh air in these dark serious times.
The elegance drips off this cue "Off to Italy".
A bit repetitive, especially the 4 exact replica's of the "Off to Italy" theme.

Track Listing

1. Main Title (3.14)
2. Love's Not Like That (1.04)
3. Paris Montage (2.36)
4. Julius Edmond Santorin (3.46)
5. Tho Young Lovers (1.52)
6. Off to Italy (2.18) Excellent track
7. Birthday Party (2.42)
8. Outdoor Cafe / Moving On (3.10)
9. A Little Romance (1.32)
10. The Bicycle Race (4.29)
11. The Lovers' Decision (1.04)
12. Venice (1.27)
13. Hiding in the Movies (2.25)
14. No Turning Back (1.13)
15. The Gondola (2.01) Excellent track
16. Farewell...For Now / End Title (5.30)

Total Length: 40.23