Riz Ortolani obit

Riz Ortolani, Film Composer Who Wrote a Love Anthem, Dies at 87

 He was not on the list.

Riz Ortolani, an Italian composer of dozens of film scores, whose Grammy-winning instrumental melody featured in the 1962 film “Mondo Cane” evolved into “More,” the celebrated anthem of love covered by sensuous crooners around the globe, died on Jan. 23 at his villa outside Rome. He was 87.

The cause was complications after surgery, his son, Enrico, said.

At home in a variety of musical styles and moods — jaunty humor, buzzing suspense, lush romanticism — Mr. Ortolani was among Italy’s busiest film composers for almost half a century, working in a wide range of genre movies, including spaghetti westerns, thrillers and erotica.

Though not widely known in the United States — unlike his countryman the composer Ennio Morricone, he was not generally associated with popular American films — Mr. Ortolani wrote the scores for a number of English-language films. Among them were “The Yellow Rolls-Royce” (1964), a triptych about three different owners of the same car, with an original screenplay by the playwright Terence Rattigan; “Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell” (1968), a comedy with Gina Lollobrigida, Phil Silvers, Telly Savalas and Peter Lawford about an Italian woman with a daughter who has been getting child support from three former American soldiers who return to Italy for a reunion; and “The Hunting Party” (1971), the western drama with Candice Bergen and Gene Hackman.

More recently, the director Quentin Tarantino, a fan, used Mr. Ortolani’s music in his movies “Inglourious Basterds” and “Django Unchained.”

But Mr. Ortolani is probably best known, at least in this country, for two films. The first was “Mondo Cane” (“A Dog’s World”), a documentary of sorts presenting a kaleidoscope of cultural oddities and human behavior, from peculiar to perverse, that the filmmakers, Paolo Cavara, Franco Prosperi and Gualtiero Jacopetti, found in far-flung corners of the world. The score, consisting of several distinct musical themes repeated in varying arrangements, is credited to Mr. Ortolani and Nino Oliviero, though Mr. Ortolani’s family said Mr. Ortolani had been responsible for all the themes.

In the early 1950s, Ortolani was founder and member of a well-known Italian jazz band. One of his early film scores was for Paolo Cavara and Gualtiero Jacopetti's 1962 pseudo-documentary Mondo Cane, whose main title-song More earned him a Grammy and was also nominated for an Oscar as Best Song. The success of the soundtrack of Mondo Cane led Ortolani to score films in England and the United States such as The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966), The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968) and Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968). He also scored the 1972 film The Valachi Papers, directed by Terence Young and starring Charles Bronson.

Ortolani scored all or parts of over 200 films, including German westerns like Old Shatterhand (1964) and a long series of Italian giallos, Spaghetti Westerns, Eurospy films, Exploitation films and mondo films. These include Il Sorpasso (1962), Castle of Blood (1964), Africa Addio (1966), Day of Anger (1967), Anzio (1968), The McKenzie Break (1970), The Hunting Party (1971), A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (1972), Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972), The Fifth Musketeer (1979), From Hell to Victory (1979), the controversial Ruggero Deodato films Cannibal Holocaust (1980) and The House on the Edge of the Park (1980), and the first series of La piovra (1984). In later years he scored many films for Italian director Pupi Avati.

His music was used on soundtracks for Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (1999), Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), Drive (2011) and Django Unchained (2012).

Selected filmography

Year     Film            Directed by     Singles            Latest CD / Digital Release

1961    Ursus in the Valley of the Lions            Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia                      Digitmovies / CDDM209 / 2012

1962    Mondo Cane    Paolo Cavara, Franco Prosperi, Gualtiero Jacopetti                       CAM Sugar / 2021

Il Sorpasso            Dino Risi                   Milan / 399 552-2 / 2014

Mediterranean Holiday            Hermann Leitner, Rudolf Nussgruber                   Avanz Records / SP/CR-20049 / 2009

1963    The Fall of Rome            Antonio Margheriti                    

The Virgin of Nuremberg            Antonio Margheriti                     Quartet Records / QR231 / 2016

Three Ruthless Ones    Joaquín Luis Romero Marchent                      Beat Records / CDCR148 / 2023

1964    Castle of Blood            Antonio Margheriti, Sergio Corbucci                      Digitmovies / CDDM242 / 2014

Old Shatterhand            Hugo Fregonese                   

Brandy (film)            José Luis Borau, Mario Caiano              

The 7th Dawn            Lewis Gilbert              Film Score Monthly / FSM BOX 03 / 2008

The Yellow Rolls-Royce            Anthony Asquith                      Quartet Records / SCE061 / 2013

The Naked Hours   Marco Vicario             CAM Sugar / Digital / 2022

1965    The Glory Guys            Arnold Laven               Film Score Monthly / FSM BOX 03 / 2008

Red Dragon            Ernst Hofbauer                     

Berlin, Appointment for the Spies            Vittorio Sala                  Saimel Bandas Sonoras / 3998911 / 2009

1966    Africa Addio            Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi            Melody / ARG 196: Africa Addio / Cape Town            Master Classics Records / 2011

Lightning Bolt            Antonio Margheriti                    

Maya   John Berry               

The Spy with a Cold Nose            Daniel Petrie              

Make Love, Not War            Franco Rossi    CAM / AMP 13: Non Faccio La Guerra, Faccio L'Amore (3:50) / Don Getulio (2:21)            Digitmovies / DGST044 / 2019

1967            Requiescant      Carlo Lizzani              Beat Records / CDCR148 / 2023

Woman Times Seven   Vittorio De Sica                        Quartet Records / SCE061 / 2013

Tiffany Memorandum            Sergio Grieco              Beat Records / CFS007 / 2023

The Chastity Belt            Pasquale Festa Campanile            CAM / AMP 30: Le Notti Di Tobia / Tema D'Amore            Digitmovies / CDDM275 / 2014

Day of Anger            Tonino Valerii              GDM / GDM 2076 / 2006

1968    The Biggest Bundle of Them All            Ken Annakin                        Chapter III Records / CH 37503-2 / 2001

Sardinia Kidnapped            Gianfranco Mingozzi                GDM / GDM 4313 / 2013

Bandits in Milan    Carlo Lizzani             

Beyond the Law     Giorgio Stegani             GDM / GDM 2085 / 2007

Anzio   Edward Dmytryk, Duilio Coletti             

The Girl Who Couldn't Say No       Franco Brusati              GDM / GDM 4340 / 2014

The Bliss of Mrs. Blossom            Joseph McGrath                     

Emma Hamilton            Christian-Jaque                        GDM / CD CLUB 7077 / 2010

Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell            Melvin Frank              

Dead Men Don't Count            Rafael Romero Marchent                     

The Last Roman Robert Siodmak, Sergiu Nicolaescu/ Andrew Marton (2nd unit)                 

1969    One on Top of the Other   Lucio Fulci                 Beat Records Company / CDCR 134 / 2017

So Sweet... So Perverse            Umberto Lenzi             Quartet Records / QR481 / 2022

Night of the Serpent            Giulio Petroni             Digitmovies / CDDM145 / 2009

Viva Cangaceiro            Giovanni Fago             Beat Records / CDCR148 / 2023

1970    Andrea Doria-74            Bruno Vailati               Quartet Records / QR385 / 2019

The Unholy Four     Enzo Barboni                       

Invasion            Yves Allégret                        Quartet Records / QR443 / 2021

A Girl Called Jules     Tonino Valerii              GDM / GDM 4340 / 2014

Un caso di coscienza            Giovanni Grimaldi                    CF Soundtracks / CFS003 / 2019

The Adventures of Gerard            Jerzy Skolimowski                

Say Hello to Yesterday            Alvin Rakoff             

The McKenzie Break   Lamont Johnson                       

Madron            Jerry Hopper                       

The Lovemakers            Giovanni Grimaldi                    Digitmovies / CDDM266 / 2014

1971            Confessions of a Police Captain            Damiano Damiani                     Quartet Records / QR566 / 2025

The Hunting Party    Don Medford                      

Web of the Spider  Antonio Margheriti                     Quartet Records / QR467 / 2021

Goodbye Uncle Tom            Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi            RCA / SS-2160: Oh My Love (2:48) / Addio Zio Tom (2:32)            Quartet Records / QR564 / 2024

Il merlo maschio            Pasquale Festa Campanile            CAM / AMP 93: Il Merlo Maschio (2:08) / Fotografie (3:06)            Digitmovies / CDDM266 / 2014

The Statue            Rod Amateau                       Quartet Records / QR205 / 2015

1972    Do Not Commit Adultery            Giulio Petroni             CF Soundtracks / CFS003 / 2019

Seven Blood-Stained Orchids            Umberto Lenzi            

The Dead Are Alive            Armando Crispino                  Digitmovies / CDDM250 / 2014

Shadows Unseen Camillo Bazzoni                       

The Assassin of Rome            Damiano Damiani                    

Don't Torture a Duckling            Lucio Fulci                 Beat Records / CDCR 134 / 2017

A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die   Tonino Valerii              Digitmovies / CDDM293 / 2018

The Valachi Papers            Terence Young                      

Brother Sun, Sister Moon            Franco Zeffirelli                       

1973    One Russian Summer            Antonio Calenda                       

Dear Parents            Enrico Maria Salerno               GDM / CD CLUB 7077 / 2010

Seven Deaths in the Cat's Eye            Antonio Margheriti                    

Super Bitch            Massimo Dallamano            CAM / AMP 116: L'Intoccabile Mr. Cliff (3:26) / Love Break (1:55)   Chris' Soundtrack Corner / CSC 024 / 2018

Hospitals: The White Mafia            Luigi Zampa  CAM / AMP 114: Mafia Bianca (2:55) / Joe 5 (2:41)   GDM / GDM 4313 / 2013

No, the Case Is Happily Resolved            Vittorio Salerno            

Counselor at Crime   Alberto de Martino                   Chris' Soundtrack Corner / CSC 009 / 2011

Contact            Giorgio Bontempi            CAM / AMP 123: Contact (2:26) / Fei Nye Mi (4:40)   Quartet Records / QR240 / 2016

One Way            Jorge Darnell             Beat Records / BCM 9515 / 2012

Teresa the Thief     Carlo Di Palma                     

Mean Frank and Crazy Tony    Michele Lupo               

War Goddess            Terence Young            CineDisc / M-19: Una Ragione Per Vivre (3:38) / La Battaglia Delle Amazzoni (3:09)   Quartet Records / QRSCE029 / 2011

1974    There Is No 13            William Sachs   CAM / AMP 142: There Is No 13 (3:08) / 13th Floor (2:14)     

1975    How to Kill a Judge            Damiano Damiani                    

Mondo Candido            Gualtiero Jacopetti, Franco Prosperi            Seven Seas / FM-1087: Un Amore Cosi Tenero (3:05) / Mondo Candido (2:46)            Dagored / Red 113-2 / 2000

Portrait of a Veiled Woman            Flaminio Bollini                        Beat Records / BCM 9579 / 2017

1976            Submission            Salvatore Samperi                   

1977    Death Steps in the Dark            Maurizio Pradeaux                  

Casanova & Co.      Franz Antel as Francois Legrand                       

I Am Afraid            Damiano Damiani                    

The Pyjama Girl Case            Flavio Mogherini                     Quartet Records / QR155 / 2014

Sahara Cross            Tonino Valerii              Volcano / CPC8-1216 / 2003

Double Murder            Steno              

1978    Red Rings of Fear            Alberto Negrin             

First Love            Dino Risi                  

Gegè Bellavita            Pasquale Festa Campanile                    Digitmovies / DGST046 / 2019

Cyclone            René Cardona Jr.                 

Brutes and Savages            Arthur Davis                Quartet Records / QR527 / 2023

1979    Tigers in Lipstick            Luigi Zampa             

The Fifth Musketeer            Ken Annakin                        Quartet Records / QR268 / 2017

Neapolitan Mystery            Sergio Corbucci                     

Mimi            Florestano Vancini                  Digitmovies / DGST048 / 2019

From Hell to Victory            Umberto Lenzi             Beat Records / CDCR 118 / 2012

1980            Cannibal Holocaust            Ruggero Deodato                    Beat Records / DDJ 047 / 2019

House on the Edge of the Park            Ruggero Deodato                    Beat Records Company / BCM 9586 / 2020

1981            Madhouse       Luigi Zampa             

Help Me Dream  Ovidio G. Assonitis                 

Fantasma d'amore            Dino Risi       WEA / PROMO 129: Phantom Of Love (2:38) / Unforgettable Love (3:16)            Quartet Records / QR241 / 2016

Nessuno è perfetto            Pasquale Festa Campanile            aka Nobody's Perfect Beat Records / DDJ059 / 2023

1982    The Girl from Trieste            Pasquale Festa Campanile                    Beat Records / CDCR145 / 2021

Valentina, Crónica del Alba (part 1)            Antonio José Betancor               Quartet Records / QR239 / 2016

1983    Zeder            Pupi Avati                GDM / 4334 / 2021

1919, Crónica del Alba            Antonio José Betancor               Quartet Records / QR239 / 2016

1984            Warriors of the Year 2072    Lucio Fulci                 Beat Records Company / BCM 9586 / 2020

Tuareg – The Desert Warrior            Enzo G. Castellari                 GDM / 4336 / 2014

A Proper Scandal            Pasquale Festa Campanile                    Cinevox / CD OST-PK 037 / 2018

1985            Miranda          Tinto Brass               

1986    The Inquiry            Damiano Damiani                     Digitmovies / CDDM279 / 2016

1987            Capriccio         Tinto Brass               

The Last Minute  Pupi Avati               

1989    Killer Crocodile            Fabrizio De Angelis                 Kronos Records / KRONCD020 / 2013

Massacre Play            Damiano Damiani                    

1990    The Dark Sun            Damiano Damiani                     Beat Records / BCM9614 / 2023

1991    Paprika            Tinto Brass               

1992    Angel with a Gun            Damiano Damiani                     Beat Records / BCM9614 / 2023

1993            Magnificat        Pupi Avati                GDM / GDM 4338 / 2014

1994    The Voyeur Tinto Brass               

Nefertiti, figlia del sole Guy Gilles               

2007    The Hideout            Pupi Avati               

2010    A Second Childhood            Pupi Avati