Roberto Gerhard(1896-1970)

Gerhard wrote only two film scores, over a decade apart. His first was for "Secret People", a considerable box-office and critical failure. The making of this film was described in great detail in a book (entitled "Making A Film") written by Lindsay Anderson, then a journalist and critic. In 1962, Anderson, who had become an important stage director, was working on his first feature film, "This Sporting Life", and, wanting something unusual for the music, renewed his acquaintance with Gerhard. However, both men were highly opinionated and argumentative, and theirs was a thorny relationship. By the time the finished film opened in February of 1963, Anderson had cut out several sections of Gerhard's score, leading to a permanent estrangement. However, Anderson paid Gerhard a gracious tribute after his death in 1970.