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Some of that has to do with confusion over the film’s copyright.
Suffice it to say that nobody seems to know who owns what at this
point and nobody wants to risk waking a multinational corporate
giant for the sake of issuing a cheap copy. Then there’s the question
of whether the risk is worth the reward. As we’ve gently suggested,
‘Unchained’ is not a very good film. Its low budget is on display at
nearly every turn and the film is pretty short on excitement. A film
historian might comment that the production was socially
progressive for 1954, casting a black man (Todd Duncan) in a
leading role and treating him with dignity. That in addition to
hearing the origin of a classic pop song might be worth the sleuth
work to find a copy. But if you’re looking for pure cinematic thrills,
you’re better advised to look elsewhere.
The Music
Now, one by one, let’s have a closer look at the various
versions of this unexpected musical “standard.” And you can
trust us: Academy Award loser or not, there are far more
versions of
Unchained Melody
out there today than there are
of the Award- winning
Love Is A Many Splendored Thing.
Let’s begin with the recording everybody knows about and
expects to hear. Once Phil Spector and Bobby Hatfield turned
