Varèse Sarabande Records reissue Jerry Goldsmith's score from Raggedy Man (1981). While World War II rages overseas, a divorced mother of two, Nita Longley, struggles to makes ends meet as a telephone operator in small-town Texas. As the subject of disdainful gossip due to her divorce, Nita faces a lonely existence of ostracism, where only the unscrupulous approach her - often with ill intent. When she befriends Teddy, a sailor on leave, her situation improves, but he's soon sent to war. Once again, Nita must face her plight alone...

Jerry Goldsmith's soundtrack for Raggedy Man (1981) was one of the scores that inspired the creation of the Varèse Sarabande CD Club and, in 1991, became the seventh release in the series. That limited edition has been out of print ever since. This is a special Encore release for the CD Club as it has been unavailable for 28 years.

Goldsmith would revisit the main theme for Raggedy Man the following year (1982) when he composed the soundtrack to Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist. He hardly bothers to try and disguise the fact it's been repurposed.

The album's a little shorter than modern collector's have come to expect, containing just 33 min, 46 mins worth of music.

It's a sweet and intricate score and certainly one that Goldsmith fans should have in their collection.

8

Darren Rea