Courtesy of Hans Sørensen Original contract signed by Hugo Friedhofer in 1937 Hugo Friedhofer composed his first original score for The Adventures of Marco Polo
In 1937 Samuel Goldwyn signed Hugo Friedhofer to a contract, and the result was Friedhofer’s first major original score for THE ADVENTURES OF MARCO POLO. The movie was one of the most elaborate and costly productions of independent producer Samuel Goldwyn; it also became one of his biggest money-losers upon release when it failed at the box-office. Despite the excellence and originality of his first score did not allow him to compose any original works during his entire eleven year tenure at Warners, except for the minor VALLEY OF THE GIANTS, a collaboration with Adolph Deutsch in 1938. Of MARCO POLO Gene Lees wrote, “All the Friedhofer characteristics were already in place: the restraint, the perfect orchestral balance, the beauty of line, the sensitivity, and something that is indefinably but recognizably him.”
