COMMANDO DI SPIE (aka WHEN HEROES DIE, aka CONSIGNA: MATAR AL COMANDANTE EN JEFE), 1970, war movie directed by José Luis Merino and starring Craig Hill, Enrique Ávila, Rafael Cores, Annabella Incontrera, Remo De Angelis, Carlos Quiney, Aldo Sambrell, Maria Silva, Alan Parker, Vicente Roca, Ricardo Valle, Manuel Zarzo, Piero Lulli. During the second world war, a British commando with the task to kidnap Rommel, general of the German army, falls into the hands of the Germans. The feld Marshal Himmler decides to make the enemies believing that the mission is successful, by handing a fake Rommel escorted by German soldiers trained to pretend to be British, whose task then will be to kill Eisenhower. The soldier Max Bletcher is chosen to playing as Rommel, for his extraordinary resemblance to the German general. During the trip through France, a partisan named Martha joins with the fake British soldiers that must reach the place where a British plane must take delivery of the prisoner. The companions of the woman, decimated by a sudden incursion of German soldiers, accused the major Richard Harvey. The command ends up being attacked simultaneously both by the Partisans and by the Germans, and so Harvey, completely unaware of the plan of Himmel, loses all his men. Once reached the French coast of the English Channel, surprisingly Bletcher reveals to be an American secret agent. The mission of the major failed. Bletcher embarks on a submarine, while Martha prefers to stay together with Harvey. At that time, C.A.M. released a promotional album (CAM PRE 4) containing twelve selections in stereo (duration 28:34). This CD includes music from both the master tape assembled for the 33 RPM and the stereo master tapes of the original session, that surprisingly have brought to light more than twenty minutes of unreleased material. Total time of this album 50:27. Nico Fidenco composed the theme, Annabella, dedicated to the starring actress Annabella Incontrera. It is a romantic love theme, with pop arrangement for large orchestra, conducted by Giacomo Dell’Orso, who also did the orchestration. This theme is often reprised in the OST, alternated to dramatic and mysterious music background for all the war and espionage sequences.
THE ORIGINAL PROMO ALBUM
01. ANNABELLA 3:49
02. FUGGI, UOMO 2:08
03. NELLE FOGNE 2:47
04. NON RICORDO 1:28
05. IL RIMPIANTO DI RICHARD 0:58
06. COMMANDO DI SPIE 2:36
07. QUANTI RICORDI 1:59
08. RIVELAZIONE 2:47
09. TRANSFERT 2:55
10. LA FRETTA 1:24
11. I CARRI ARMATI 1:51
12. ANNABELLA 3:23
BONUS TRACKS – PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
13. FUGGI, UOMO (alt. mix) 2:07
14. ANNABELLA 1:55
15. COMMANDO DI SPIE 1:01
16. ANNABELLA 1:48
17. COMMANDO DI SPIE (gavotta) 1:49
18. QUANTI RICORDI 1:43
19. COMMANDO DI SPIE 2:59
20. IL RIMPIANTO DI RICHARD (alt. take) 1:31
21. RIVELAZIONE (film version) 1:25
22. IL RIMPIANTO DI RICHARD 1:25
23. ANNABELLA 1:21
24. IL RIMPIANTO DI RICHARD 2:18
music by NICO FIDENCO
conducted by Giacomo Dell’Orso
choir I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni
