Re: C64 "Bombo" game music in "Dead Poets Society" movie?

Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2003 14:05:02 +1100
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
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"Paul Foerster" <email-address-deleted> wrote in message
news:b50jeh$245ehm$email-address-deleted...
> Hi group,
>
> ... I just watched the old movie "Dead Poets Society" (in German "Der
> Club der toten Dichter") again.
>
> The English sound track seems to play a few somewhat faint beats of the
> C64 game "Bombo" in the background between 0:31:30 and 0:32:00. Can
> someone verify that? I'm not definitly sure here.
>
> Please note that the above only applies to the English sound track. The
> German sound track has no score whatsoever in that scene.
I whipped out my dad's DPS video (knew it would come in handy one day!) and
checked out the tune.
It is often called called "The Hootchy Kootchy Dance" or "Little Egypt" or
"Streets of Cairo" and is
accredited to Sol Bloom. The 1893 exhibition had a large contingent of
sideshows/exhibits of Balkan and Middle Eastern origin (or Western
"interpretations" of them). The big hits were the Turks with big swords and
the ubiquitous "dancing girls". It's actually part of a 400-year-old
Algerian folk tune. The tune is probably most accurately named as "Streets
of Cairo" nowadays due to that being the most popular of the many versions.
But according to Catchy Tune Central at
http://ctc.portland.co.uk/answers.html:
"The 1893 Chicago World's Columbian Exposition seems to be the source of -
at least the popularity of - this tune. Sol Bloom claimed he ad libbed it to
accompany a dancer and forgot to claim copyright. It quickly became very
popular under scores of titles. However! An 1857 French print of the melody
has been found, that states this actually is an Algerian or Arabic
traditional called Kradoutja, dating back to at least the 17th century."
More detailed information can be found at
http://www.shira.net/streets-of-cairo.htm. This includes the variations of
the tune, and a more detailed history of the tune. Unfortunately there is no
existing written copy of the original Algerian music.
As for the dance it is associated with -
According to the Dance History Archive at
http://www.streetswing.com/histmain/z3hooch1.htm:
"The Hootchy-Kootchy dance is a pseudo-Turkish, sensual dance executed by
women in short skirts and tight breastbands, which is said to have
originated at the Philadelphia Centennial Fair (May-Nov-1876.)
----The term has been carried over to mean any so-called "Sexy" dance
performed at fairs, Carnivals, Saloons etc. Dances such as the Bubble dance,
Fan Dance, Serpentine Dance, Peek-A-Boo Dance, Danse du ventre, Can-Can,
Belly Dance etc. have all been lumped into this category.
----In Later days the Belly dance (Raks Sahrki) would also be associated
with this title, by promoters and dancers trying to make a fast buck, they
would use many movements of the belly dancer, however the Belly dance is
not, repeat not, a Hootchy-Kootchy dance form, even though it is
unfortunately listed here."
I hope that answers your question. :-)
Marc Walters