The escape artist

The Escape Artist, released in 1982, starred Griffin O'Neal and Raul Julia with a tale of a young boy determined to follow in the footsteps of his father, "the greatest escape artist except for Houdini".

Revered for his melodic skill and an innate emotional compass, French composer Georges Delerue could bring to bear music that was sweetly sentimental and drenched with pathos. He was a composer who could create magic, and that's why he was director Caleb Deschanel's one and only choice for The Escape Artist.

An already prolific screen career back home had seen him work with some of cinema's greatest auteurs – everyone from François Truffaut and Bernardo Bertolucci to Alain Resnais and Jean-Luc Godard. Then there were the English-language films for directors like Jack Clayton, Fred Zinnemann, John Huston, Mike Nichols and John Frankenheimer. He had won an Oscar at the 52nd Academy Awards in 1980 for his music for A Little Romance and he took the plunge by moving to Los Angeles soon after.

This long unavailable soundtrack features extensive liner notes from film and music journalist Michael Beek.

01 Main Titles

02 Getting Ready for The Big Time

03 Danny's Arrival

04 Burke & Sybil's Act

05 Harry Masters

06 Leaving The Apartment

07 The Bridal Shop

08 Picking Up Sandra

09 The Water Tank

10 Drowning

11 Ted's Rancho

12 Fritz Threatens Danny

13 Danny's Escape

14 The Secret Revealed / Levitation

15 Opening The Safe

16 Stu Chases Danny

17 The Mailbox / End Credits

Bonus Tracks

18 Harry Masters (Alternate)

19 Source Music I

20 Source Music II

21 Stage Band

22 Ted's Rancho (Source Music)

23 High School Band

24 Music Box

25 Practicing The Piano (Delerue Solo)

26 Main Theme - Original Piano Demo