[This paper was first given at the Music and the Moving Image Conference, 2013. Video clips and screen grabs under fair use; all other materials (c) Lisa Scoggin.]
When I first opened up my copy of the two-disc special edition of the movie Hellboy (2004), I was pleased but rather surprised that it contained in its special features the cartoon Gerald McBoing Boing. It didn’t make much sense upon first glance. Hellboy is a dark, violent fantasy film based on the comic strip of the same name by Mike Mignola. It includes demons, Nazis, Rasputin, and visions of the apocalypse. Gerald McBoing Boing, on the other hand, is a light, extremely family-friendly cartoon based on a Dr. Seuss story. The more I thought about it, though, the more of a connection I made between the two, especially in terms of the main characters of each story. Each of them is an outcast, and both are distinctly American. Hellboy watches the cartoon in the movie not only because of this connection, but because Gerald is able to become a part of society despite (or perhaps because of) his differences – something that Hellboy longs to do. The characteristics of being an American outcast do not simply show up in the plot, however; they appear in the visual and sonic aspects of the films as well. It is these aspects upon which I would particularly like to focus here, revealing depths of the connections between the two characters – and why Hellboy might be enamored enough of Gerald McBoing Boing to include him in his den.
First, let’s establish the character of Hellboy. He is a superhero who works for the United States government, but those in power deny his existence. Though brought to this world through a portal by Rasputin, he was raised by the man who found him, Professor Bruttenhelm, and tends to follow the professor’s moral and belief systems (even calling him “father.”) He fights and kills monsters or freaks who would harm humanity, though he himself is called a monster and a freak by some.
Visually, his appearance makes him stand out. His right arm is made of stone and is considerably larger than his left. He has horns that he keeps cut down, in order to (as the movie states) “fit in” and look more human. He has a tail. The original comics in particular give his face and stone hand an angular look, differentiating it from his team on the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense (B.P.R.D. for short).
There’s one other aspect that may seem obvious that I have not yet mentioned – he’s red. Extremely red. Intensely red. This coloration not only makes him stand out from all of the other people and characters in the movie, but also within the settings themselves, as there is purposely not a lot of red otherwise. This comes both from director Guillermo Del Toro’s vision and from Hellboy’s original creator Mike Mignola, who was a close consultant on the film. Part of the reason for this in the film is due to the use of color filters,[i] which are quite apparent and may be seen as representative of different aspects of the film. Blue, for instance, may stand for the human race, and yellow for magic. Given that many of the settings relate primarily to the human world and therefore are bathed in a vaguely blue color, Hellboy sticks out like a sore thumb. Only in a world of violence and blood – a Hell world of which he wants no part – does he blend in.
Despite his appearance, Hellboy does desperately want to fit in with the world he grew up in: that of humanity and American ideals. I’ve already mentioned that he cuts off his horns. His room at the B.P.R.D. looks more like one in a frat house than that of a typical superhero. He yearns to be out in the real world, occasionally sneaking out and perhaps grabbing some beer and meeting up with a girl. The language he uses is extremely informal and full of American colloquialisms, both in the comics and the movie. To sum it up, Hellboy is, in many ways, a very bright, knowledgeable everyman, who has a small circle of friends but otherwise feels like he does not and cannot belong to the world at large.
Those who are familiar with Hellboy might state that the description of him that I have provided is fairly obvious, and they’d be right. What is less obvious, though is how the music emphasizes these aspects, particularly that of being an outcast and of being American. To explain this, I will need to go into more detail regarding the characters involved and the overall musical scheme. Composer Marco Beltrami notes in his commentary for the movie that the score was meant to be particularly operatic, meaning (in his opinion) that there are many leitmotifs and themes designed around specific characters and events. For example, the villains in the movie have two primary themes, noted in the soundtrack as “Kroenen’s Lied” and the “Evil Doers” theme. “Kroenen’s Lied” is used both diegetically and non-diegetically in the film. The title refers to the character of Karl Ruprecht Kroenen, who was born in Germany in 1897, joined the Nazis for World War II, and was given life again in 2004 by Rasputin. His theme may best be described as “neo-Wagnerian”: tonal, but with a strong chromaticism and an unusual chord progression; thick, rich orchestration; a strong bass line; and of course, German text in the vocal version.
Example 1 presents my transcription of the melody of the soundtrack version (minus the text) for your perusal. The combination of the music and the visuals suggest not only Nazism and everything related to it, but also a European-ness that is in direct contrast to Hellboy.
The “Evil Doers” theme is equally slippery, using a heavily chromatic ground bass and plodding tempo to support a sinuous melody that grows both in volume and in tessitura, adding higher voices as it goes and bringing more tension along with it. (An excerpt of this, presenting the bass line and the initial horn melody, may be seen in my transcription in example 2.)
Although Beltrami states in the commentary that this theme may be related to all the evil doers, in the film, it is especially connected to Rasputin, who is the overall villain here and the one who, at the beginning of the movie, works with the Nazis to bring Hellboy into the world to start an apocalypse. Indeed, the scene I’ve described here uses that theme quite clearly.
On the other end of the spectrum is the theme for Professor Bruttenhelm, which is given a full rendition on the soundtrack under the title “Father’s Funeral.” (Example 3 shows my transcription of the melody.)
While still sounding somewhat European (not surprising given that Bruttenhelm is originally from England), the melody is considerably more tonal and sounds much more folk-like than classical. The harmonies are relatively straightforward, and the triple meter adds to its folk-like status while suggesting, as author Jamie Webster and others have noted, a connection to the fantastic.[ii] This music is perhaps closer to Hellboy in that much of European folk music may be considered to be the predecessor or “father” of American folk and popular music. In other words, just as Bruttenhelm is Hellboy’s father, Bruttenhelm’s theme may be considered the father of Hellboy’s theme—but more on that in a moment.
In between these themes, both in terms of the music and the characters they represent, are Hellboy’s set of themes (seen in example 4), sometimes used together and sometimes used separately.
The tempo of these themes is, in their standard configuration (as heard here), considerably quicker than any other character’s theme, giving it more of an energy that is often associated with American music. The higher theme is somewhat chromatic as with the evil doers but limits the actual number of pitches used, and in so being, is closer to folk music. It morphs several times in the movie, appearing with different orchestrations and different tempos, and working along with the visuals to present a different flavor using the same music (perhaps indicating the inherent complexity of the character.) The underlying chord progression is not standard but is quite simple, using only two chords. The second theme is the baritone guitar riff. As with its partner, it is fairly high energy, slightly but not obsessively chromatic, and fairly short and therefore suitable to be repeated regularly. But what stands out here with these two themes is the mix of rock and roll timbres and orchestral timbres. I maintain that this places Hellboy in the crossroads between the “freaks” and the humans and provides even his orchestral theme with an “American outcast” flair. Allow me explain this in greater detail.
We’ve established that the orchestral themes for the villains and for Bruttenhelm have a European sound to them. It is true that all of the main characters (except for Agent Miles) have their own orchestral themes as well. However, the “freaks” at BPRD – Hellboy, Liz Sherman, and Abe Sapien – are also associated with rock music, which, although created and performed around the world, is generally linked to the United States.[iii] Here are a few examples: the first time that we see the BPRD go into action, Abe and Hellboy come in the back of a garbage truck to the music of “Red Right Hand” (covered here by American Pete Yorn.)[iv] When Hellboy escapes to visit Liz in the asylum, we hear the California group Paloalto performing “Breathe In.” Then later, after Liz is back and Hellboy is attempting to write a love letter to her, he’s listening to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”. These are not the only instances where rock music is being played, but as with these, each case clearly connects to the more unusual members of the BPRD: those who have in some way been made to be outcasts from society. Musicologist J. Drew Stephen has stated that the use of rock music in fantasy or superhero movies suggests a striving to overcome by the heroes, and that is certainly the case here,[v] but I maintain that it’s more than that: not only are they striving to overcome the villains, they are also working to fit into the American ideal as best they can. None do this more than Hellboy, who musically not only has two rock songs directly related to him in the film (the aforementioned “Red Right Hand” and, on the director’s cut, “Hellboy”), but even has a rock instrument in his orchestral theme.
I mentioned earlier that Bruttenhelm’s theme may be considered the “father” of Hellboy’s theme. While this is not the case in some respects – the chromaticism, for example, comes from Rasputin and the other villains – the idea here is that folk music, not only in its messages but also in its simpler chordal structure and more repetitive phrase structure, is part of the rock and roll family tree. So, while Hellboy’s orchestral themes have aspects of the villains’ music, Bruttenhelm’s music, and the B.P.R.D. music, it doesn’t really belong with any of them. It is its own beast, just as Hellboy is, no matter how much he would like to be a “normal” man in the world at large.
We’ve determined that Hellboy is an outcast longing to fit in. Then why would he identify with Gerald McBoing Boing? Primarily, he would because Gerald was an outcast who eventually was accepted and even praised for his differences. The main character, born Gerald McCloy, comes from a normal post-World War II middle-class family. He looks like most other American children of the time, so in that way, he fits in more comfortably than Hellboy. Indeed, his toys, school, and home all have that 1950s American sitcom feeling, and Gerald looks comfortable with all of them. Once he opens his mouth, however, his nonconformity becomes apparent: he speaks only in sound effects, using no words at all. As a result, he is kicked out of school, his father grows extremely frustrated with him, and all of the other kids either run away from him or make fun of him, calling him “Gerald McBoing Boing.” Gerald runs away and tries to hitch a ride on a train, only to be found by the head of a radio station who would like to hire him specifically for what has previously separated him from society: his abilities to make noises. Indeed, we see him in his cowboy outfit successfully making all of the sounds for a Western in the studio. By the end of the cartoon, he has achieved fame and fortune, now being loved for his differences rather than despised because of them.
Certainly, this plot would appeal to Hellboy, as one who hopes for the same social success that McBoing Boing has achieved. But let’s look at this a little more deeply – more deeply, to be honest, than Hellboy probably would, but with the understanding that these connections might have subconsciously soaked into his thought processes. The overall look of the cartoon, for example, differs considerably from the Warner Brothers and Disney styles of the time. Director Robert Cannon goes for a much simpler style, using line drawings, blocks of color, and very little in terms of background. The actual color of the background – animation’s version of the filters used in Hellboy, perhaps – acts as a symbol to characterize Gerald’s mood, as film critic Leonard Maltin has noted.[vi]
The music, too, was quite unusual for a typical cartoon of the time, especially compared to Disney and Warner Brothers shorts.[vii] It was composed by Gail Kubik (1914-1984), probably the most highly decorated American composer you’ve never heard of. Musicologist Alfred W. Cochran notes that Kubik was “a prodigy” when it came to music. He studied with Walter Piston and Nadia Boulanger and also won the Rome Prize, the Pulitzer Prize, and two Guggenheim Fellowships.[viii] At the time of “Gerald McBoing Boing,” he was regarded as a modernist, though not a serialist. He was also considered to be, as Howard Pollack notes, a “full-fledged Americanist.”[ix] His score, composed before the actual animation was done, contains many things found in typical American concert music: open spacing; energetic, syncopated rhythms; and short, percussive phrases in the many allegro sections, to name a few.
Of course, Hellboy probably would have no clue who Gail Kubik is, though he probably could tell that it didn’t sound like Bugs Bunny and might even make some vague connection to Copland if he were really paying attention. No, what he most likely notices is Gerald’s particular soundscape – his use of sounds. The sound effects in this cartoon are only associated with Gerald.[x] For most of the cartoon, in fact, he is the only source of these effects, as he even contributes the effects while his mom is reading the rejection letter. While he can understand and even read actual text (thereby showing that he is willing to be part of the “normal” world), others refuse to become a part of his world by contributing its soundscape. Even the chandelier falling (with his dad in it) does not elicit a sound, as it would in just about any other cartoon. We only hear sound effects from others starting at the moment that Gerald is accepted for who he is, and then they are used to communicate directly to the boy – becoming a part of his world. Gerald appreciates this considerably; indeed, the first time it happens, when the owner of the station (in bright yellow garb) notes what radio network it is, Gerald cheers up noticeably. Later, too, we hear the radio audience applauding, finally signaling aurally (as well as visually) McBoing Boing’s acceptance into the world at large.
All of this – the plot, the unusual visual style, and its particular soundscape – might not have made a difference if the cartoon itself had not been so incredibly successful, gathering popular and critical acclaim and even winning an Academy Award for best cartoon.[xi] Indeed, aspects of the animation style were influential for many years afterwards. So the idea of an American outcast making it in the world works on two levels here: both as young Gerald McBoing Boing becoming accepted by the general public and the film Gerald McBoing Boing being welcomed by the world at large.
Though Hellboy is accepted and even welcomed by his peers – Abe Sapien, the people of the B.P.R.D., and ultimately, Liz Sherman, the woman he loves – he never becomes a full-fledged member of the public as Gerald does – at least in this movie. And so, he hopes and yearns that the American outcast that he is will truly become a part of the world. The connection that Hellboy has with Gerald McBoing Boing, as substantiated by the visual and aural aspects of their respective worlds, helps give him that hope that, as Liz states, “red or white, it makes no difference.”
Endnotes:
[i] See Del Toro’s commentary on the Director’s Cut (at the kiss scene) for a short discussion of the blue filters.
[ii] Jamie Webster, “Creating Magic with Music: The Changing Dramatic Relationship between Music and Magic in Harry Potter Films,” The Music of Fantasy Cinema, ed. Janet Halfyard, Sheffield, UK and Bristol, CT: Equinox Publishing, 2012, 200.
[iii] Note that this may come from Bruttenhelm, who, in his study, listens to popular music from the 1940s, which may be considered one of the predecessors to rock music. Two songs specifically are heard in this context: “Easy Come, Easy Go” performed by Johnny Crawford (of The Rifleman fame) and “We’ll Meet Again” performed by Vera Lynn.
[iv] Originally by Nick Cave.
[v] J. Drew Stephen, “Who Wants to Live Forever: Glam Rock, Queen, and Fantasy Film,” The Music of Fantasy Cinema, ed. Janet Halfyard, Sheffield, UK and Bristol, CT: Equinox Publishing, 2012, 58-78; but see also Robert Walser on heavy metal music.
[vi] Leonard Maltin, Of Mice and Magic: A History of American Animated Cartoons, rev. ed., New York: Plume Books, 1987, 332. (See also Michael Barrier, Hollywood Cartoons: American Animation in Its Golden Age, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 1999, 525-526 for similar thoughts.)
[vii] The musical style presented here as related to cartoons is perhaps most closely related to that of MGM’s Scott Bradley (as heard in the Tom & Jerry cartoons.)
[viii] Alfred W. Cochran, “The Functional Music of Gail Kubik: Catalyst for the Concert Hall,” Indiana Theory Review 19/1-2 (Spring – Fall 1998), 1.He won the Rome Prize in 1950, two Guggenheim Fellowships (in 1944 and 1965), and the Pulitzer Prize in 1952.
[ix] Howard Pollack, “Regional Voices: John Vincent and Gail Kubik,” in Harvard Composers: Walter Piston and His Students, from Elliott Carter to Frederic Rzewski, Metuchen, NJ and London: Scarecrow Press, 1992, 50-51. See also Kubik’s article in Music Educator’s Journal on his time in Europe. Note, too, that his music has been compared to that of Copland (Cochran, Pollack).
[x] This is similar to Hellboy and the color red.
[xi] IMDB website http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0043581/awards?ref_=tt_awd (accessed 01May13)