Thread: Top five movie composers

Originally Posted by CountenanceAnglaise

All those movies!! "Rains of Ranchipur" - OMG I didn't think ANYBODY KNEW about these!! Wonderful, Prody. You are obviously a person of great taste and inquisitiveness when it comes to film...Are you young, or a senior like me?

Thank you very much for these kind words.

Actually, I'm currently age 44. So I'm not young and I'm not a senior.

I know how you feel about vintage films being forgotten. Being a registered member on other film music message boards myself, I'm constantly struck as to how so many people are unaquainted with films and music that were created before they were born.

Even though I have never seen "The Rains Of Ranchipur", I am certainly aware of its existence and have what little exists on disc of Hugo Friedhofer's score.

I'll carry the torch of older films onwards, but how many 30-somethings & 20-somethings will do this after me?

You must, Prody, because you love all of these things so much. But remember, great film-makers like Scorsese and Brian de Palma and the Coen Brothers all love those films too and constantly honour them by making their own references to them in their films. (You are what is called "film literate" and ought celebrate that every day!)

At a mere 44 years you have many wonderful years of discovery ahead of you and may I recommend the glorious and elegant films of Ernst Lubitsch ("Ninotchka", "Trouble in Paradise" etc.) and the extraordinary films of the great, great, great Billy Wilder. His favourite of mine is "The Seven Year Itch", which he and Izzy Diamond adapted from the play be George Axelrod. The opening scene from that film is pure magic too!! If you like Wilder's piquance may I recommend a harsher version of that sensibility in Alexander Mackendrik and Clifford Odett's "Sweet Smell of Success". Wilder was pushing in that direction with "Ace in the Hole" - a harsh look at human nature.

BTW, I've never yet come across a film forum where there is serious discussion - mainly 'fans' and that sort of thing. There's a Benny Herrmann site, which is good, but if you DO know of a serious forum where people talk about vintage film, even going back to the silents, please send me a PM. I'm not interested in montages of 'stars' etc., as I've studied film as a Post-graduate and have read lots of stunning biographies: Hitchcock, Hawks, Ford, Cukor, Renoir, Kazan, Minnelli etc.

Originally Posted by CountenanceAnglaise

If you like Wilder's piquance may I recommend a harsher version of that sensibility in Alexander Mackendrik and Clifford Odett's "Sweet Smell of Success". Wilder was pushing in that direction with "Ace in the Hole" - a harsh look at human nature.

Oh yes! "Sweet Smell Of Success" has been with me for many years, and it's on my top 20 favorite films.
I've only watched "Ace In The Hole" once so far, but I have it on home video so one of these days I'll be watching it again. (incidently, that's another Hugo Friedhofer score!)

Better and better, Prody!!

1. Ennio Morricone
2. John Williams
3. Jerry Goldsmith
4. Danny Elfman
5. Vangelis