Notablog

Song of the Day: Ben-Hur (“Balthasar”) [YouTube link], composed by the great Miklos Rozsa, has been praised for being the “gorgeous multi-thematic cue” that it is. Rozsa won the Academy Award for Best Original Score for a soundtrack that remains his crowning achievement and a cinematic milestone. The 1959 film…

Song of the Day: Foul Play (“Ready to Take a Chance Again”), music by Charles Fox, lyrics by Norman Gimbel, is sung by Barry Manilow in this 1978 rom-com thriller. The cast includes Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, Dudley Moore, Burgess Meredith, and Brian Dennehy. This Oscar-nominated “Best Original Song” is…

Song of the Day: Craving Greatness (“Write On”), composed by my friend Michael Gordon Shapiro, is a paean to the creative process. As Mike puts it, “the mood of the [2021] film is of reflective gratitude and joy”—and this piece, written for two pianos, captures that spirit eloquently.

Song of the Day: Blade Runner (“Love Theme”) [YouTube link], composed by Vangelis, features a haunting saxophone solo by British jazz musician Dick Morrissey. For many years, the influential electronic soundtrack to this trailblazing 1982 sci-fi noir film, directed by Ridley Scott, was unavailable except through bootleg recordings. It was…

Song of the Day: The Body Snatcher (“Main Title”) [YouTube link], composed by Roy Webb, opens this Val Lewton-produced, Robert Wise-directed 1945 movie. An adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson short story, the cast included both Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi (the last time they would appear in the same…

Song of the Day: The Tender Trap (“Love is The Tender Trip”), music by Jimmy van Heusen, lyrics by Sammy Cahn, received a “Best Original Song” Oscar nomination for this 1955 comedy, based on the Max Shulman–Robert Paul Smith 1954 play. The film stars Debbie Reynolds, Celeste Holm, and Frank…