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Song of the Day: Chinatown (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by Jerry Goldsmith, is a perfect complement to this 1974 neo-noir film, starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston as one of the sleaziest villains in cinema history. On this date in 1929, the great Jerry Goldsmith was born.…

Song of the Day: Jurassic Park (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by John Williams, continues our two-day celebration of the maestro’s 90th birthday. Williams remains the most-Oscar nominated film score composer in history. His 52 Oscar nominations in total, put him second only to Walt Disney (with 59 nominations) in…

Song of the Day: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by John Williams, provides just a hint of the triumphant Oscar-winning score to this Steven Spielberg-directed classic that celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year. I had the privilege of seeing the finale of this film conducted by…

Song of the Day: Taxi Driver (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by Bernard Herrmann, concludes our 5-day mini tribute to this film score maestro. This was the composer’s final film score before his death on Christmas Eve in 1975. He didn’t live to see the film’s debut on February 8,…

Song of the Day: The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], music by Bernard Herrmann, harks back to his early years as a film score composer. This suite, derived from the soundtrack to the enchanting 1947 fantasy film, starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, features some of the…

Song of the Day: Marnie (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by Bernard Herrmann, is the third of our 5-day mini-tribute to this cinematic score legend. This score for the 1964 film starring Sean Connery and Tippi Hedren, was the last of Herrmann’s seven collaborations with Hitchcock.

Song of the Day: Vertigo (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by Bernard Herrmann, is the second suite in our 5-day mini-tribute to one of the finest composers to touch cinematic history. The soundtrack to this film is one of his crowning achievements—yet another of his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, who…

Song of the Day: North by Northwest (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by Bernard Herrmann, is one of the highlights to this 1959 film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason. I know it’s a tough call, but this remains my all-time favorite among…