My favorite…Fahrenheit 451. Even more so, knowing the back story, and, I also love hearing Ray Bradbury, in the Universal dvd special feature, The Music of Fahrenheit 451, state that “I cry every time at the end.” The Finale is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written.

This summer, I was lucky to have a dream come true, hearing Psycho performed live by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by the film. I’m now trying to enlist John Goberman, the producer of these great performances, to add Fahrenheit to his repertoire.

Just for the Vertigo score alone, to me, Herrman is a genious. More than just creating the haunting mood of Vertigo, the music helped my understanding of scenes and characters, and moves the storyline forward. I was too young to understand Vertigo the first time I saw it but I never forgot the music. When the remastered version came out in the 90′s I couldnt wait to see it again. Of course the movie stands on its own, but the score adds to the intrigue and mystery of the story.

Imagine *”The Godfather” *”Godfather, Part 11″ “Jaws” *”0ut of Africa”=(& somewhat it’s companion pc music-wise from 1980 “Somewhere In Time” of course both by 5 time winer: *John Barry! Without that music?

Or, how about *”Waterfront?” “Glory?” “The Natural” & going back to the man of whom is arguably A No. #1 of all-time, despite: *Alfred Newman being *OSCARS’ champ with (9)
*Max Steiner!-(TRIVIA: Somewhat an irony in that both composers, plus 3 time victor: *Dimitri Tiomkin are all laid to rest within several feet of each other in “The Great Maus.” “Forest Lawn, cem.” Glendale, CALIF.)
We could fill a few pages here with the bulk of *Steiner’s astonishing career.-(TRIVIA: His own fav. reportedly was “The Caine Mutiny”)

My personal all-timer though is kind of a tie & as all know in reading this, also had the same & vastly underrated-(by the highbrows) director: Sergio Leone. 1969′s “0nce Upon a Time in the West” & make certain sports fans, you see the 227min directors cut of 1984′s “0nce Upon a time in America”-(AFI also voted this #8th of the 1980′s) & even more “outrageous’ is that the now 81yr old Ennio Morricone has never “scored an OSCAR?”
Speaking of AFI, it voted “Star Wars” (*J. Williams) & *GWTW” (yep, *Max Steiner again) as the greatest of all-time in another of it’s now too-many polls.

But, this is about *B. Herrmann, of whom also went pretty early at only age 64 in ’75. His music for “Taxi-Driver” & “0bsession”-(which sounds almost identical to his own superb “Vertigo” & deliberately) Both snagged him posthumous nods. However that yr 1976 the AMPAS felt it time to honor: *Jerry Goldsmith for “The 0men” instead & it even took *”Rocky’s,” immediate classic score!

For me, though a marvelous list by author. It’s hard to pick my own fav. of his. I do know *Scorsese admired “The Wrong Man’ so much, he admitted to virtually having him copy it for “Taxi-Driver” Also, more kudo’s for including such an unkown as ’69′s film! Most would without question pick “Psycho” & it’s a heavyweight of course.-(& not even in the race that year???)

All literature says ’51′s film ‘noir “0n Dangerous Ground’ was his own favourite.

& I first caught ’62′s “Cape Fear’ on late night tv as a kid of about 19 around 1985 or so. It took awhile, but it finally caught on

Though I must agree-(barely) with you in citing 1 of the 10 best films ever produced as well, in “Vertigo!”

Reckon’ it comes down to which would you most like to own?

By the way, of composers *John Williams own idol is *Erich Wolfgang Korngold!

Thank You

(P.S. maybe I overlooked it, but what of his 1 and only *ACADEMY AWARD victory-(& vs. himself that year for “Kane”)
“All that Money Can Buy?”

I think because I grew up watching the movie over and over and over and over, his “Mysterious Island” score probably tops my list, but there are so many amazing Herrmann scores, as you’ve pointed out.

Thanks for pointing to the TCM Herrmann fest — my September sched seems not to have arrived and I would have probably missed this great event!

A great way to start the month!