The Great Film Composers: Music Of The Movies

Venturing back to the 1930s and the birth of film soundtracks; music scores were played live until the first fully-composed synchronized film, "King Kong."

As fascism was growing in Germany the great artists who had not yet escaped Europe were now leaving and heading to Hollywood and bringing life to films such as "The Adventures of Robin Hood", "The Wizard of Oz" and "Jezebel".

Considered the Golden Age of Hollywood, in the 1940's, studios were filled with the most extraordinary directors and actors while soundtrack became increasingly important.

The 1950's marked a New Dawn with the arrival of new influences like jazz in soundtracks for movies like "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Giant," and "Dial M for Murder" and Jazz musicians scoring films.

The early 1960's arrived with some of the most memorable composers in film history such as Elmer Bernstein, Alex North, Ernest Gold, and Henry Mancini and some of the most memorable soundtracks like Bernard Herrmann's score for Psycho.

As Civil Rights issues began to influence the film industry, the spotlight shone on composers such as Quincy Jones and John Barry.