[Nicolai P. Zwar]

Fair enough. But the point of the thread is not great compositions with melody as just one of many aspects of it but about composers particularly good at writing great melodies, regardless how they use them in their compositions.

Yes, I understood. Which is why I pointed out that I find that not so easy to answer. Thinking about this I notice that I find that a tricky question. I find talking about melody isolated from composition like talking about the protagonist of a novel without discussing the other aspects of the novel.
If nothing else, whatever makes a great melody by itself, seems to be a totally subjective, it is whatever sequence of notes one likes. (Nothing wrong with that, of course.)

And regarding Planet of the Apes, I am not sure to which melody you are referring there. But I don’t regard any of those I remember as great.
Melody is rather an incidental element of that score, I would say. Like in most of Jerry’s scores. Here I am with Thor.

The entire score of PLANET OF THE APES is basically constructed around a 12-tone melody, that is the prominent melody already introduced in the “Main Title” (prominently on the flutes at around the 50 second mark, then taken up by the oboes at around 1:15) and that is referenced throughout the score. It’s not incidental to the music, but rather the one central unifying element of the score; the melody is central to the film score’s construction.

But the fact that you regard this melody as incidental whereas I see — well, better “hear” — this as the central component in the score shows how subjective musical, and especially melodic, experience of music is. I think it’s one of the great film score melodies. (It’s not a particularly hummable melody, I would grant that… but then, what 12-tone melody is…)