FSM # 20: Final scores – best and worst?
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What are some of the FILM composer’s best and worst final scores before their death?
Obviously, you can go out on a ‘dud’ of a movie that nonetheless has a good, or okay, score. Goldsmith’s LOONEY TUNES would be such an example — a fairly middle-of-the-road score for a forgotten movie. Vice versa, it’s hard to beat Bernard Herrmann’s TAXI DRIVER — wherein both film and score are considered classics.
Michael Kamen’s BACK TO GAYA and James Horner’s THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN were both disappointments to me, both films and scores. But things like Ron Goodwin’s VALHALLA, Korngold’s ESCAPE ME NEVER and Rozsa’s DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID are pretty good. I have like a million of other examples of both good and bad final scores, but I want to hear from you first.
Not much knowledge about this.
What was Max Steiner’s final score?
What was Alfred Newman’s final score?
Henry Mancini?
I have no idea.Yes, it sometimes requires a bit of “homework” (looking them up online etc.), if the final scores aren’t famous. It’s also possible to add an extra part to this query – not only what their final score was like, but also what YOU consider their last great score was. Again, it might require some googling in some cases. 🙂
So to use your examples, Max Steiner’s final film score appears to be THOSE CALLOWAYS (1965), which I’ve never seen or heard. I was never a big Steiner fan to begin with, so hard to say what I consider his last great score. I simply haven’t heard enough. Maybe THE CAINE MUTINY (1954).
Alfred Newman’s final film score was famously AIRPORT (1970). I like the score as an album, but it was quite odd in the film. Many Golden Age sentiments in it that makes it sound like it was composed in the 50s, and somewhat at odds with the time period in which it was produced. Even the jazzy love theme. But here’s probably a case where I also consider his final score the last great score.
Henry Mancini’s final film score is THE SON OF PINK PANTHER (1993), which I haven’t heard. But I really like his second-to-last, TOM & JERRY: THE MOVIE (1992).
Another example which I mentioned in the first post: James Horner’s final score was THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (2016), released posthumously, but I never liked that much. I consider his last great score to be WOLF TOTEM (2015).
To Horner’s credit, at scoring a remake of The Magnificent Seven you can only lose. But I also wasn’t impressed by that score.
Absolutely great last scores in my book are also Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid, Taxi Driver and, probably my favourite, Bernstein’s Far From Heaven.
I also googled John Barry’s last score, Enigma, which left me quite cold at that time. Barry’s last score that really knocked me off my feet was Dances With Wolves anyway.
Have to think a bit as I don’t remember exact last scores right now.
Goldsmith’s LOONEY TUNES would be such an example — a fairly middle-of-the-road score for a forgotten movie.
TIMELINE was the second to last I think and is a much better work. Although doesn’t match earlier great works by him for me.
So to use your examples, Max Steiner’s final film score appears to be THOSE CALLOWAYS (1965), which I’ve never seen or heard. I was never a big Steiner fan to begin with, so hard to say what I consider his last great score. I simply haven’t heard enough. Maybe THE CAINE MUTINY (1954).
Steiner’s music is good suited for suites. The Gerhardt disc is a great example. Favorite scores for me a KING KONG, TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE or SHE for example. I think I haven’t heard THOSE CALLOWAYS.
Henry Mancini’s final film score is THE SON OF PINK PANTHER (1993), which I haven’t heard. But I really like his second-to-last, TOM & JERRY: THE MOVIE (1992).
I would call it competent and elegant routine totally fitting the PINK PANTHER score (my favorites PANTHERS are the first and REVENGE).
Alfred Newman’s final film score was famously AIRPORT (1970). I like the score as an album, but it was quite odd in the film.
I love the main title which in contrast doesn’t sound to Golden Age like.
I also googled John Barry’s last score, Enigma, which left me quite cold at that time. Barry’s last score that really knocked me off my feet was Dances With Wolves anyway.
Same for me, although even that was a kind of “best of” later Barry.
Michael Kamen’s BACK TO GAYA and James Horner’s THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN were both disappointments to me, both films and scores.
Yeah, the MAGNIFICENT SEVEN was total disaster on all accounts and even taking the lead over that TV series remake of it. ACtually on the first two original movies are really great.
But things like Ron Goodwin’s VALHALLA, Korngold’s ESCAPE ME NEVER and Rozsa’s DEAD MEN DON’T WEAR PLAID are pretty good.
Agree on those. Korngold wrotte so few score that there is no real bad one. Although I prefer ROBIN HOOD or SEA HAWK.
I think Goldsmith’s last three scores are all terrific, including Looney Tunes Back in Action, which is wonderful, full of life and very catchy, fun music.
Would be hard to beat Bernard Herrmann, who went out with a bang with Taxi Driver.
Leonard Rosenman’s final score is Jurij, which is a very beautiful score. Never saw the movie, but the score is wonderful, definitely a high point. For those who think Rosenman was always harsh and atonal, this one is more akin to the East of Eden type of Rosenman.Although I prefer ROBIN HOOD or SEA HAWK.
Same here. Robin Hood is one of the few Korngold scores, that work well as a musical work on its own. Sea Hawk is like many other Golden Age scores an annoyingly stressful enterprise full of beautiful highlights.
It’s good that Herrmann managed to finish Taxis Driver. Obsession would have been quite a lukewarm finale.
Anyway, there are some living composers who in my view have their best time behind them and I don’t expect them to finish their career on a high note. Howard Shore will not be able to top his LOTR scores. Alan Silvestri does what he does, it’s never really bad but also mostly not what I would call outstanding.
But I am sure with the right canvas James Newton Howard could still be creating something grand.
Same here. Robin Hood is one of the few Korngold scores, that work well as a musical work on its own. Sea Hawk is like many other Golden Age scores an annoyingly stressful enterprise full of beautiful highlights.
As much as I love the Morgan-Stromberg complete recordings the older Kojan ones are still great, too. I am still puzzled that CAPTION BLOOD never got a proper re-recording despite those suites.
No, it was his second-to-last, I think. The last was Tornatore’s LA CORRISPONDENZA (2016), which is an excellent score with some surprising Pink Floyd/Dire Straits vibes on occasion. Fine score. But I think his last truly GREAT score was FATELESS (2005), which – incidentally – is also my favourite Morricone score.
Thanks for the info.
By the way, I wish we had a like-button here in the forum to be able to easily show appreciation for certain posts. Maybe such a feature would also boost the member activity.
I think a ‘like’ button was discussed earlier, in the “Forum Feedback” thread or somewhere else (please check that thread now, btw, as Malte has a query for all of you).
Georges Delerue’s final score was the family drama RICH IN LOVE (1992), I think. A rather unassuming film by his frequent collaborator Bruce Beresford, but the score was a perfect distillation of the composer’s bittersweet stylings, and a fitting adieu. Still, I think his last truly GREAT score was BLACK ROBE, which came out the year before. One of my favourite Delerue scores, if not THE favourite.
By the way, I wish we had a like-button here in the forum to be able to easily show appreciation for certain posts. Maybe such a feature would also boost the member activity.
I had quickly looked a while ago without real luck: https://celluloidtunes.no/forums/topic/forum-feedback/#post-4637
I can do again when I get the time as I see that it makes sense not to always reply with “I agree” or something like that only…Still, I think his last truly GREAT score was BLACK ROBE, which came out the year before. One of my favourite Delerue scores, if not THE favourite.
We had it before I think but I love it as well.
But I am sure with the right canvas James Newton Howard could still be creating something grand.
Well, he did with A HIDDEN LIFE in 2019. At that point, I had almost lost hope that he could reach former glories again (except for some odd tracks here and there). But then he churns out that, his best since THE VILLAGE in 2004. So I don’t want to discount him, or anyone.
But anyway, he’s very much alive. This is only about DEAD PEOPLE! (no pun intended).
Vangelis, since I’m now on to him in my walkthrough.
His final score, the Oliver Stone documentary NUCLEAR NOW (2022), was really good, even though it mixes existing Vangelis with new compositions. But the new compositions were wonderful, in his 90s style. But the last GREAT Vangelis score is obviously ALEXANDER (2004) — so a whoppping 18 years before his death.
I’ll throw in another one, as I can play this game forever:
Alex North’s final score appears to be THE PENITENT (1988), which I’ve neither seen nor heard. But the year before he did GOOD MORNING VIETNAM. Not a lot of score inbetween all the period songs, but what there is is beautiful. My selection for ‘last great’.
I always thought GOOD MORNING VIETNAM was his last although I don’t remember much of it (unrelease, right?). IMDB lists more after THE PENTINENT I also never heard of. But as usual it also lists anyhting that used music by North…
Could be he did more, I just used Wikipedia.
Angelo Badalamenti’s final score (AFAIK) was the 2018 series BETWEEN WORLDS, for which he provided the theme. Rather boring affair, though. And he didn’t really write a lot of stuff for the third season of TWIN PEAKS. So the last GREAT work he did was GOLD COAST (2015), IMO, even though he collaborated with others on that as well. Sublime electronic score.
I am afraid, Badalamenti’s body of work is full of rather boring affairs. Besides a few highlights.
But his contribution to that dream pop that grew out of Twin Peaks cannot be understated. Had surely a great influence on the trip hop movement.
Badalamenti was great. JUST outside my top 10 film composers. But not all of it was great, of course. The highlights were few and far between in his last two decades.
Basil Poledouris went out on the TV film THE LEGEND OF BUTCH & SUNDANCE (2004), which isn’t terribly exciting. But just two years earlier, he did the martial arts film THE TOUCH starring Michelle Yeoh. The film is largely forgotten today (and didn’t register very highly when it came out either), but it sports an an excellent, fullbodied action adventure score. His last great one, IMO.
Basil Poledouris went out on the TV film THE LEGEND OF BUTCH & SUNDANCE (2004), which isn’t terribly exciting.
Yeah, while it is overall nice it pales sadly in front of his other western scores (and not just beacuse you sometimes hear the virutal orchestra). I have THE TOUCH but only remember I liked it having not listened to it in years…
What was Burt Bacharach’s final score? Was it A BOY CALLED PO (2016)? I haven’t seen that. But I think the last great maybe was ARTHUR, and that’s as far back as 1981. Then again, film music was mostly just a side job for Bacharach. He probably did many other fine things in the interim.
No expert on him. Briefly look and as usual on IMDB anything is listed as a credit even after his death where probably just a song was used somewhere… I think you can easily say Bacharach was a “song composers” primarily (following our discussion about “film composers” recently).
Yes, he’s one of those borderline cases.
Christopher Gunning died way too early in 2023, only 69 years old. His final media work appears to be the film GRACE OF MONACO in 2014, which I’ve neither seen nor heard. But the last great one may be POLLYANNA in 2001, which Caldera recently released.
The last great thing I recognized from Bacharach was his 2020 album Blue Umbrella with Daniel Tashian.
Gosh! I think, I listened to that album a hundred times.
Cool, Gerate, wasn’t aware of that.
What was Dimitri Tiomkin’s final score? He died in 1979. According to IMDB, it could possibly be GREAT CATHERINE (1968). But his last GREAT one was probably THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE in 1964, IMO.
What was Dimitri Tiomkin’s final score? He died in 1979. According to IMDB, it could possibly be GREAT CATHERINE (1968).
The official site gladly has a proper filmopgraphy and also lists it:
THE WAR WAGON right before that is also a good western score, the main title song is great. But in terms of “size” ROMAN EMPIRE is probably leading and it is great. Great re-recording by Tadlow, too.
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