BEST BERNARD HERRMANN SCORES
“Citizen Kane” (1941) Widely regarded as one of the greatest movies (if not the greatest) yet made, Orson Welles’ profile of a powerful publisher has many famous elements, one being its Bernard Herrmann’s film-debut score ... a big reason it helps launch a Turner Classic Movies salute to the composer Tuesday, Dec. 1.
“The Day the Earth Stood Still” (1951) Space-invader movies still were in their infancy when Robert Wise directed this classic about an interplanetary emissary (Michael Rennie) bringing Earth a warning, and Herrmann’s score brilliantly merged the wonder of the galaxy with the sound of fear here on terra firma.
“The Snows of Kilimanjaro” (1952) Ernest Hemingway’s story demands a majestic score, and Herrmann provides that here.
“The 7th Voyage of Sinbad” (1958) Fantasy films boasting the specialeffects mastery of Ray Harryhausen often featured Herrmann music, starting with this impressive example.
“Vertigo” (1958) Herrmann already had worked a couple of times with Alfred Hitchcock, but his merging with the director here put their collaboration on a new level, yielding a haunting quality that perfectly attached the plight of the obsessive central character (played by James Stewart).
“North by Northwest” (1959) Cary Grant’s character lends much humor to the Hitchcock proceedings, but Herrmann’s music terrifically plays up the adventure aspects of the tale, particularly in the climactic chase across the faces of Mount Rushmore.
“Psycho” (1960) A score that is so iconic – if only for the legendary repeat sound while Janet Leigh’s Marion Crane was taking the most famous shower in screen history – Herrmann’s original music for this Alfred Hitchcock masterpiece was reused virtually intact in a 1998 remake.