And Goldenthal when he took over the Batman series. All of Elfman's ideas went flying out the window.

Why does this happen? Can you think of anymore examples? Or how about sequels where the new composer actually does keep the ideas of the original and expands on them?

On the other hand, we did see composers go with previous themes on sequels such as "Jaws" and "Superman." This was *probably* a collective studio decision ... the themes were so well-recognized and well-loved by the public that it would be risky to try to replace them.

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 2: Director John Woo likes Hans Zimmer's music more than Elfman's. He worked with Zimmer and Zimmer's protege John Powell on his last two pictures. The only theme anyone expects to hear re: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE is Schifrin's; I'm sure we'll be hearing that.

U.S. MARSHALS: Director Stuart Baird likes Jerry Goldsmith's music more than James Newton Howard's. He already hired Goldsmith to score his previous (and first) film as director, EXECUTIVE DECISION. Originally an accomplished film editor, Baird also worked with Goldsmith on THE OMEN and OUTLAND. I don't think Howard's work was distinctive enough to merit copying, and I doubt very much Goldsmith would even consider it unless it had become as big a theme as Courage's STAR TREK.

BATMAN FOREVER/BATMAN & ROBIN: Director Joel Schumacher wanted to make his own mark on the series (and did he ever ...) Using someone as distinctive as Elfman, whose music had become so identified with Batman, would have worked against that. Schumacher listened to DEMOLITION MAN (which is NOT one of the composer's better scores) and decided on Elliot Goldenthal (whose BATMAN FOREVER *IS*, I think, one of his better scores; I tend to like Goldenthal's stuff anyway). Goldenthal's Batman theme IS a bit like Elfman's -- they must have worried that they should have SOME type of fanfare. (Now that I think of it, even Shirley Walker was not required to use Elfman's theme in MASK OF THE PHANTASM, as she and her disciples do on the TV shows.)

I can always come up with more. For example, James Horner was hired for STAR TREK II for at least two reasons: to distance the sequel from memories of the previous picture, which, while a huge hit, was widely disliked; and probably because Goldsmith would have cost a lot more than the barely established Horner. (WRATH OF KHAN cost maybe a fourth of what TMP did.) It must have struck them as bad karma to use Goldsmith's theme, since they were trying to make such a different kind of movie.

NP: THE BLUE MAX

Dantoris: not quite. They would never have spent THAT much on a TV movie. Then-president of Gulf+Western (which owned Paramount at the time), a huge jolly Austrian named Charlie Bludhorn who shortly thereafter died of leukemia, picked TV producer Harve Bennett because Bennett promised him that he could deliver something substantial and superior to TMP on a decent budget. This meant endless haggling with the usual actors, of course, but also hiring cheaper talent such as writer Jack B. Sowards, TV cameraman Gayne Rescher (who did a fine job), and relative unknown James Horner (ditto).

However, there was never any plan at the time to make a TV sequel.

You are correct that the on-screen title was (still is? don't know) simply STAR TREK: THE WRATH OF KHAN.

Bludhorn to Bennett during their first meeting: "Did you like that movie [TMP?]" Sensing a deal-breaker, Bennett still had to say "It bored the hell out of me." Bludhorn nods sagely to one of his flunkies: "You see, by you a bald woman is sexy."

I believe Goldsmith wove it into the score of a later picture in the series (Undiscovered Country?). But currently it's best use is as the general Klingon Theme in Deep Space 9 and the Next Generation sequels.

Some of the themes from Star Trek II were picked up in Star Trek III -- namely the Spock theme. This theme wasn't quite as inspired as the Klingon theme, in my opinion.

I'm pretty sure I heard the Klingon motif during the DS9 climatic battle with the Cardassians.

And what I meant about the Next Generation use was in the theatrical movies, as you noted: First Contact and Insurrection.

Well,sorry If You missunderstand me (or anybody) and thanks for the reminder about Mr Shaiman.
I was not saying that Mr Shaiman score for
"The Addams Family" is bad;of course that is very good musically and in film score terms.
I love some of the Mr Shaiman music,specially
"A Few Good Men" and "The Browning Version".
What I was trying to say is that on this one
(The Addams Family) I'd expect to hear all the themes from Vic Mizzy that where so characteristic of the show.
Is like a Bond Movie to me.
You expect to hear the Bond theme
many times and in different variations.
Is just part of the show!!!
A similar case could be aplied to
"The Avengers",or "The Untouchables".
Perhaps I'm too purist or old fashion.
Sorry if I'd offend anyone.
Is just that I loved the old shows so much
and the new versions are so different.

It almost seemed as bad as what some said about the use of Goldsmith's music in the Rambo cartoon. How was it possible to make such magnificent music sound so awfully flat and lifeless... not to mention inappropriate to certain scenes. This was one case where it would have been great to reuse the theme but have an entirely original score which utilized Williams' themes.

Ken Thorne was a composer buddy of II and III director Richard Lester. Lester basically FINISHED part II; parts of it were directed by Richard Donner (since parts of II were made at the same time as all of I). Donner successfully sued the Salkinds for some kind of credit, which appears at the end of the picture now.

Lester also worked in some capacity on Part I, however -- it's obscure exactly what he did, but he was brought aboard when the production looked like a runaway in the CLEOPATRA tradition. Lester was made a producer of some kind, but it was also clear that he was poised to take over for Donner if Donner started costing the Salkinds too much more money. Desperate to finish Part II for a reasonable sum, the Salkinds did have the speedier Lester direct the bulk of Part II.

The whole situation, including descriptions of certain scenes from Part II that were shot during Part I, is covered in Perry Deane Young's cheerful but amazingly frank "Making of Superman" book. I'd imagine it was Exhibit A during Donner's suit against the Salkinds. The whole story is right there.

He should've kept Elfman's ideas,
a helluva lot better they were.
When I hear Schumacher may make another,
all I can do is go "brrrr."

It is embarrassingly obvious how low the production values were here.