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Author	Topic: Composers' names during Main Titles

Camillu Standard Userer	I was watching The Patriot yesterday and during the pleasant Main Titles sequence John William's name popped up at quite a quiet moment in the score. Bad timing I guess, or just random timing more likely. Which films do you remember (which have a Main Titles sequence including credits) where the Composer's name shows up at a great point, highlighting his/her achievment and making people notice that there is in fact a person compsing this lovely music you didn't notice about before? All I can remember right now is Sleepy Hollow, which was great timing. [Message edited by Camillu on 08-17-2001]
posted 08-17-2001 12:45 AM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Standard Userer	I can't think of all the neat moments. I remember Herrmann's credit for Joy in the Morning being over a shot of ducks that I thought was curious. Then there's that Bernstein score, The Rat Race from the 60s or something like it, where this big explosive fanfare shows up to underscore the composer's credit, I got a kick out of that. I'm sure there are other classic examples but I can't think of them right now. Sorry.
posted 08-17-2001 01:13 AM PT (US)

Camillu Standard Userer	I forgive you Lou.
posted 08-17-2001 02:49 AM PT (US)

John Zimmer Standard Userer	Well Galaxt Quest had no main title music at all not good. Of course the scene didn't call for any music. Np: Harry Potter "Hedwig's Theme" Jz
posted 08-17-2001 06:19 AM PT (US)

wistiti Standard Userer	I can't remember any exact movie names, but very often the composer's name appears right at the moment where the music becomes better, or more heroic, or whatever. As soon as the composer's name pops up, the music often changes dramatically.
posted 08-17-2001 06:35 AM PT (US)

dgoldwas Standard Userer	The best one is Marc Shaiman's title in CITY SLICKERS - a little brass fanfare comes up. Dan
posted 08-17-2001 06:59 AM PT (US)

Bulldog Standard Userer	Coooool topic! I've always noticed that Jerry's name seems to appear right around some sort of musical highlight. Are you sure that Williams' name in THE PATRIOT didn't appear as the heroic theme was played for the first time? I coulda sworn that I remembered his name appearing as one of the sons rode in to the house on horseback....
posted 08-17-2001 07:37 AM PT (US)

Lancelot Standard Userer	Check out Trevor Jones' credit cue in The Dark Crystal....if you have the DVD isolated score, this is particularly effective.
posted 08-17-2001 08:15 AM PT (US)

PeterK FishChip	I've always thought Fenton's musical firework for his front title credit in In Love and War was the most over the top example of this. There are many instances of this kind of musical punch, but this one was nearly laughable it was so huge!
posted 08-17-2001 08:56 AM PT (US)

Bulldog Standard Userer	Herrmann's name usually was placed prominently in Hitchcock's films. James Newton Howard's appeared at the beginning of a nice musical transition in the main title of THE SIXTH SENSE. Just a couple of things I just recalled....
posted 08-17-2001 09:18 AM PT (US)

Dean Evans Standard Userer	I always find it quite annoying when the composer(and cast and crew) don't get billed untill the end of a movie. It's always nice to have an audience see who wrote the music to the movie BEFORE it begins. The majority of moviegoers often leave the cinema right at the start of the end credits and so don't get to see the composer credit!Not that any non-film music fan would be interested anyway, but it's nice to have people see it! Dean.
posted 08-17-2001 11:24 AM PT (US)

Justin Standard Userer	I remember Sleepy Hollow opening titles.
posted 08-17-2001 11:31 AM PT (US)

dgoldwas Standard Userer	Many films these days don't have opening titles. But there are, of course, those that do. Titles like THE NINTH GATE and ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (ok, an older film) are incredibly boring and drawn out. But main titles like STARGATE and PLANET OF THE APES (which I found to be very similar) were interesting because you didn't necessarily know what you were looking at for part of it. THE OTHERS had a good opening title sequence as well. BUBBLE BOY was supposed to have an intricate opening title sequence done by the same guy who did the EDWARD SCISSORHANDS opening titles - but it got scrapped in the end (hence Ottman's synth demo, available at his website). Dan
posted 08-17-2001 11:35 AM PT (US)

SBD Standard Userer	<BLOCKQUOTE><font size=1 face=arial>quote:</font><HR size=1>Originally posted by dgoldwas: BUBBLE BOY was supposed to have an intricate opening title sequence done by the same guy who did the EDWARD SCISSORHANDS opening titles - but it got scrapped in the end (hence Ottman's synth demo, available at his website). Dan<HR size=1></BLOCKQUOTE> You mean Robert Dawson? His sequences are so interesting. He started out working at Empire Pictures designing films like RE-ANIMATOR and FROM BEYOND. He's done a number of title sequences and his most recent work is PLANET OF THE APES (perhaps his best work). Too bad the sequence got scrapped. It sounded wonderful from John Ottman's description. [Message edited by SBD on 08-17-2001]
posted 08-17-2001 12:24 PM PT (US)

scoreguy16 Standard Userer	Bad Boys - Mark Mancina's name pops up as the guitars start in the main titles. Speed - Mancina's Name pops up when the percussion begins (I think) The Fan - Hans Zimmer, although the timing was a little off. Robin Hood: Prince Of Theives - Michael Kamen's name pops up as the music becomes more romantic and emotional. Nothing To Lose - Robert Folk, if I remember correctly, his name pops up when the piano part starts in the music. The Peacemaker - Hans Zimmer, if I remember correctly (Again) the male chior gets real loud. Free Willy 1/2 - Basil Poledouris Clayton [Message edited by scoreguy16 on 08-17-2001]
posted 08-17-2001 02:01 PM PT (US)

Graham Watt Standard Userer	In The Sand Pebbles, doesn't Jerry do a wonderfully effective Omenesque "dong" on a bell when his name appears? Could be wrong about that one. Surprised nobody has mentioned when the eponymous feline gets his sheet music out (or something, can't remember rightly) in The Pink Panther. Most people will have noticed how main titles have changed since about, ooooh...the late 70s? Apart from the fact that we only get the important stuff at the start now, it has become increasingly popular to have the composer's name appear right after the main cast. Before, the composer usually came up just before the producer's and the director's names. Does this make him more important, or less? Nowadays, when he's up so soon, if he wants to make a special musical moment when his nomenclature appears, he runs the risk of surging too soon and not therefore splurging us with his climax.
posted 08-17-2001 03:09 PM PT (US)

Ken S Standard Userer	We must remember that in the early days of cinema the composer had very little credit on main titles - there has been even movies that have "full" main title sequence, but composer's name appears only in the end titles - this happened even in the early seventies. Speaking of cinema's Golden Age - I also have begun to miss those times when movies had a significant Main Title sequence with appropriate overture; nowadays moviemakers seem to hate the idea of classic Main Title approach, although there are a few exceptions. The appearance of John Williams' name during the SUPERMAN Main Title is glorious. Also Jerry Goldsmith's on the SUPERGIRL Main Title.
posted 08-18-2001 03:57 PM PT (US)

Graham Watt Standard Userer	Ken, I think that the art of film composition was already quite appreciated by the 70s when, on occasion, the composer would only get a credit in the end titles. I think in most of those cases, like the John Williams disaster movies for example, almost ALL the credits were at the end, including the name of the producer/director, but I could be wrong. Whatever, up until then, the composer always got credited in the opening titles, with a few exceptions (the Corman films, for example, but again not because he was in any way a lesser member of the crew.) Hey, let's hear more examples of how composers highlight their names during opening credits! And is no-one going to pick me up on the sexual innuendo of my previous post?
posted 08-19-2001 12:54 PM PT (US)

Ken S Standard Userer	Dear Graham, I recall that in both THE TOWERING INFERNO and THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE there were "complete" main titles including producers and directors, but, yes, Williams' name appeared only on the end titles. I have seen many old movies - unfortunately I don't recall names - where the composer is listed among the set decorators, costume design, effects, sound editing, etc (the ones which very often were showed together in very small text)... Ofcourse there has been almost always those big Hollywood movies where composers, as well others, did get all the credit they deserved.
posted 08-19-2001 05:46 PM PT (US)

Graham Watt Standard Userer	Ken, I know what you're talking about. I recall many films from the 30s and 40s, where the composer was listed in the Main Titles, but, as you say, grouped on the same card as set designer etc. Things have evolved, thankfully. It would be interesting to know why, for example, John Williams' name appears at the end of a couple of the 70s disaster epics when all the other important credits are at the beginning. Whatever the reason, I don't think it was done that way as a result of some kind of misconceived notion as to the (un)importance of his contribution. No more examples of composers doing something special when their names appear?
posted 08-20-2001 08:44 AM PT (US)

Ken S Standard Userer	This may be a little off the topic here, but anyway - speaking of Williams' disaster movie scores: Has anybody noticed that there is a distinct resemblance on the main theme for the both EARTHQUAKE and THE TOWERING INFERNO scores (I could even say that it IS the same theme) ? And it seems to make a little bit more varied appearence on THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, too. So, did Williams do this purposely ?
posted 08-20-2001 01:13 PM PT (US)

Graham Watt Standard Userer	I agree there with the similarities between Earthquake and Towering Inferno, melodically if not stylistically. I saw both films on their first release, and, although I was young and had no soundtracks, I put 2 and 2 together and figured out that the music must have been done by the same guy. That was really when I started taking notice of names.
posted 08-21-2001 03:56 AM PT (US)

Graham Watt Standard Userer	Saw a good example today: Joe Kidd, the Eastwood western. There's a change of scene during the Main Titles, and as Lalo's name appears he starts up a secondary theme with modernistic percussion and bass line, maybe a kind of wink to the audience (or to himself at least): "Yeah, I'm the guy that did Dirty Harry!"
posted 08-21-2001 01:52 PM PT (US)

Camillu Standard Userer	Not suprising considering he's the director too, but when Clint Eastwood's name appears on screen as Composer during the Main Credits of Mystic River, the music swells wonderfully.
posted 04-24-2004 07:56 AM PT (US)

Hector J. Guzman Standard Userer	In Jurassic Park I wish John Williams' title would have appeared in place of Michael Khan, then Michael Khan.
posted 04-24-2004 09:12 AM PT (US)

Camillu Standard Userer	Thomas Newman's name in The Good German. Pops up just as the lovely love theme is heard for the first time.
posted 05-29-2007 04:11 PM PT (US)

Swashbuckler Standard Userer	Well, these Important Credits at the beginning of the film... did they include any other technical contributors, such at the cinematographer, designer or editor? Or was it only the producers, writers and directors (in which case, why would the composer be singled out for inclusion)?
posted 05-29-2007 05:22 PM PT (US)

franz_conrad Standard Userer	I think James Newton Howard's name appears over the brooding scordatura interlude in the main titles before the brass burst in. Nicely timed - it says 'you thought that opening was good film music? Well listen to thi--'
posted 05-29-2007 05:32 PM PT (US)

NeoVoyager Standard Userer	Backdraft. That opening scene where the Zimmer music kicks in is one of the greatest pairings of visuals and music I've ever seen, and Hans' name pops up right about when the percussion leads into the main brass fanfare.
posted 05-29-2007 06:25 PM PT (US)

John C Winfrey Standard Userer	Yes, Ken, many of the early studios did not credit the composers' scores and listed MDs many times. This happened again a lot in 50s and early 60s too for many films at UI and Universal. Gershwinson's name was on many of those. Alfred Newman and Steiner were the two that really got most of the early credit in film scores in the credits. Take care, J.
posted 05-29-2007 06:39 PM PT (US)

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