Bernard Herrmann: Master of the Fantastic, Suspenseful, and Scary

Yeah, he's up there with my "top 3", with John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith!

It's Alive
Taxi Driver

Wasn't Jane Eyre scored by John Williams?

Good catch, Mike! Yes, there was a Jane Eyre scored by John Williams: the TV movie from 1970, starring Susannah York and George C. Scott. However, the Jane Eyre I referred to in my list came out in 1943 and starred Joan Fontaine and Orson Welles. Bernard Herrmann's brooding, evocative score for that version occupies a niche in my computer's extensive music library. (And I also have a few selections from Williams's score, recorded during the composer's period of conducting the Boston Pops.)

I just now did an IMDb search for "Jane Eyre", and I was surprised how many times it's been filmed--for both big screen and small. For example, there was one in 1934, with Jane played by Virginia Bruce and Edward Rochester by Colin Clive, Henry [Henry???] Frankenstein in the iconic 1931 film co-starring Boris Karloff. As for TV productions of Jane Eyre, there have been three mini-series and three TV movies (including the one scored by John Williams).

But I still believe that the first Jane Eyre most people (well, most people born before 1980) think of is the Fontaine/Welles film scored by the great Bernard Herrmann.



A time for peace - I swear it's not too late! R.I.P., Pete.

Nice! Thanks! I'll have to watch them all!

I totally concur with your heartfelt tribute post to Bernard Herrmann. Herrmann's music is so deep and heavy that is sinks far into our subconscious. I recently watched "The Devil and Daniel Webster on TCM and was thinking "What other composer could compose such a moody creative score like that way back in 1941?" Unreal!

BTW, my three all time soundtrack composers are Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Barry.

BTW, my three all time soundtrack composers are Bernard Herrmann, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Barry.

I'm not as well-versed in John Barry (although I like what I've heard of his work), but I ADORE Jerry Goldsmith.

Hmm...maybe I should start a "Tribute to Jerry Goldsmith" topic--unless that's already been (recently) done. Or maybe you'd like to do that, Marthahunter? 



I have been, and always shall be, your friend. We'll miss you, Leonard.

Nice to hear that you think so highly of Jerry Goldsmith too. There is an active thread on Jerry Goldsmith that I recently posted to as well. BTW, I miss Leonard too. 😢

Martha (if I may call you that),

I found to my embarrassment that not only is there already a JG-tribute thread, but that I contributed to it. 

I'm not going to claim that senility is setting in. It's just my lifelong absentmindedness. 



I have been, and always shall be, your friend. We'll miss you, Leonard.

Yep, there is a "The Late, Great Jerry Goldsmith" thread here which was started by me lol.

I love John Barry's melodies but he tended to repeat phrases of notes a lot. Reeked of lack of ideas or laziness. I like Williams and Goldsmith better because they always kept going in different directions, kept you guessing what their next note was going to be.

CITIZEN KANE. Now THAT's a dark, moody Bernard Hermann score!