Great read, and looking forward part 2! I enjoy Goldsmith’s score to Supergirl, but particularly because he was originally slated to compose the score to Superman. So you can hear what his Superman theme might’ve* sounded like, although I’m sure his main theme to Supergirl was at least partly inspired by Williams. It definitely sounds like a “cousin” of Williams’s theme, as Supergirl is indeed Superman’s cousin.
Great article, and very revealing. People of my generation started getting into film music when John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith were the top composers in the profession. Many of us were also sci-fi geeks, so we'd watched Lost in Space as little kids, and later caught TV airings of Planet of the Apes and Logan's Run, then we'd go to the movies to see Star Wars, Alien (if our parents' allowed us!), Star Trek, E.T., Gremlins, etc. It was an amazing era.
It was also quite an experience to see Spielberg (after numerous collaborations with Williams) work with Goldsmith on Poltergeist. It is a shame they did not do more work together (apparently Spielberg's loathing of synthesizers was the reason?).
The 80s was a wonderful time to be a young Goldsmith fan, as we were hearing new, great scores like Poltergeist, First Blood, Legend, Hoosiers, etc., for the first time -- while simultaneously raiding used record stores and discovering the classics, like Papillon, The Blue Max, Patton, Chinatown, etc.
Yes, truly an embarrassment-of-riches time to be a film music fan. I was a *little* late to the game on many of these, but it was such a thrill to be able to dig back and discover such a treasure trove from just the 1980s alone. I LOVE what Goldsmith did for Spielberg on Poltergeist, and will talk about that in part 2.
I have really struggled to get deep into Goldsmith's work. I do love some of his more sedate, melodically beautiful projects: Rudy, The Secret of NIimh, Star Trek: Insurrection (and Star Trek: TMP), a few others.
I admit to being turned off by the synth and avant garde styles in some of his other scores.
Jerry was the best -- simply the best. "Perfect," as Henry Mancini called him. "Gorgeous" -- yes -- as he otherwise was known. I refer to him as the total package, the only quadruple threat in the business: a gifted melodician, dazzlingly innovative, astoundingly versatile, and keenly incisive as a dramatist. He was as good as they come in any of these four respects -- but especially the last one, which is why he was and remains the finest scorer of all time.
Here is my standard college lecture about Goldsmith, to explain his exclusive place in Hollywood history to film/film music students.
Great read, and looking forward part 2! I enjoy Goldsmith’s score to Supergirl, but particularly because he was originally slated to compose the score to Superman. So you can hear what his Superman theme might’ve* sounded like, although I’m sure his main theme to Supergirl was at least partly inspired by Williams. It definitely sounds like a “cousin” of Williams’s theme, as Supergirl is indeed Superman’s cousin.
Wonderfull. Your next book has to be about Jerry Goldsmith biography!!
Great article, and very revealing. People of my generation started getting into film music when John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith were the top composers in the profession. Many of us were also sci-fi geeks, so we'd watched Lost in Space as little kids, and later caught TV airings of Planet of the Apes and Logan's Run, then we'd go to the movies to see Star Wars, Alien (if our parents' allowed us!), Star Trek, E.T., Gremlins, etc. It was an amazing era.
It was also quite an experience to see Spielberg (after numerous collaborations with Williams) work with Goldsmith on Poltergeist. It is a shame they did not do more work together (apparently Spielberg's loathing of synthesizers was the reason?).
The 80s was a wonderful time to be a young Goldsmith fan, as we were hearing new, great scores like Poltergeist, First Blood, Legend, Hoosiers, etc., for the first time -- while simultaneously raiding used record stores and discovering the classics, like Papillon, The Blue Max, Patton, Chinatown, etc.
Yes, truly an embarrassment-of-riches time to be a film music fan. I was a *little* late to the game on many of these, but it was such a thrill to be able to dig back and discover such a treasure trove from just the 1980s alone. I LOVE what Goldsmith did for Spielberg on Poltergeist, and will talk about that in part 2.
Spielberg and Jerry did get to do a team-up on the twilight zone movie, I think it was the retirement home episode?
Indeed! Will talk about that in part 2.
I have really struggled to get deep into Goldsmith's work. I do love some of his more sedate, melodically beautiful projects: Rudy, The Secret of NIimh, Star Trek: Insurrection (and Star Trek: TMP), a few others.
I admit to being turned off by the synth and avant garde styles in some of his other scores.
There are so many beautiful scores! I'm still discovering more.
Jerry was the best -- simply the best. "Perfect," as Henry Mancini called him. "Gorgeous" -- yes -- as he otherwise was known. I refer to him as the total package, the only quadruple threat in the business: a gifted melodician, dazzlingly innovative, astoundingly versatile, and keenly incisive as a dramatist. He was as good as they come in any of these four respects -- but especially the last one, which is why he was and remains the finest scorer of all time.
Here is my standard college lecture about Goldsmith, to explain his exclusive place in Hollywood history to film/film music students.
https://youtu.be/gWiK2fdXntw?si=DWLfRkXlRXWbFXmB