Max Steiner »
Casablanca
Forget CITIZEN KANE. My vote for the greatest American film is CASABLANCA. There’s no denying KANE’s importance in film history and there are other films I love more than CASABLANCA. But CASABLANCA is the perfect
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Johnny Belinda
From Patty Duke to Dustin Hoffman, Oscar appreciates actors who take on the challenge of playing disabled characters. But few have done so with such poignancy and effortless ease as Jane Wyman in her
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No Shy Violet, Let’s Middle Aisle It
You think your life sucks? Coke bottle glasses, out-of-date hairstyle and outfit, and oh those sensible shoes. Poor Charlotte Vale: unattractive, overweight, and a spinster on the verge of a nervous breakdown from the
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On the Right Track
Depending on who you ask, the CLICK TRACK was invented in the 1930′s by the “Father of Film Music” Max Steiner, or Carl Stalling or Scott Bradley to accompany their memorable animation scores. However,
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Golden Age Film Music: Colorful, Ornate and Gaudy?
Mark Swed’s Los Angeles Times review of the opening concert of the Pacific Symphony’s American Composers Festival made for some angry comments left by film score fans. However, I found his opening remarks particularly
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