Happy Birthday John Williams

Today is film score composer John Williams' 75th birthday...

I have been a fan of his work for as long as I can remember...He has created some of cinema's most enduring film music. He is a true master of his craft.

Among my favorites of his work: Jaws (1975) which also helped coin the word "blockbuster"--The first Star Wars flick and its 1980 sequel Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back; Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Empire of the Sun (1987), JFK (1991) Saving Private Ryan (1998), and Jurassic Park (1993) Williams boasts almost 30 Oscar nominations to his credit going back 40 years for 1967's Valley of the Dolls...

I can think of no better way to honor him, than by hearing Williams in his own words talking about his work on the Oscar winning score for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial--directed by frequent collaborator Steven Spielberg...posted on You Tube



As regular readers of this blog know, I consider the music Williams wrote for 1978's Superman The Movie his best work... If not, the best film score ever. Here now is that Main Title--complete with those memorable credits...



...followed by the supes theme, as adapted by John Ottman for last summer's Superman Returns



John Williams has helped to bring film music into the mainstream consciousness of the general public like no one else has. The Original Soundtrack for Star Wars-A New Hope is one of the best selling soundtracks of all time.

All that's left to say is:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THOSE GREAT MOVIE TUNES!