Jerry Goldsmith died on July 22, 2004, at age 75. In 1999, he said he scored 175 films--and looking back at his career, there’s some terrific and memorable work and more than a few pieces that appear to have been done strictly for a paycheck.

Of course, any composer who’s written that many soundtracks is bound to have a few skeletons in his closet. In the “strictly for a paycheck” category, I’d nominate the “Barnaby Jones” theme, and 1988’s eminently forgettable “Rent-a-Cop”, which featured Burt Reynolds and Liza Minelli. But the all-time stinker has got to be 1981’s “Inchon”, which featured an aged Laurence Olivier under an inch of waxwork makeup as General Douglas Macarthur. The film’s $44 million budget came from Rev. Tsung Yung Moon--yes that Rev. Tsung Yung Moon, he of the Moonies. There is no music that could elevate that bomb.

But despite those misfires, Goldsmith has become a permanent part of movie history because of four great scores: “Patton”, “Chinatown”, “Planet of the Apes”, and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”.

That last title was far from a great movie, but Goldsmith’s theme became a big part of pop culture seven years after the film was released at Christmastime in 1979. Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek’s creator, who produced “Star Trek: The Next Generation” for TV in 1987, liked Goldmith’s “Star Trek” movie theme so much that he recycled it and tacked it onto the first 16 bars or so of Alexander Courage’s original theme from 1966.

Blaster Beams and Echoplexed Trumpets

Goldsmith wasn’t afraid to use unique instruments, effects and genres in his scores. For “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”, Goldsmith used an instrument called “The Blaster Beam” for an deep metallic percussive “sprrrrrrrong!!!!” effect. The Internet Movie Database describes it as being “15 feet long, incorporating artillery shell casings and motorized magnets. It was used as part of any scene featuring V'ger.”

In his 1968 score for “Planet of the Apes”, Goldsmith merged primitive instruments and dissonant 20th century classical composing techniques to create an atmosphere that’s simultaneously primitive and futuristic. 1974’s “Chinatown” had a subtle jazz influence with its prominent muted trumpet. And in later years, Goldsmith used synthesizers along with traditional orchestral instruments in several of his scores.

Perhaps the best-known effect Goldsmith used was the Echoplex, a piece of electronic gear designed in the 1960s, which created delays and echoes (hence the name) via a spool of analog tape in the unit. Compared today’s digital effects, it’s remarkably crude, but a few die-hards, such as famed electric guitarist Jimmy Page, still cling to it.

Goldsmith used it for arguably his most important (and most emulated) score: “Patton”. Specifically, the echoed trumpets used in several key scenes, most famously the scene were General Patton (played by George C. Scott) visits an ancient cemetery where countless young men over thousands of years had been buried, and more would soon be joining. Goldsmith’s Echoplexed trumpets highlighted both the magnitude of war in our history, and its costs--and reminded the audience that Patton was simultaneously a brilliant field commander, and a man who believed in his own reincarnation.

The Internet Movie Database has a list of films and TV series that Goldsmith scored that are available on DVD--and you could have a far worse weekend of movie viewing than renting “Planet of the Apes”, “Patton”, “Chinatown”, and “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”, to experience Goldsmith at his best. As for the rest? Who knows--maybe one day a season or two of “Barnaby Jones” will be out on DVD as well. (Let’s hope “Inchon” does not return!)

Resource Links

Jerry Goldsmith Online: A well-done fan site, with much more additional information about the composer.

The Internet Movie Database: Goldsmith’s page has links to all of the films and TV series he wrote for.

An Interview with Goldsmith: Interesting discussion from the late 1990s, on Goldsmith’s oeuvre.

(From my August 2004 Electronic House newsletter.)