Films and their Music

They don't do it as much anymore, but back in the Golden Age of Hollywood, they used to do it a LOT.

Probably the most re-used film score was Max Steiner's iconic melody for "Now, Voyager." It showed up in a half-dozen films throughout the '40s!

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there are like 3 or 4 themes that always pop up in trailers.

It doesn't make me mad, i just wish I k ew the source b/c I want to find them on cd.

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I think it was Enchanted that was using the "Hocus Pocus" music.

Sometimes in early trailers, the film score hasn't been recorded/finalized yet, and they have to use something...so they borrow.

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"To The Stars," the theme from DRAGONHEART, has been used in countless trailers, such as MULAN and SEVEN YEARS IN TIBET, to name a few.

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"Becoming Jane" was not using the "Little Women" score in the film, it was just for the trailer.

Many, many, many trailers use other film scores. Among the most popular that I have heard and recognized lately are MONA LISA SMILE, THE CIDER HOUSE RULES, and SYRIANA.

Off the top of my head, the SYRIANA theme was used in DARFUR NOW.

The CIDER HOUSE/MONA LISA (essentially interchangeable) themes are used at least once a year.

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Trailers today do it all the time! For the reason stated... the actual score isn't finished yet.

I thought you were talking about the actual MOVIES. And, as I said, that doesn't happen much, if at all, anymore.

It did, back in the '30s and '40s. Not regularly, but it happened. Those were "movie factories" in the Golden Age, and they recycled costumes, sets, music scores and everything else to turn out (as many as) 50 movies at a single studio.

Since The Wizard of Oz is my favorite film of all time, I'm particularly aware of its recycled elements:

Jeanette MacDonald sings an operatic aria in the movie "San Francisco" wearing the dress that would become Glinda's gown by adding puffy sleeves and a few more sparkles.

The tornado footage was used again in Cabin In the Sky.

The music from the witch's castle played while the foursome tries to escape is the same music played in "Marie Antoinette" while the royal family tries to flee Versailles.

Some of the score from the Kansas scenes, particularly the music leading up to "Over the Rainbow" was used many times, including under a short Christmas film featuring Joan Crawford and her children.

Toto (the dog) shows up in the first shot of "The Women."

Dorothy's basket that she carried with her in Oz was used in many movies, but you can see it in "Little Women" with June Alyson.

The bridge crossing over into the ravine where Professer Marvel's wagon is set up was used in "Gone With the Wind" when Scarlett is fleeing Atlanta with Prissy, Melanie and her baby.

It was a different era.

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There was a short that used to pop up on TCM, I think, that tracked the assorted uses of favorite props.

The hourglass in the Witch's castle popped up in THE CIRCUS OF DR. LAO, I seem to remember.

There's an odd little bit of music that is used in the opening credits of both TWENTIETH CENTURY and IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT.

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For a while there it was the theme from EDWARD SCISSORHANDS that was everywhere, and some music from BRAM STOKER'S DRACULA used to pop up a lot too.

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In the late 80s, several movie trailers used music from St. Elmo's Fire. It was stupid to use that music because that music was so recognizable. But I don't think the music showed up in the films, just the trailers.

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Updated On: 3/10/08 at 10:37 AM

All the recent ads for Disneyland theme park use the score from the live action "Peter Pan" from 2003... and it's not even a Disney film.

They must have paid Universal and Columbia a nice price for it.

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Yeah, I noticed that too. It confuses me even now. (in response to the Pete Pan thing)