# Help me identify a sad music score used in multiple movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 11, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254 "2015-06-11T14:34:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254/1 "2015-06-11T14:34:52Z")
There is a haunting melody that I’ve been trying to identify for a long time. Pieces of it turn up in the “were all doomed” parts of movies. It was used in 2005’s King Kong when the freighter struck rocks at skull island. It was used in 2010’s The Wolfman and can be heard best at: 3:24 & 4:05 in this clip. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFuxWoztMbA](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFuxWoztMbA) Several years ago NPR had a story about the author and how the piece came about but I don’t remember the details. Any help is greatly appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254/2 "2015-06-11T14:53:29Z")
Haven’t seen either movie, but the Soundtrack listing for King Kong includes: > [@](#): > > Fanfares Nos. 1, 2 and 3, The Sailors, The Aeroplane, Elevated Sequence, Jungle Dance, The Escape > from the underscore of the King Kong (1933) > Written by Max Steiner So, some of the themes were from the original movie. The other songs were probably not it. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254/3 "2015-06-11T14:59:34Z")
The bit you refer to reminds me of the Gary Oldman “Dracula” OST at 2:26 of [this track](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDzFN68poyA&index=5&list=PLC1Te4w7WcRw6QJEjNIp9WSY1i3k2VpCT) ---
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254/4 "2015-06-11T16:59:09Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > The bit you refer to reminds me of the Gary Oldman “Dracula” OST at 2:26 of > > [this track](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDzFN68poyA&index=5&list=PLC1Te4w7WcRw6QJEjNIp9WSY1i3k2VpCT) Yep, that’s the tune it also right at the begining of that clip. It’s used often but the original composer is never credited. A co worker tried an online music recognition site with a clip of the music from The Wolfman. It worked & the site said it was from… The Wolfman. The NPR story mentioned the composer, who was well known was paid to compose a sad piece and that it was well received. That’s about all I remember, besides the melody. ---
**Author:** ![SmittenKitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SmittenKitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmittenKitten)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254/5 "2017-04-21T17:43:07Z")
I realize this thread is very old, but I wanted to provide you with a link in case you were still curious (btw, I also heard the similarities right away, as well as on the show Emerald City on NBC this year). Hope it helps! 🙂 [https://www.google.com/amp/s/moviemusicuk.us/2010/02/12/the-wolfman-danny-elfman/amp/](https://www.google.com/amp/s/moviemusicuk.us/2010/02/12/the-wolfman-danny-elfman/amp/) ---
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254/6 "2017-04-21T18:33:23Z")
Cool, I’m thinking the NPR story had to be about Wojciech Kilar. I only heard part of the story, had I heard the Dracula reference it would have stuck with me. Thanks for digging this up for me. Σ( : (smiling vampire) ---
**Author:** ![SmittenKitten](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SmittenKitten](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmittenKitten)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2017, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-identify-a-sad-music-score-used-in-multiple-movies/722254/7 "2017-04-22T21:05:41Z")
You’re very welcome! As I mentioned, I knew the post was old but I had just watched The Wolfman (again) & noticed the similarities right away. Probably because I’ve seen King Kong no less than a hundred times, I can always recall the song from when Ann takes that first step onto the ship, setting her destiny in motion. The author of that article says the similarities between King Kong, The Wolfman & I guess in essence Dracula are a coincidence, but come on… REALLY??? Those three movies?? lol I’m glad to see you read my post after all this time! 🙂