# Is there a way to find a movie based on the music? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 16, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213 "2016-03-16T21:05:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/1 "2016-03-16T21:05:38Z")
Dag Wiren’s Serenade in Strings ([here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKORIweOgBw), specifically the fourth movement, start listening at 10:33 if you’re interested) or something very much like it (and I mean plagiaristically like it) I’m sure was used in some movie from the 40s or 50s, and I’d like to find out what movie it was. My mind is associating it with a British mystery or detective story, for what that’s worth. I’ve checked IMDB but it doesn’t seem possible to search by music there. Any other options? Or, miraculously, does anyone recognize the music and know the movie? By the way, [programnotes.wikia.com](http://programnotes.wikia.com) says that it was used as the theme music for a British radio program called Monitor, but I’m sure I’ve never heard that show (or heard of it either) so that’s not the memory that’s being triggered. OK, SDMB, wow me with your knowledge and expertise. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/2 "2016-03-16T21:19:06Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I’ve checked IMDB but it doesn’t seem possible to search by music there. You can search IMDb by _Dag Wiren_, pulling up the movies that list him as composer. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2016, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/3 "2016-03-16T21:38:20Z")
Searching for Dag Wiren in IMDB brings up the entry for [Dagmara Dominczyk](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0231436/?ref_=nv_sr_1). Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/4 "2016-03-17T16:35:08Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > You can search IMDb by _Dag Wiren_, pulling up the movies that list him as composer. OK, I tried that and only one movie comes up, a Swedish movie which, when I pull up the list of all the movie’s music, does not mention Dag Wiren. It looks like this one is going to go unsolved. My guess is that the music was either used uncredited or some hack film composer copied it and never got caught. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/5 "2016-03-17T16:43:56Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > OK, I tried that and only one movie comes up, a Swedish movie which, when I pull up the list of all the movie’s music, does not mention Dag Wiren. One movie has him in “Music Department”. Nine have him as “Composer”. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/6 "2016-03-17T18:36:24Z")
Wifey has an app on her phone that can identify the titles of songs and provide links to their uses in pop culture/film/etc. Maybe this would be helpful? ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/7 "2016-03-18T00:07:46Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > One movie has him in “Music Department”. Nine have him as “Composer”. I see I clicked on the wrong thing. I do see 9 composer credits. All of those are Swedish films that I’m sure I’ve never seen. Oh well. > [@Jennshark](#): > > Wifey has an app on her phone that can identify the titles of songs and provide links to their uses in pop culture/film/etc. > > Maybe this would be helpful? Thanks, I’m willing to try it. What is it called? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/8 "2016-03-18T00:17:12Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > I see I clicked on the wrong thing. I do see 9 composer credits. All of those are Swedish films that I’m sure I’ve never seen. Oh well. It says “A Matter Of Morals” was an English-language film with Patrick O’Neal as the banker who gets enmeshed in a story of embezzlement and _murrrderrr_. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/9 "2016-03-18T04:17:07Z")
OK, I concede the English language part, but how do you know what it’s about? IMDB has neither plot nor synopsis listed (that I can find, although apparently I’m not too good at IMDB). No plot keywords, no FAQs, no user reviews, no message board threads, and the Genre just says “Drama.” Is there more about this movie on IMDB Pro? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/10 "2016-03-18T04:43:39Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > OK, I concede the English language part, but how do you know what it’s about? IMDB has neither plot nor synopsis listed (that I can find, although apparently I’m not too good at IMDB). No plot keywords, no FAQs, no user reviews, no message board threads, and the Genre just says “Drama.” Is there more about this movie on IMDB Pro? Naw, for that I had to go to wiki, which has an image of the movie poster, which reads as follows: _“GUILTY of making love to another man’s woman…GUILTY of taking another man’s millions…GUILTY of firing the shot that took another man’s life…Yet…who is to say he is guilty of **MURDER?!?!** ”_ ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/11 "2016-03-18T04:45:39Z")
You’re a very thorough person. I never would have expected a Wiki entry on such an obscure movie. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/12 "2016-03-18T05:17:47Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > You’re a very thorough person. I never would have expected a Wiki entry on such an obscure movie. Thanks, but I’d have been happier if it’d been the film you were trying to remember. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/13 "2016-03-18T05:53:45Z")
His Wikipedia page lists a number of English language titles under the heading [Film Music](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dag_Wir%C3%A9n#Film_music). Although it appears they may only be English translations of Swedish films. Alas. It also appears one of his works was the theme music for a BBC arts programme called [Monitor](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monitor_(TV_series)). From the Monitor Wiki page: > [@](#): > > The theme tune was “Marcia” from Serenade for String Orchestra (Op. 11, 1937) by Dag Wirén.[3] Seems a likely candidate for what you’re describing, even if not exactly a match. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/14 "2016-03-18T06:01:41Z")
Never mind. You’ve already mentioned Monitor as a radio program. Poor reading skills on my part. Sigh. ETA: The TV program was entirely separate, and while only a special on Elgar appears to be currently available on the BBC site, here’s a [program listing](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dtyvd/episodes/guide). ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2016, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-way-to-find-a-movie-based-on-the-music/749213/15 "2016-03-18T06:07:56Z")
stupid edit window. The TV program ran from 1958-1962 You can find a broad range of clips from it [here](http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dtyvd/clips).