# Recycling film scores? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394 "2008-06-01T22:50:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/1 "2008-06-01T22:50:06Z")
I don’t go to the movies very often, so I don’t know if this is a widespread phenomenon, but when I went to see the latest Indiana Jones movie last week, one of the previews shown was of _Australia_. The music used in one part of the preview was from Patrick Doyle’s score of _Henry V._ Is this common? Is it done because previews/trailers are produced before the film score is complete? ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/2 "2008-06-01T22:55:49Z")
It’s pretty common. I think that same score was used in trailers for _Tucker: The Man and His Dream_ (maybe **Tuckerfan** will come correct me if I’m wrong). The score for _Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story_ has been used in I don’t know how many trailers for other movies. ---
**Author:** ![Lama\_Pacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Lama\_Pacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lama_Pacos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/3 "2008-06-01T22:58:47Z")
I remember being struck hearing some pieces from the _Amélie_ score in _Goodbye, Stalin_, because the former’s is so distinctive and (IMO) exceptional. I believe Yann Tiersen composed the latter as well, though, so I don’t know if you consider self-recycling to count or not. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Some\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ad7895/32.png) [@Just\_Some\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Some_Guy)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/4 "2008-06-01T23:14:47Z")
You’ve got it. Finished scores are rarely available when trailers are done so they use other music that the studio has the rights to. There’s a few scores that you’ll hear over and over in those early trailers. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2008, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/5 "2008-06-01T23:23:51Z")
I heard the theme fromn **The Rocketeer** used in LOTS of Disney film trailers. It’s a good piece of music; they paid for it; why NOT recycle it? Music was and probably stuill is re-used in film scores, too. A lot of Max Steiner’s score from **King Kong** ended up later in other films. I heard Louis and Bebe Barron’s electronic score from **Forbidden Planet** in other SF films. And, as for music not being available for the trailers – the first trailer I saw for **Star Wars** in January of 1977 used a completely different (and BORING) score. If they’d used that music instead of the John Williams score, it moght’ve flopped. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/6 "2008-06-02T00:10:09Z")
For many years, the score for **The Stunt Man** showed up in trailers; it worked nicely because there was an “action packed” section that worked well with action movies and a “funny” section that worked well with comedies. Film scores were sometimes recycled during the studio days. You paid for a score for one major film and your B pictures would use parts of it. Lots of Warner Brothers cartoons used songs from Warner Brothers movies, for instance. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/7 "2008-06-02T03:59:15Z")
There’s a piece of music written for Requiem for a Dream that has gotten a lot of reuse. Apparently it’s called Lux Aeterna, and [here’s a list of other films and ads where it has popped up.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Requiem_for_a_Tower) ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/8 "2008-06-02T04:53:42Z")
Recycling film scores is common in trailers, not so much in actual films- though it happens. _The Godfather_’s score was deemed ineligible for an Oscar since Nino Rota had originally written the iconic theme song for another movie, _Fortunella_. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2008, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/9 "2008-06-02T12:27:47Z")
and how many trailers have used _Carmina Burana_? Jeez. ---
**Author:** ![jvahe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@jvahe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jvahe)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/10 "2008-06-04T10:46:40Z")
I don’t understand the whole Carmina Burana thing at all…I’m frankly sick of hearing it… ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/11 "2008-06-04T12:05:16Z")
[QUOTE=jvahe] I don’t understand the whole Carmina Burana thing at all…I’m frankly sick of hearing it… [/QUOTE] I agree, it’s overused to point of parody. It’s a dynamic piece that makes a great dramatic point but c’mon, there are lots of other scores too! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/12 "2008-06-04T12:11:18Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] and how many trailers have used _Carmina Burana_? Jeez. [/QUOTE] Almost none. Can you name some for me? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/13 "2008-06-04T13:19:16Z")
[QUOTE=GuanoLad] Almost none. Can you name some for me? [/QUOTE] In either the trailer or the film score of: _Warlock. Excalibre The Bachelor Natural Born Killers Jackass Rat Cheaper by the Dozen The Doors Detroit Rock City The General’s Daughter Speed_ And that’s just off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/14 "2008-06-04T13:23:44Z")
It became a fad and then burnt out. There is a trailer for South Park Bigger Longer and Uncut that used it in a really funny way. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/15 "2008-06-04T13:34:09Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] _Warlock. Excalibre The Bachelor Natural Born Killers Jackass Rat Cheaper by the Dozen The Doors Detroit Rock City The General’s Daughter Speed_ [/QUOTE] Ah, okay. You’re talking about movies older than a decade, some older than two decades. That may be why I can’t recall it appearing recently. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/16 "2008-06-04T14:00:02Z")
By the way, I note that the trailer for the new Pixar film **Wall E** , uses the theme from **The Great Escape**. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that used elsewhere. Ever since **2001** , Strauss’ **Also Sprach Zarathustra** got used in a _LOT_ of trailers, including Mel Brooks’ **History of the World, Part I** and **Spaceballs**. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/17 "2008-06-04T15:09:42Z")
Jerry Goldsmith used whole passages from his previous work on _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn_ in _Aliens_. Ditto for many Bond movies reusing incidental music composed by John Barry from previous Bond films, especially _From Russia With Love_ (not including the introductory Bond theme with Vic Flick’s iconic guitar riff which appears in some form in all of the Bond films). As I recall, an early teaser for _The Incredibles_ used the “Snow Chase” theme from _On Her Majesty’s Secret Service_. The actual incidental music in the film, however, was all original (albeit reminiscent of classic 'Sixties jazzy spy music of a variety of styles). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/18 "2008-06-04T15:13:46Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] Jerry Goldsmith used whole passages from his previous work on _Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn_ in _Aliens_. [/QUOTE] Dammit, I was going to post that I thought that’s the kind of thing this thread would be about, but I couldn’t find a cite. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/19 "2008-06-04T15:33:16Z")
Ennio Morricone’s score for _The Mission_ turned up in tons of trailers for years after that movie came out. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2008, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394/20 "2008-06-04T15:39:37Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] By the way, I note that the trailer for the new Pixar film **Wall E** , uses the theme from **The Great Escape**. I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that used elsewhere. [/QUOTE] **Brazil** [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recycling-film-scores/451394.md?page=2)