24th Academy Awards (1951): Nominees and Winners (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture):
David and Bathsheba – Alfred Newman Death of a Salesman – Alex North A Place in the Sun – Franz Waxman Quo Vadis – Miklos Rozsa A Streetcar Named Desire – Alex North
Franz Waxman won, but I would have instead awarded Death of a Salesman since Alex North is my favorite Hollywood composer and I prefer DOAS over A Streetcar Named Desire. The competitive aspect is further intensified, though, by the presence of my favorite Alfred Newman score - David and Bathsheba.
I also like A Place in the Sun but Waxman wrote the music for this beforeSunset Blvd. and (as we learn from the Kritzerland CD) the lengthy post-production meant some scenes were subsequently scored by Paramount staffers Victor Young and Daniele Amfitheatrof due to Waxman's unavailability. Should A Place in the Sun have won for 1951 if Waxman started scoring this picture in 1949 and it was completed many months later by others?
1969 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID Burt Bacharach ANNE OF THE THOUSAND DAYS Georges Delerue THE REIVERS John Williams THE SECRET OF SANTA VITTORIA Ernest Gold THE WILD BUNCH Jerry Fielding
1946 (19th) MUSIC (Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) Anna and the King of Siam -- Bernard Herrmann The Best Years of Our Lives -- Hugo Friedhofer Henry V -- William Walton Humoresque -- Franz Waxman The Killers -- Miklos Rozsa
