{"id":3861,"date":"2018-03-27T19:35:42","date_gmt":"2018-03-27T18:35:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/?p=3861"},"modified":"2018-03-30T09:15:30","modified_gmt":"2018-03-30T08:15:30","slug":"10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Best John Wayne Western Movie Themes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Having covered John Wayne Western Theme tunes, I thought I\u2019d give consideration to the best orchestral themes as well.<\/p>\n<p>Just like the <a href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/john-wayne-western-movie-theme-songs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">previous article<\/a>, I\u2019m hoping this one will initiate a debate between the readers of MostlyWesterns regarding their own favourite JW theme. For the purpose of this article JW theme music is defined as the music heard over the opening credits of the film.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_65 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#The_Sons_of_Katie_Elder_%E2%80%93_Elmer_Bernstein\" title=\"The Sons of Katie Elder \u2013 Elmer Bernstein\">The Sons of Katie Elder \u2013 Elmer Bernstein<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#Stagecoach_%E2%80%93_Richard_Hageman_Various\" title=\"Stagecoach \u2013 Richard Hageman \/ Various\">Stagecoach \u2013 Richard Hageman \/ Various<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#The_Cowboys_%E2%80%93_John_Williams\" title=\"The Cowboys \u2013 John Williams\">The Cowboys \u2013 John Williams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#Big_Jake_%E2%80%93_Elmer_Bernstein\" title=\"Big Jake \u2013 Elmer Bernstein\">Big Jake \u2013 Elmer Bernstein<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#Rio_Grande_%E2%80%93_Victor_Young\" title=\"Rio Grande \u2013 Victor Young\">Rio Grande \u2013 Victor Young<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#How_The_West_Was_Won_%E2%80%93_Alfred_Newman\" title=\"How The West Was Won &#8211; Alfred Newman\">How The West Was Won &#8211; Alfred Newman<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#Rio_Bravo_%E2%80%93_Dimitri_Tiomkin\" title=\"Rio Bravo \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin\">Rio Bravo \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#Red_River_%E2%80%93_Dimitri_Tiomkin\" title=\"Red River \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin\">Red River \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#The_Alamo_%E2%80%93_Dimitri_Tiomkin\" title=\"The Alamo \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin\">The Alamo \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/#The_Comancheros_%E2%80%93_Elmer_Bernstein\" title=\"The Comancheros \u2013 Elmer Bernstein\">The Comancheros \u2013 Elmer Bernstein<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-162687e2fd5\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Sons_of_Katie_Elder_%E2%80%93_Elmer_Bernstein\"><\/span>The Sons of Katie Elder \u2013 Elmer Bernstein<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019ve got this one at the bottom of the list because, if I\u2019m honest, it\u2019s not the best Bernstein theme tune to adorn a John Wayne Western.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a bit derivative, almost as if someone is attempting a pastiche of Bernstein\u2019s style, but coming up a bit short. Having said that, it\u2019s quite a rousing intro to the film, but just not up there with the best of Bernstein.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-1626880b757\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Stagecoach_%E2%80%93_Richard_Hageman_Various\"><\/span>Stagecoach \u2013 Richard Hageman \/ Various<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Hageman combines traditional pioneer songs with original composition, as he also did later on with She Wore a Yellow Ribbon.<\/p>\n<p>The opening theme music for Stagecoach incorporates snatches of \u2018Don\u2019t Bury Me On the Lone Prairie\u2019 and \u2018Jeannie With the Light Brown Hair\u2019, the former \u2018sample\u2019 having turned into a bit of an earworm over the years, the tune automatically popping into my head the minute I think of any cowboy film, not just those with John Wayne in it. Another one for the old funeral list I guess.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268a44a8d\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Cowboys_%E2%80%93_John_Williams\"><\/span>The Cowboys \u2013 John Williams<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>John Williams is of course more associated with Spielberg and \u2018Star Wars\u2019 than for anything else, but the theme to The Cowboys shows he could compete with the likes of Bernstein and Tiomkin in the cowboy movie stakes as well.<\/p>\n<p>He also composed the music for other Westerns such as the 1966 remake of \u2018The Plainsman\u201d, \u2018The Man Who Loved Cat Dancing\u2019 and \u2018The Missouri Breaks\u2019, but the theme to \u2018The Cowboys\u2019 is definitely his most memorable and accomplished Western soundtrack.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268a5b437\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Big_Jake_%E2%80%93_Elmer_Bernstein\"><\/span>Big Jake \u2013 Elmer Bernstein<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I love the theme to this film for a couple of reasons, the main one being the fact that I didn\u2019t actually get round to hearing it until just over a year or so ago for the very first time.<\/p>\n<p>My bad I guess, not having seen the film itself until fairly late in life. The other reason I like it is because it\u2019s such a great melody, something Bernstein excelled at, particularly with his Western themes. I must try and get hold of the original soundtrack one day.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268a7028a\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rio_Grande_%E2%80%93_Victor_Young\"><\/span>Rio Grande \u2013 Victor Young<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Like Bernstein, Victor Young sure knew how to write memorable movie themes. Apart from \u2018Shane\u2019, he also composed the music for \u2018Around the World in Eighty Days\u2019, and \u2018The Quiet Man\u2019, to name just a few.<\/p>\n<p>His theme to \u2018Rio Grande\u2019 starts out as a rousing military theme, before seguing into one of the most beautiful melodies to a John Ford film I\u2019ve ever heard. In fact, Ford liked this piece of music so much it also turns up on \u2018The Quiet Man\u2019 soundtrack, rechristened as \u2018Mother\u2019, and it sounds just as good in that film as well.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268a86d1e\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_The_West_Was_Won_%E2%80%93_Alfred_Newman\"><\/span>How The West Was Won &#8211; Alfred Newman<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you didn\u2019t know already that this film was actually a Western \u2013 I guess the clue is in the title though \u2013 you\u2019d certainly have no doubts once this main theme kicks in. Newman received an Oscar nomination for his magnificent soundtrack.<\/p>\n<p>John Ford\u2019s Civil War sequence aside, I don\u2019t really think the film really deserved such a great piece of music. Newman came to Western quite late in life, judging by his filmography, but he made up for last time after HTWWW by composing the scores to Nevada Smith and Firecreek, but this is his cowboy pi\u00e8ce de r\u00e9sistance as far as I\u2019m concerned.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268a9a5af\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rio_Bravo_%E2%80%93_Dimitri_Tiomkin\"><\/span>Rio Bravo \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The main theme to Rio Bravo is second only to My Rifle, Pony and Me when it comes to this Tiomkin soundtrack. Although Dean Martin recorded Rio Bravo as a single, this is not the version you hear at the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>The theme that opens the film is quite understated, to the point where you actually have to strain your ears at times to make sure you hear it properly. That\u2019s Tiomkin\u2019s masterstroke \u2013 the leisurely manner in which he orchestrates the theme music underlines the languid pace of the film as a whole.<\/p>\n<p>My ideal juke-box single would be Dean and Ricky\u2019s version of My Rifle, with this theme on the B side.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268afd3f8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Red_River_%E2%80%93_Dimitri_Tiomkin\"><\/span>Red River \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As you all probably know, the opening theme to Red River isn\u2019t purely orchestral, it\u2019s a song called \u2018Settle Down\u2019, the melody of which Tiomkin utilizes in Rio Bravo for My Rifle, Pony and Me. I\u2019m nominating it in this list because it\u2019s a great piece of music, with or without the vocals.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m not sure if the original score was ever released on CD but I have the Moscow version recorded by the Russian Symphony Orchestra, and the opening title as sung by a a Russian choir is certainly impressive. The notes point out that the choral arrangements for the music heard on the original soundtrack were by Jester Hairston, who played the black slave Jethro in The Alamo. Clever guy.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268b1577c\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Alamo_%E2%80%93_Dimitri_Tiomkin\"><\/span>The Alamo \u2013 Dimitri Tiomkin<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Talking of which\u2026 No apologies for this list being somewhat Tiomkin top heavy. If we were considering JW soundtracks as opposed to isolated themes or songs, then Tiomkin\u2019s magnificent score for The Alamo goes straight to number one.<\/p>\n<p>The theme heard on the opening credits, obviously not to be confused with the Overture for all you Director\u2019s Cut fans, is comprised mainly of the De Guello \u2018no quarter\u2019 melody, The Green Leaves of Summer and Legend of the Alamo. The arrangement is quite low-key and somber, pre-echoing the fate of the defenders of the Alamo.<\/p>\n<p>I love Tiomkin\u2019s scores for Red River, High Noon and Rio Bravo, but his music for The Alamo should have won the Academy award for Best Original Music Score in 1961, not Ernest Gold for Exodus. The boy was robbed.<\/p>\n<h2 data-css=\"tve-u-16268b2e0a8\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Comancheros_%E2%80%93_Elmer_Bernstein\"><\/span>The Comancheros \u2013 Elmer Bernstein<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>I\u2019ll tell you how good Bernstein\u2019s opening theme for The Comancheros is. It\u2019s so good I heard my wife humming it the other day. She might not be able to tell what film it comes from, but definitely recognizes it as a cowboy theme \u2013 who wouldn\u2019t? &#8211; which means that the composer has done his job.<\/p>\n<p>I rate Bernstein\u2019s score for this film second only to The Magnificent Seven when it comes to his Western soundtracks. I was lucky enough to get to see the great man conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra at London\u2019s Festival Hall on his 75th birthday anniversary tour back in the late 1990s, and I\u2019m pretty sure he played this theme the night I saw him.<\/p>\n<p>When it comes to his music and John Wayne\u2019s films, it\u2019s a partnership made in heaven, and I catch my breath every time I watch the opening credits to The Comancheros and hear Bernstein\u2019s triumphant score. The rest of the soundtrack isn\u2019t too bad either.<\/p>\n<p>Now that we\u2019ve covered both JW theme music and songs, I guess it\u2019s time to mosey on down to the CD corral and consider John Wayne soundtrack scores in more detail. Keep your eyes peeled for an article on that very subject headed your way soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Having covered John Wayne Western Theme tunes, I thought I\u2019d give consideration to the best orchestral themes as well. Just like the previous article, I\u2019m hoping this one will initiate a debate between the readers of MostlyWesterns regarding their own &#8230; <a title=\"10 Best John Wayne Western Movie Themes\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/10-best-john-wayne-western-movie-themes\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about 10 Best John Wayne Western Movie Themes\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3873,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[99,100,98,95,97,96],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3861"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3861"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3872,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3861\/revisions\/3872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3873"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mostlywesterns.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}