Thursday, June 23, 2011

Good Things Come In Small Packages


Although it’s only 16 seconds long, people all over the world are familiar with the Universal Pictures Fanfare that opened all of the films released by the studio from the mid-1930s. Whether in theatres or on TV, everyone has heard the triumphant orchestral soundbite which, most notably, trumpeted the start of Universal’s Frankenstein, Dracula and Wolfman movies.

Jimmy McHugh composed this iconic bit of motion picture history to accompany Universal’s ‘globe and stars’ logo.

The Fanfare was retired in 1946, but has often been revived to open such films as the recent Jack Nicholson remake of The Wolfman, Dead Men Don’t Wear Plaid starring Steve Martin and director Ron Howard’s fantasy flick, Willow.


No comments: