Bernard Herrmann music for film, television, and radio productions, 1935-1969

Finding aid prepared by UCLA Library Special Collections staff; reprocessed by Melissa Haley 2015; machine-readable finding aid created by Caroline Cubé.
UCLA Library Special Collections
Room A1713, Charles E. Young Research Library
Box 951575
Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1575
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©1998 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.


Title: Bernard Herrmann music for film, television, and radio productions
Collection number: PASC-M 79
Contributing Institution: UCLA Library Special Collections
Language of Material: English
Physical Description: 6.5 linear ft. (13 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1935-1969
Abstract: This collection consists primarily of manuscripts and reproductions of scores and parts of radio, television, and film music created by composer Bernard Herrmann. It also contains a small amount of scores for his classical work.
Physical Location: Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.
Creator: Herrmann, Bernard, 1911-1975

Restrictions on Access

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.

Restrictions on Use and Reproduction

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Bernard Herrmann Music for Film, Television, and Radio Productions (Collection PASC-M 79). UCLA Library Special Collections, University of California, Los Angeles.

UCLA Catalog Record ID

UCLA Catalog Record ID: 4233137 

Source of Acquisition/Provenance

Los Angeles Public Library Art and Music Department; gift; 1987

Biography/History

Composer and conductor Bernard Herrmann was born June 29, 1911, in New York City. He attended New York University and the Juilliard School. Herrmann’s early career included involvement in Aaron Copland’s Young Composers Group and the founding of the New Chamber Orchestra of New York. In 1934, he joined CBS Radio as a composer-conductor, writing music for Orson Welles’ Mercury Theater on the Air and other Welles radio projects. He also served as conductor of the CBS Symphony Orchestra, which was disbanded in 1951. Soon after, Herrmann moved to Los Angeles, where he primarily composed for film productions. He also occasionally wrote music for television programs and returned briefly to radio in 1953 to work on the CBS series Crime Classics.
Herrmann’s first film score was written for Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941). He had a long relationship with director Alfred Hitchcock and worked on several of his films including The Trouble with Harry (1955), Vertigo (1958), North by Northwest (1959), Psycho (1960), and Marnie (1964). Herrmann also created scores for a number of science-fiction and fantasy films such as The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), The 7th Voyage of Sinbad (1958), Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959), and Jason and the Argonauts (1963). Later in his career he composed music for directors Francois Truffaut and Brian De Palma. Herrmann’s final film score was for Martin Scorcese’s Taxi Driver (1976), completed just before his death.
In addition to composing for film, television and radio, Herrmann created a number of concert works, including Nocturne and Scherzo (1935), Moby Dick: A Cantata for Male Chorus, Soloists, and Orchestra (1938), and an opera based on Wuthering Heights (1951). He served as a guest conductor for the New York Philharmonic, the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Herrmann died on December 24, 1975 in Los Angeles.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of manuscripts and reproductions of scores and parts of radio, television, and film music. It includes arrangements and scripts for the CBS radio show Crime Classics, and music composed for two television specials, A Child is Born and A Christmas Carol. In addition, the collection contains music from the following films: Battle of Neretva, Jason and the Argonauts, The Kentuckian, Psycho, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, and The Trouble with Harry. Herrmann’s classical work is represented by selections from the opera Wuthering Heights, and his Nocturne and Scherzo for Orchestra.

Organization and Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:
  • Series 1. Music for the Radio Production Crime Classics
  • Series 2. Music for Television Productions
  • Series 3. Music for Film Productions
  • Series 4. Classical Works.

Related Material

Bernard Herrmann Papers , PA Mss 3, Department of Special Collections, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Herrmann, Bernard 1911-1975--Archives.
Composers--United States--Archives.
Crime classics (Radio program)
Motion picture music--Scores and parts.
Music--Manuscripts.
Psycho (Motion picture : 1960)
Radio music--Scores and parts.
Television music--Scores and parts.

 

Series 1. Music for the Radio Production Crime Classics.

Biography/History

Crime Classics aired on CBS from June 15, 1953 to June 30, 1954.
Box 1, Folder 1

1. The Crime of Bathsheba Spooner (June 15, 1953). Scripts, score, and instrumentation for reed, harp, and drums. Additional date: 12/3/52.

Box 1, Folder 2

2. The Shockingly Peaceful Passing of Thomas Edwin Bartlett, Greengrocer (June 22, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for oboe, horn, and harp. Notation: "See #45."

Box 1, Folder 3

3. The Checkered Life and Sudden Death of Colonel James Fiske, Jr. (June 29, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for clarinet, trumpet, and harp.

Box 1, Folder 4

4. The Shrapnelled Bosom of Charles Drew, Sr. (July 6, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

Box 1, Folder 5

5. The Terrible Deed of Dr. Webster (July 11, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for clarinet, horn, and harp. Notation: "also #47".

Box 1, Folder 6

6. The Seven Layered Arsenic Cake of Madame Lafarge (October 14, 1953). Script (no score).

Box 1, Folder 7

7. The Final Day of General Ketchum, and How He Died (July 27, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp. Notation: "also #44."

Box 2, Folder 1

8. Mr. Thrower's Hammer (August 3, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for clarinet, horn, and harp.

Box 2, Folder 2

9. The Axe and the Droot Family: How They Fared (August 10, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

Box 2, Folder 3

10. The Incredible Trial of Laura D. Fair (August 17, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp. Notation: "also 44."

Box 2, Folder 4

11. The Aslop Family: How It Diminished and Grew Again (August 24, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for flute, horn, and harp.

Box 2, Folder 5

12. Your Loving Son, Nero (August 31, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for clarinet, harp, and tympani.

Box 2, Folder 6

13. The Torment of Henrietta Robinson, and Why She Killed (September 7, 1953). Script (no score). Notation: "use score and parts of #2."

Box 2, Folder 7

14. The Bloody, Bloody Banks of Fall River (September 30, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for organ, harp, and drums.

Box 3, Folder 1

15. The Hangman and William Palmer: Who Won (October 7, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for two flutes and harp.

Box 3, Folder 2

16. Death of a Picture Hanger (July 20, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for three trombones.

Box 3, Folder 3

17. Billy Bonny Bloodletter.Also Known as the Kid (October 21, 1953). Script (no score).

Box 3, Folder 4

18. John Hayes, His Head, and How They Were Parted (October 28, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

Box 3, Folder 5

19. Raschi Among the Crocodiles, and the Prank He Played (November 4, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for clarinet, oboe, and harp. Notation: "This score is also used in #37 and #50."

Box 3, Folder 6

20. Blackbeard's Fourteenth Wife: Why She Was No Good For Him (November 11, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for three horns.

Box 3, Folder 7

21. The Triangle on the Round Table (November 18, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for horn, trumpet, and harp.

Box 4, Folder 1

22. The Killing Story of William Corder and the Farmer's Daughter (November 25, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for two clarinets and harp. Notation: "Score also used for #43."

Box 4, Folder 2

23. If a Body Need a Body, Just Call Burke and Hare (December 2, 1953). Script (no score) and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

Box 4, Folder 3

24. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (December 9, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for tympani, cymbals, and chimes.

Box 4, Folder 4

25. John and Judith, Their Crime, and Why They Didn't Get to Enjoy It (December 16, 1953). Scripts, score, and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

Box 4, Folder 5

26. Coyle and Richardson.Why They Hung in a Spanking Breeze (December 30, 1953). Script, score, and instrumentation for three trombones and harp.

Box 4, Folder 6

27. The Younger Brothers: Why Some of Them Grew No Older (January 6, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for three horns.

Box 5, Folder 1

28. How Supan Got the Hook Outside Bombay (January 13, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for oboe, horn, and drums.

Box 5, Folder 2

29. Madeleine Smith, Maid or Murderess: Which? (January 20, 1954). Script, score and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

Box 5, Folder 3

30. The Boorn Brothers and the Hangman: A Study in Nip and Tuck (January 27, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for three bassoons.

Box 5, Folder 4

31. The Incredible History of John Shephard (February 3, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for three oboes.

Box 5, Folder 5

32. Twenty-Three Knives Against Caesar (February 10, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for tympani and three drums.

Box 5, Folder 6

33. Jean Baptiste Troppmann: Killer of Many (February 17, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and bassoon.

Box 6, Folder 1

34. The Good Ship Jane: Why She Became Flotsam (February 24, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for piano, organ, and harp.

Box 6, Folder 2

35. Roger News: How He, Though Dead, Won the Game (March 3, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for two oboes and bassoon.

Box 6, Folder 3

36. New Hampshire, the Tiger, and Brad Ferguson: What Happened Then (March 10, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for three flutes.

Box 6, Folder 4

37. Old Six Toes: How He Stopped Construction on the B. B. C. and I. (March 17, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for clarinet, oboe, and harp. Notation: "Score in #19."

Box 6, Folder 5

38. Francisco Pizarro: His Heart on a Golden Knife (March 24, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for three oboes and harp.

Box 6, Folder 6

39. Robby-Boy Balfour: How He Wrecked a Big Prison's Reputation (March 31, 1954). Script (no score).

Box 6, Folder 7

40. The General's Daughter, the Czar's Lieutenant, and the Linen Closet: A Russian Tragedy (April 7, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for three drums.

Box 6, Folder 8

41. James Evans, Fireman: How He Extinguished a Human Torch (April 14, 1954). Script (score missing) and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

Box 6, Folder 9

42. Cesare Borgia: His Most Difficult Murder (April 21, 1954). Script (no score).

Box 7, Folder 1

43. Widow Magee and the Three Gypsies.A Vermont Fandango (April 28, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for two clarinets and harp. Notation: "Score in #22."

Box 7, Folder 2

44. Bunny Baumler: His Close Brush With Fame (May 5, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp. Notation: "Use scores from #7 and #10."

Box 7, Folder 3

45. Mr. Clark's Skeleton in Mr. Avram's Closet: The Noise It Made (May 12, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for oboe, horn, and harp. Notation: "Score from Show #2."

Box 7, Folder 4

46. The Lethal Habit of the Marquise de Brinvilliers (May 26, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for two oboes and bassoon.

Box 7, Folder 5

47. Mr. Jonathon Jewett: How, Most Peculiarly, He Cheated the Hangman (June 2, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for reed, horn, and harp. Notation: "Score in #5."

Box 7, Folder 6

48. The Assassination of Leon Trotsky (June 9, 1954). Script, score, and instrumentation for three oboes and bassoon.

Box 7, Folder 7

49. The Death of a Baltimore Birdie and Friend (June 16, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for reed, trumpet, and harp.

Box 7, Folder 8

50. Ali Pasha, A Turkish Delight (June 23, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for clarinet, oboe, and harp. Notation: "Score from #19."

Box 7, Folder 9

51. Good Evening, My Name is Jack the Ripper (June 30, 1954). Script (no score) and instrumentation for flute, oboe, and harp.

 

Series 2. Music for Television Productions.

 

A Christmas Carol.

Biography/History

A Christmas Carol, with words written by Maxwell Anderson, aired on CBS's Chrysler Shower of Stars on December 24, 1954.
Box 8, Folder 1

Choral arrangements with flute or piano accompaniments of several songs of Christmas Carol.

Box 8, Folder 2

Prelude.

Box 8, Folder 3

On This Darkest Day of Winter.

Box 8, Folder 4

The Street.

Box 8, Folder 5

The Sign.

Box 8, Folder 6

The Office.

Box 8, Folder 7

Fred.

Box 8, Folder 8

The Coach-Horn.

Box 8, Folder 9

The Money-Box.

Box 8, Folder 10

Supper.

Box 8, Folder 11

Midnight.

Box 8, Folder 12

Marley [a.k.a. The Spirits Lament].

Box 8, Folder 13

Marley's Lament.

Box 8, Folder 14

The Ledger.

Box 8, Folder 15

The Hours.

Box 8, Folder 16

The Past.

Box 8, Folder 17

The Christmas Dance.

Box 8, Folder 18

What Shall I Give My Girl for Christmas.

Box 8, Folder 19

Polka.

Box 8, Folder 20

Refusal.

Box 8, Folder 21

A Very Merry Christmas.

Box 8, Folder 22

Oh, Days May Come.

Box 8, Folder 23

The Cratchits.

Box 8, Folder 24

And Bless Us Everyone.

Box 8, Folder 25

The Future.

Box 8, Folder 26

The Grave.

Box 8, Folder 27

The Bells.

Box 8, Folder 28

Greetings.

Box 8, Folder 29

The Holly.

Box 8, Folder 30

The Doorway.

Box 8, Folder 31

Dear God of Christmas.

Box 8, Folder 32

Finale.

 

A Child is Born.

Biography/History

A Child is Born, written for G.E. Theater, first aired live on CBS on December 23, 1955 and was repeated in 1956.
Box 9, Folder 1

Script (annotated).

Box 9, Folder 2-3

Score, with voice parts and piano accompaniment (6 copies).

Box 9, Folder 4-6

Parts.

Box 9, Folder 7-9

The Carol of the Shepherds and the Kings (29 copies) (From A Child Is Born, pp. 17-19, 27-32) Folders 1,2,3 of 4.

Box 10, Folder 1

The Carol of the Shepherds and the Kings (29 copies) (From A Child Is Born, pp. 17-19, 27-32) Folder 4 of 4.

Box 10, Folder 2

Come All Ye Faithful--choral arrangement.

 

Series 3. Music for Film Productions.

 

Battle of Neretva.

Biographical/Historical note

Directed by Veljko Bulajic, released 1969.
Box 10, Folder 3

I. Prelude.

Box 10, Folder 4

II. Nazi Attack.

Box 10, Folder 5

III. The Retreat.

Box 10, Folder 6

IV. The Tanks.

Box 10, Folder 7

IV. The Retreat.

Box 10, Folder 8

V. Hunt Scherzo.

Box 10, Folder 9

VI. The Bridge.

Box 10, Folder 10

VII. Suspense.

Box 10, Folder 11

VIII. The Lookout.

Box 10, Folder 12

IX. The Front.

Box 10, Folder 13

X. The Road.

Box 10, Folder 14

XI. The Rout.

Box 10, Folder 15

XII. Dawn.

Box 10, Folder 16

XIII. Pastorale.

Box 10, Folder 17

XIV. March.

Box 10, Folder 18

XV. Separation.

Box 10, Folder 19

XVI. From Italy.

Box 10, Folder 20

XVII. The Death Hunt.

Box 10, Folder 21

XVIII. Slow March.

Box 10, Folder 22

XIX. Fanfares.

Box 10, Folder 23

XX. Finale.

Box 10, Folder 24

XXI. The Flag.

Box 10, Folder 25

XXII. The Italian.

Box 10, Folder 26

XXIV. Waiting.

Box 10, Folder 27

XXV. Grief.

Box 10, Folder 28

XXVI. The Poem.

Box 10, Folder 29

XXVII. The Trestle.

Box 10, Folder 30

XXVIII. End Title.

Box 10, Folder 31

Baubles.

 

Jason and the Argonauts [Jason and the Golden Fleece].

Biographical/Historical note

Directed by Don Chaffey, released 1963.
Box 10, Folder 32

"Instrumental Breakdown of Musical Numbers" (chart) and listing of orchestral parts.

Box 10, Folder 33

Reel 1, Parts 1-5: Jason Prelude, The Prophecy, The Battle, Hera's Temple, Mount Olympus I and II.

Box 10, Folder 34

Reel 2, Parts 1-5: River Bank, The Feast, The Oak Grove, The Ascension, Mount Olympus I and II.

Box 10, Folder 35

Reel 3, Parts 1-6: Jason's Arrival, The Olympic Games, The Discus I and II (twice), Victory, Departure.

Box 10, Folder 36

Reel 4, Parts 1-5: Hera's Effigy, Argo, The Titans, The Chamber, The Door.

Box 10, Folder 37

Reel 5, Parts 1-6: Talos, The Boat, The Wreck, The Attack, Talos Heel.

Box 11, Folder 1

Reel 6, Parts 1-5: Talos Death, Sailing, The Harpies.

Box 11, Folder 2

Reel 7, Parts 1A-3A (6 parts): The Nets, The Harpies, The Rope, The Cage, The Narrows, Drumbeats [II].

Box 11, Folder 3

Reel 8, Parts 1-7: Medea's Ship, Trapped,Triton, Drumbeats [IV], Rescue, Medea.

Box 11, Folder 4

Reel 9, Parts 1-5: Drumbeats, A. and J. Fight, Temple Dance, King Fanfare.

Box 11, Folder 5

Reel 10, Parts 1-7: The Banquet [twice], Jason's Arrest, Medea's Prayer, Duo, Escape, The Glade.

Box 11, Folder 6

Reel 11, Parts 1-4 (5 parts): The Golden Fleece, The Hydra, The Hydra Fight, The Stolen Fleece, The Teeth.

Box 11, Folder 7

Reel 12, Parts 1-7: The Path, The Cure, Hydra's Head, Skeletons, Attack.

 

The Kentuckian.

Biographical/Historical note

Directed by Burt Lancaster, released 1955.
Box 11, Folder 8

Anger.

Box 11, Folder 9

The Attic.

Box 11, Folder 10

A-Waiting.

Box 11, Folder 11

The Bar.

Box 11, Folder 12

The Body.

Box 11, Folder 13

The Boy and Dog.

Box 11, Folder 14

Boyhood's End.

Box 11, Folder 15

The Boy's Call.

Box 11, Folder 16

The Captain.

Box 11, Folder 17

Confession.

Box 11, Folder 18

Daydreaming.

Box 11, Folder 19

Decker.

Box 11, Folder 20

Finale.

Box 11, Folder 21

The Forest.

Box 11, Folder 22

The Fromes.

Box 11, Folder 23

The Gamblers.

Box 11, Folder 24

Hannah.

Box 12, Folder 1

The Horn.

Box 12, Folder 2

Horn Blast.

Box 12, Folder 3

The House.

Box 12, Folder 4

The Jail.

Box 12, Folder 5

The Key.

Box 12, Folder 6

The Kill.

Box 12, Folder 7

The Letter.

Box 12, Folder 8

The Loafer.

Box 12, Folder 9

Miss Suzie.

Box 12, Folder 10

Morning and Night.

Box 12, Folder 11

Night Sounds.

Box 12, Folder 12

Nocturne.

Box 12, Folder 13

The Pearl.

Box 12, Folder 14

Prelude.

Box 12, Folder 15

The Reproach.

Box 12, Folder 16

Reverie.

Box 12, Folder 17

The Rifle.

Box 12, Folder 18

River Queen.

Box 12, Folder 19

The Rope.

Box 12, Folder 20

Saloon Piano.

Box 12, Folder 21

Scherzo.

Box 12, Folder 22

The School.

Box 12, Folder 23

The Stagecoach.

Box 13, Folder 1

The Steamboat.

Box 13, Folder 2

The Still.

Box 13, Folder 3

Supper.

Box 13, Folder 4

Trio.

Box 13, Folder 5

Victory.

Box 13, Folder 6

The Vigil.

Box 13, Folder 7

Village Drunk.

Box 13, Folder 8

Welcome Aboard.

Box 13, Folder 9

The Wheel.

Box 13, Folder 10

The Whip.

 

Psycho.

Biographical/Historical note

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, released 1960.
Box 13, Folder 11

1. Prelude.

Box 13, Folder 12

2. The City.

Box 13, Folder 13

10. The Rainstorm.

Box 13, Folder 14

14. The Madhouse.

Box 13, Folder 15

17. The Murder.

Box 13, Folder 16

18. The Body.

Box 13, Folder 17

21. The Water.

Box 13, Folder 18

24. The Swamp.

Box 13, Folder 19

29. The Stairs.

Box 13, Folder 20

38. The Cellar.

 

The Snows of Kilimanjaro.

Biographical/Historical note

Directed by Henry King, released 1952.
Box 13, Folder 21

Interlude.

 

The Trouble with Harry.

Biographical/Historical note

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, released 1955.
Box 13, Folder 22

A Portrait.

 

Series 4. Classical Works.

Box 13, Folder 23

Nocturne and Scherzo for Orchestra.

Box 13, Folder 24

Wuthering Heights--Opera in four Acts and a Prologue. Prologue (folder 1 of 2).

Box 13, Folder 25

Wuthering Heights--Opera in four Acts and a Prologue. Prologue (folder 2 of 2).

Box 13, Folder 26

Fragments.