June 20 marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of the original theatrical release of Chinatown, for me the best American film of the Seventies. I also think that Jerry Goldsmith’s score, which lost out at the Oscars to The Godfather, Part II, is one of the half-dozen best film scores of the twentieth century. Many people know that it was written under severe time pressure, but few know the full story of how Goldsmith was brought in at the last minute to compose a new score for Chinatown. In this week’s “Sightings” column I tell that story, and pay tribute to one of the best pieces of postwar American music–regardless of genre.
To find out more, pick up a copy of Saturday’s Wall Street Journal and see what I have to say.
UPDATE: Read the whole thing here.
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
