500 Things I Know About John Williams

[Quintus 5,480]

500. He loves black turtle neck sweaters.

499. He likes to "condition" the audience with his music.

498. He writes the best marches in the biz.

497. Out of all the orchestral composers working in film today, he's the one who most looks the part.

496. There is no high quality footage of an entire film score concert conducted by him available to the public.

495. He tells the same Schindlers List story everywhere he goes, like it's the first time he's told it. It always gets a laugh.

[Joni Wiljami 1,212]

494.He likes those underrated Russian composers.

493.He likes good German wines.

[Nemesis 254]

492. He officially never had a film score rejected.

[Morlock 11]

491. He really doesn't give a rat's ass about you if you're not famous or if you haven't donated money to the Pops. And I mean that in the best possible way.

[Luke Skywalker 1,985]

496. There is no high quality footage of an entire film score concert conducted by him available to the public.

What about those 'Evening at the pops' TV programs? None was comprised exclusive of film scores?

[Miguel Andrade 1,382]

490: He was very close friend to the late Robert Altman, and also is close to actor Peter O'Toole.

489: Many, many of his concerts have been taped, but fortunatelly, none featuring one single film score.

489 bis: Williams isn't a film composer, he is a composer who happens to write a lot for film.

488: He only wrote one symphony, and since he wasn't all that please with it, he took it out of his catalogue of works.

487: Barbara Ruick, was Williams sweetheart at High School. She had a short marriage with a Hollywood producer, and after the divorce, married Williams. They were happylly married for abou 18 years untill her sudden death.

[Josh500 1,616]

486: He has a son who is a film composer himself.

485: He has won 5 Oscars.

484: He has scored all 6 Star Wars movies.

[A24 4,631]

483: He has a thing for trees.

482: He believes a bassoon is haunted by the spirit of the tree from which it is made.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

481. He loves to end concerts with "The Mission (Theme for NBC News)" in case audiences have missed the news by being at the concert.

480. He often seems to forget about various music he's written or films he's scored.

479. He sees writing film music as an obsession rather than a job, and becomes more in love with it the more he does it.

[Miguel Andrade 1,382]

480. He often seems to forget about various music he's written or films he's scored.

"So much of what we do is ephemeral and quickly forgotten, even by ourselves..."

John Williams dixit

[Elmo Lewis 6]

478. He was approached to score Ridley Scott's Alien.

477. His daughter is a psychologist, according to rumors; she's a doctor for sure.

476. His favorite own score is Close Encounters of the Third Kind.

475. He loves Daniel Baremboim playing, particularly Beethoven's piano sonatas.

474. He was the first choice to score Batman, but was busy with the third Indy movie. And Burton easily preferred Elfman.

473. His wife is an interior decorator.

472. Schindler's List is the favorite Williams score of Jerry Goldsmith, Hans Zimmer, Howard Shore and Thomas Newman.

471. His first wife, Barbara Ruick died in 1974 of a brain hemmorage.

470. IHe's played the trumpet, clarinet, tuba, and obviously the piano.

469. When Williams first played the famous Jaws theme on the piano, Spielberg just thought the guy had a sense of humor.

468. Spielberg never heard the Catch me if You Can music until it was recorded, as he was too busy somewhere else. He had complete and blind trust on Williams.

467. He appreciates Shadows of the Empire because it's coherent with the musical flow of the saga.

466. As a studio pianist, John Williams played piano on the soundtracks of Elmer Bernstein's The Magnificent Seven, Sweet Smell of Success and To Kill A Mockingbird amongst others.

465. Andre Previn suggested that John Williams would be the right man to handle the music in a proposed 70s remake of Fantasia featuring the music of The Beatles. Previn understandably turned down the assignment himself.

464. John Williams worked with director Robert Altman much earlier than Images. Altman's "Nightmare In Chicago", a 1964 episode of Kraft Suspense Theater later expanded for a TV movie slot, was scored by Williams. It concerned a serial killer named Georgie Porgie and is highly rated by critics.

[Miguel Andrade 1,382]

470. I've read in various places that he's played the trumpet, clarinet, tuba, and obviously the piano.

... and the bassoon and the cello...

[Josh500 1,616]

We should be done with this by the end of the year!!! Now, THAT's a challenge!

[Nemesis 254]

470. I've read in various places that he's played the trumpet, clarinet, tuba, and obviously the piano.

... and the bassoon and the cello...

I'm not sure about the instruments you mentioned but I always thought he played the trombone. Don't know why that is in my mind...

[Romão 2,333]

463 - Favorite film composer is Bernard Herrmann

[King Mark 3,730]

462-He has never re-recorded,or played in concert,the Han Solo and the Princess theme,not even a quote.

[Red 75]

461 - He has male pattern baldness

460 - He is a humble, soft spoken person

459 - He has had a beard for most of his life

[Ollie 1,171]

458. He claims there never was a love theme for Star Wars before AOTC.

[Koray Savas 2,254]

457: Jaws firmly established his relationship with Steven Spielberg.

[indy4 155]

456: Instead of writing music to go with Spielberg's edits, on E.T., Spielberg edited the picture to go with JW's music.

And yes, he did play trombone.

[Quintus 5,480]

496. There is no high quality footage of an entire film score concert conducted by him available to the public.

What about those 'Evening at the pops' TV programs? None was comprised exclusive of film scores?

489: Many, many of his concerts have been taped, but fortunatelly, none featuring one single film score.

According to Miquel.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

455: He performed the piano line on Henry Mancini's Peter Gunn Theme

454: The most financially successful film composer alive today (or for that matter, ever)

453: He is over 9000

[Ollie 1,171]

452. James Cameron originally wanted Williams for Titanic.

451. Williams played piano on Jerry Goldsmith's Studs Lonigan.

[Quintus 5,480]

454: The most financially successful film composer alive today (or for that matter, ever)

How much is he worth anyway? Speculate.

[King Mark 3,730]

450-Williams has been re-married to that woman who was with him at the Kennedy Center Honors.

449-John Williams was Grand Marshal of the Rose Bowl parade in 2005

448-JW likes to smoke cigars

[indy4 155]

452. James Cameron originally wanted Williams for Titanic.

Do you know why he didn't use him?

[Quintus 5,480]

He'd already signed on to do The Lost World and the projects clashed.

[Ollie 1,171]

He was scoring The Lost World.

[indy4 155]

Oh, I see. And what about Batman?

447: His dead body is worth $4325

(to reach this conclusion, I had to make many, er, assumptions....

[Quintus 5,480]

447: His dead body is worth $4325

I'd buy that for a dollar!

[Red 75]

446 - He's old.

[ST-321 4]

445. He is a vital energetic man (for his age) and shows no sign of slowing down (I hope).

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

444. He's widely credited with revitalizing the classical film score in the mainstream, with Star Wars.

[Morlock 11]

443. He's widely credited in film music circles with causing the art of film scoring to digress 40 years, with Star Wars

[Red 75]

442 - He's written some of the most famous movie themes ever.

[AI 0]

441. He was a high school bully.

440. He was a chain smoker.

[pixie_twinkle 60]

439. He came this close to establishing a career as a jazz pianist.

[Eric_JWFAN 13]

438. He was pianist for a very famous non-JW score (Pink Panther).

[Morlock 11]

437. He was a pianist on SEVERAL very famous non-JW scores, and an orchestrator on others.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

436. He conducted the Boston Pops from 1980 through 1993.

437. He remains Conductor Laureate of the Pops.

[Koray Savas 2,254]

436: He went by the name "Johnny" in his early years to fit in with the times.

[Miguel Andrade 1,382]

443. He's widely credited in film music circles with causing the art of film scoring to digress 40 years, with Star Wars

I'll take that as a joke.

436: He went by the name "Johnny" in his early years to fit in with the times.

Actually his first credits were as John T. Willams and John Towner (and by credits, I don't mean screen credits, but any credits at all.)

[Morlock 11]

443. He's widely credited in film music circles with causing the art of film scoring to digress 40 years, with Star Wars

I'll take that as a joke.

Hey, I totally disagree with it, but it needs to be said. That's a very prominant feeling, even amongst big fans of his.

[A24 4,631]

Yes, he brought back the old Hollywood sound, only better, of course.

[Quintus 5,480]

As far as I'm concerned, thank the Lord he did cause it to "digress".

[TownerFan 5,292]

435. The first time he met with a young Steven Spielberg in 1973 he said he looked like Spielberg's "Dutch Uncle".

[pixie_twinkle 60]

434: He wrote the score to Daddy-o

433: He wrote the score to I Passed for White

432: He wrote the score to Because They're Young

431: He wrote the score to The Secret Ways

430: He wrote the score to Stark Fear

429: He wrote the score to Bachelor Flat

428: He wrote the score to Diamond Head

427: He wrote the score to Gidget Goes to Rome

426: He wrote the score to The Killers

425: He wrote the score to None but the Brave

etc etc

[Morlock 11]

Stark Fear? Never heard of that one.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Then you're no fan!

[Omen II 1,256]

Stark Fear? Never heard of that one.

Actually, Morlock, there is some debate as to whether the music for that movie was by John Williams (the famous one with the beard) or another John Williams. When I e-mailed the webmaster (Jeff Eldridge?) at www.johnwilliams.org a few years ago to ask whether it was really JTW's work, he kindly replied to the effect that he had watched the film and thought it unlikely that the music was by John Towner Williams.

Anyone here ever seen the movie and would care to comment?

Damien - igniting the filmographic tinder with a scintilla of doubt.