The Great Film Composers: Music Of The Movies säsong 1

Venturing back to the 1930s and the birth of film soundtracks; music scores were played live until the first fully-composed synchronized film, "King Kong."

As fascism was growing in Germany the great artists who had not yet escaped Europe were now leaving and heading to Hollywood and bringing life to films such as "The Adventures of Robin Hood", "The Wizard of Oz" and "Jezebel".

Considered the Golden Age of Hollywood, in the 1940's, studios were filled with the most extraordinary directors and actors while soundtrack became increasingly important.

The 1950's marked a New Dawn with the arrival of new influences like jazz in soundtracks for movies like "A Streetcar Named Desire," "Giant," and "Dial M for Murder" and Jazz musicians scoring films.

The early 1960's arrived with some of the most memorable composers in film history such as Elmer Bernstein, Alex North, Ernest Gold, and Henry Mancini and some of the most memorable soundtracks like Bernard Herrmann's score for Psycho.

As Civil Rights issues began to influence the film industry, the spotlight shone on composers such as Quincy Jones and John Barry.

At the start of the 1970s, a new wave of independent film makers caused a stir and paved the way for composers like Marvin Hamlisch and Nino Rota.

Three composers dominated this period of the 1970s: David Shire, Jerry Goldsmith, and John Williams; with Williams creating one of the most memorable themes in the history of cinema, the underwater menace for Jaws.

John Williams continued a new decade with "The Empire Strikes Back" and "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial"; new talent and sounds arrived with Brad Fiedel's "The Terminator" and Wendy Carlos' "The Shining".

In the mid-80s, films such as "Back to the Future," "Die Hard" and "The Abyss" dominate cinema and composers including Alan Silvestri and Michael Kamen take center stage.

New names emerged in film scoring like Carter Burwell through his score for "Barton Fink"; John Williams continued to reach new heights with "Saving Private Ryan" and "Schindler's List".

A look at the 2000s and composers whose blockbuster film scores included "Avatar," "The Dark Knight" and "Gladiator."