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Steven Spielberg picked up the phone at his Universal Studios
office.
“You gotta get over here!” Martin Scorsese breathlessly
told him. “This score is brilliant! You gotta drive over
here!”
Spielberg immediately headed to Warner Bros.
Studios, where Scorsese had been sitting in on the
scoring session for his new movie, ‘Taxi Driver.’
“You gotta meet Bernard Herrmann,” Scorsese
said. He grabbed Spielberg by the hand, raced
him into the recording studio and parked him
squarely before the great composer who, even
seated, projected an imposing figure, his large,
protruding stomach showered with cigar ashes.
“Bennie, this is my friend Steven Spielberg,”
Scorsese said.
“Oh, Mr. Herrmann!” Spielberg blurted. “I’m
such an admirer of your work. You’re such an
amazing genius!”
Herrmann flashed one of his infamous
scowls.
Then he replied, “So why do you
always hire John Williams?”
By Dann Gire
John Williams and Steven Spielberg
are avatars of simpatico in action
LIGHTS, CAMERA
RAVINIA MAGAZINE | JULY 23 – AUGUST 5, 2018
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