John Morris (1926-2018)

John Morris passed away last week. As a film music fan, this hits me especially hard, as not only was I a fan of Morris' scores, but he is one of the main reasons I'm even into film music at all*.

As I know I've explained before, I was a big TV watcher as a kid (and now), so I'd run across all manner of programming. At around ten, I found myself watching Mel Brooks' High Anxiety. A little too ribald for a kid, but I watched and enjoyed. One of the things that stuck with me about the film was the music. The main titles, the theme song and the 'enlarging the picture' cue all lingered with me.

As the years went on, I watched a lot more movies and shows, taking note of the music and creating a list of the titles I wanted to - maybe - see released. The list would expand and contract over the years, titles being added and subtracted, the latter due to the Gods answering my prayers or just plain unfeasibility.

Bits and pieces of Morris' filmography inevitably found their way on, things like Spaceballs, The In-Laws and Young Frankenstein. More of his movies followed: Silent Movie, The Twelve Chairs, Clue.

Then, the big boom of specialty soundtrack releases occurred around the turn of the century. One could not stop me from acquiring his releases: Spaceballs. Blazing Saddles. Bank Shot. Yellowbeard. Haunted Honeymoon. Clue. The In-Laws.

Even with his considerable skills in comedy, it surprised and delighted me to know that there was another side to him (one I still have yet to fully explore), his talents in drama captured in the likes of The Scarlett Letter, The Doctor and the Devils, Scarlett, Ironweed and his one (one!) Oscar nomination for Original Score, the haunting The Elephant Man.

By the 1990s, he seemed to have slowed down, composing only one score for long-time collaborator Mel Brooks, Life Stinks. I still have yet to see the film, but Morris' delightful opening march gives me reason to believe that the music will be worth the watch (and while I admit to enjoying Hummie Mann's scores for Brooks's later Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It, one can't help but wonder what if?). Then again, it's likely that the residuals from his engaging theme from "Coach" and his one track on the Dirty Dancing soundtrack ensured that he wouldn't have to work for the rest of his life.

There are still many of his scores yet to see release (and given the supposedly poor sales of albums for comedy scores, it may be a while before we see them come to fruition): High Anxiety, Silent Movie, Young Frankenstein and a lively score for the comic miniseries "Fresno".

Not just a great comedy composer, but a great composer, period. He will definitely be missed.

* - Not to jinx it, but two of the others are the both still-living David Shire (thanks to Short Circuit) and Charles Fox (9 to 5) and they aren't exactly getting any younger (average age: 78.88).