Page 132 - Weiss, Jernej, ur./ed. 2026 Skladateljska društva nekoč in danes.../Composers’ Societies Past and Present...

Skladateljska društva nekoč in danes | Composers’ Societies Past and Present
‘storm’ or ‘seduction’ or ‘misterioso’ and measures out sufficient bars of
that music to cover the scene. 50
The dilemma faced by film composers arose from the dual challenge of
the film medium’s ephemeral nature and the fact that performance rights
laws were primarily based on published music, nourishing prejudices such
as the one quoted above. The only exceptions to this were theme songs,
which were used to popularise a theme from a film score – David Raksin’s
song “Laura” from the eponymous film being a notable example. Warner
Bros., just like other Hollywood production companies, strategically mar-
51
keted suitable themes in the film score as songs. While not every effort
succeeded, when it did, it generated additional revenue.
Financially, the publication of film music as songs rarely benefited the
composer, because performing rights were typically assigned to the mu-
52
sic publishing arms of the film studios. Additionally, composers general-
ly had no control over whether their music was published or in what form,
53
as such decisions were made by studio executives. From the mid-1930s on-
ward, Hollywood often exploited film theme songs as part of multi-chan-
nel marketing strategies, reusing the music across various media – records,
radio, and more. While the musicians represented by AFM who were em-
ployed in re-recording music were compensated for each recording ses-
54
sion, film composers were usually excluded from these payment schemes.
High-ranking composers such as Korngold, Rózsa or Waxman occupied
a somewhat privileged – though not exceptional – status, which made them
eligible to receive at least a portion of music sales: For example, in the case

50 “Review of ASCAP Film Composers’ Request for Improved Classification,” 3 [MHL,
SCA Collection, Folder 37. Film Composer’s Committee]. For the problem of ac-
knowledging film music as a legitimate art form see: Clair R. Reis, Composers, Con-
ductors and Critics (New York: Oxford University Press, 1955), 126–31.
51 See: Winters, Korngold in America, 47–9 for adapting Korngold’s music for Another
Dawn into a theme song, and for the process of at David O. Selznick’s studio see: In-
geborg Zechner, “Hollywoods Filmmusik und ihr Weg zur Populärkultur: Kontexte
– Historiographie – Medialität in den 1940er- und 1950er-Jahren,” Acta Musicologi-
ca 95, no. 1 (2023): 83–4.
52 See also: “Notes on the meeting of the SCA Contract Committee with the Screen
Writers Guild and the Radio Writers Guild,” 4 Dec 1945 [MHL, SCA Collection,
Folder 22. Bulletins].
53 See: Zissu, “The Copyright Dilemma of the Screen Composer,” 318.
54 See: e.g. “Motion Picture Production Recording Musicians Personal Service Con-
tract,” in AFM, Wage Scales, Hours of Employment, Working Conditions Applying to
Motion Picture Work, effective April 1, 1946, 20–5 [MHL, SCA Collection, Folder 9.
American Federation of Musicians].

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