Episode 66 - Born on the Fourth of July
The Baton: A John Williams Musical Journey - A podcast by Jeff Commings
John Williams' fifth foray into the war film genre was "Born on the Fourth of July," featuring a somewhat restrained score shortly after his work on "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." His score features two haunting themes, one for strings and another for the trumpet. Tim Morrison, the principal trumpet player for the Boston Pops at the time, made his film score debut with a gorgeous performance. Williams' score is one of many excellent aspects of this film, including Oliver Stone's direction and the career-defining performance by Tom Cruise.