Bert Bailey:

>>It's worth noting, I think, that Copland never worked on
>>a great film, though he worked on a couple of very good ones.
>
>Surely William Wyler's The Heiress (1949) is more than just 'very
>good'...?

It's very good, with very good performances.  But it's not Rules of the
Game, Visiteurs du Soir, She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Chimes at Midnight,
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence, Throne of Blood, Ran, The Quiet Man,
Ivan the Terrible, Bringing Up Baby, Scarface (either version), Greed,
Trouble in Paradise, Ninotchka, Strangers on a Train, Shadow of a Doubt,
Some Like It Hot, Seven Chances, Nashville, Taxi Driver, Breathless,
City Lights, E.T., Big Fish, and the list goes on.  These are films that
defined their genre or influenced many other movies.  Wyler at his best
was very good.  In my opinion, he's not a great director.  Perhaps only
two of his movies resonate beyond their immediate viewing - The Best
Years of Our Lives and Ben-Hur.  Most have been forgotten.  Does anybody
still seek out Friendly Persuasion?  He turned out superbly crafted
films.  He got good performances.  He worked mostly with good scripts.
As a technician, he was unsurpassed and earned the respect of his
colleagues.  But it's like saying Gone with the Wind is a great picture,
rather than a nicely-made product.  Buster Keaton worked with less and
got more.

But Copland's score is certainly one of the best things about The Heiress.

Steve Schwartz