My first special guest truly merits the word special: Anne Spielberg, the director’s sister. She grew up with him, was closest to him in age, and they bonded over a shared love of movie music. Which gives her an insight that few people on Earth have as to what shaped his tastes and sensibilities when it comes to the alchemy of film and music…
She’s also a great film artist in her own regard: she co-wrote the beloved Big (1988), directed by Penny Marshall and starring Tom Hanks—which earned her and Gary Ross an Oscar nomination. We talk about Big, but mostly we talk about what it was like growing up in the Spielberg house, collecting and memorizing soundtracks; Anne shares the movies and moments in her brother’s films that deeply move her—also memories of scoring sessions and of “Johnny” (whom she adores), and how she almost worked with Stanley Kubrick on A.I.
You really don’t want to miss this one! [Since publishing this episode, I made the decision to remove the paywall for my podcast series. Please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns.]
THE LIST
We reference it in the episode, but Anne was kind enough to type up a list of all the soundtrack albums she remembers collecting with her brother, mostly when they were living in Phoenix in the years 1963–1968. (It’s kind of incredible to see several that John either scored, played piano on, or helped orchestrate.) Thanks Anne!
BEN-HUR (1969, Miklós Rózsa)
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956, Elmer Bernstein)
KING OF KINGS (1961, Miklós Rózsa)
THE ROBE (1953, Alfred Newman))
DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS (1954, Franz Waxman)
EL CID (1961, Miklós Rózsa)
TARAS BULBA (1962, Franz Waxman)
SPARTACUS (1960, Alex North)
AMERICA AMERICA (1963, Manos Hadjidakis)
THE GUNS OF NAVARONE (1961, Dimitri Tiomkin)
THE LONGEST DAY (1962, Maurice Jarre)
THE BIG COUNTRY (1958, Jerome Moross)
THE SEARCHERS (1956, Max Steiner)
HOW THE WEST WAS WON (1962, Alfred Newman)
NEVER ON SUNDAY (1960, Manos Hatzidakis)
GRAND PRIX (1966, Maurice Jarre)
LE MANS (1971, Michel Legrand)
HATARI! (1962, Henry Mancini)
MONDO CANE (1962, Nino Oliviero and Riz Ortolani)
BORN FREE (1966, John Barry)
THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963, Elmer Bernstein)
THE CARETAKERS (1963, Elmer Bernstein)
IRMA LA DOUCE (1963, André Previn)
A MAN AND A WOMAN (1966, Francis Lai)
THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM (1966, John Barry)
THE WHISPERERS (1967, John Barry)
THE MAN WHO SHOT LIBERTY VALANCE (1962, Cyril Mockridge)
THE CINCINNATI KID (1965, Lalo Schifrin)
NEVADA SMITH (1966, Alfred Newman)
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN (1960, Elmer Bernstein)
THE CARPETBAGGERS (1964, Elmer Bernstein)
ZORBA THE GREEK (1964, Mikis Theodorakis)
HUD (1963, Elmer Bernstein)
IT’S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (1963, Ernest Gold)
WEST SIDE STORY (Broadway cast album) (1957, Leonard Bernstein)
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (1971, Jerry Bock & Sheldon Harnick, adapted by John Williams)
KING OF HEARTS (1966, Georges Delerue)
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965, Maurice Jarre)
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962, Maurice Jarre)
Z (1969, Mikis Theodorakis)
STATE OF SIEGE (1972, Mikis Theodorakis)
THE COLLECTOR (1965, Maurice Jarre)
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962, Elmer Bernstein)
THE REIVERS (1969, John Williams)
A SUMMER PLACE (theme on 45rpm) (1959, Max Steiner, arr. by Percy Faith)
BATTLE OF THE BULGE (1965, Benjamin Frankel)
THE LION IN WINTER (1968, John Barry)
JULES AND JIM (1962, Georges Delerue)
COOL HAND LUKE (1967, Lalo Schifrin)
A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1966, Georges Delerue)
THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER (1968, Dave Grusin)
A PATCH OF BLUE (1965, Jerry Goldsmith)
THE AMERICANIZATION OF EMILY (1964, Johnny Mandel)
SUMMER OF ’42 (1971, Michel Legrand)
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