Film Institute Looks at 100 Years of Movie Music

11/18/2003 7:24 PM, Reuters
Bob Tourtellotte

It shapes up as a battle between "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" Dorothy and "The Way We Were" Babs, old-time crooner Bing and The Boss, Bruce Springsteen .

The American Film Institute on Tuesday unveiled 400 songs vying to be the favorite music in films as part of it "100 years" series of annual events spotlighting film history.

"100 Years ... 100 Songs" is the seventh list put together by the American Film Institute, or AFI, which is one of the United States' top groups for film preservation and education.

Starting in 1998 with "100 Years ... 100 Movies," AFI has compiled lists of "100 Years ... 100 Passions" for romance, "100 Years ... 100 Laughs" for comedy, and last year's "100 Years ... 100 Heroes & Villains," among others.

This year, AFI chose music because, since movies first featured sound, song has been an integral part of storytelling. Even the movie credited with being the first talking picture, 1927's "The Jazz Singer," was about a guy who dreams of making music.

"We chose songs that filmmakers used to help tell their stories," said Bob Gazzale, director of AFI productions, which will put on a broadcast in June next year where the top 100 songs will be unveiled.

As modern examples, Gazzale offered the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive" from 1977's "Saturday Night Fever" or Bob Seger 's "Old Time Rock & Roll" to which Tom Cruise dances in 1983's "Risky Business" -- songs so identifiable that when people hear them, they think of the movies.

Classic tunes making the list include "As Time Goes By" from 1942's "Casablanca." Several movies had more than one song, such as 1965's "The Sound of Music," which featured not only the title song, but "Do-Re-Mi" and "My Favorite Things."

Crooner Bing Crosby has the most songs, 12, including 1936's "Pennies From Heaven" from the movie of the same name and 1942's "White Christmas" from "Holiday Inn."

Springsteen made the list with 1993's "Streets of Philadelphia" from "Philadelphia."

Judy Garland , teenage dreamer Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz," is the most nominated female singer with nine songs to Barbra "The Way We Were" Streisand's eight.

The 1950s, which were filled with musicals like 1952's "Singin' In the Rain," was the most represented decade, with 67 songs making the list of nominees.

The top 100 songs are chosen by a jury of 1,500 directors, screenwriters, actors, critics, and others among the film industry's creative community, as well as by AFI's national membership.