American film composer and musical director (1898-1973) nominated for five Oscars throughout the 1940s, though he never won. TLS, one page, 7.25 x 10.5, personal letterhead, August 1, 1971. Letter to "Mr. Perkins," in part: "Your letter seeks information on the 'western film.' How you came to the conclusion that I am an expert on that subject is something I cannot understand. I don't know that anyone is an expert. To me, westerns are the lowest form of creative undertaking. I have known many producers, failures at everything else, who took up making westerns because it is the simplest formula to work with. Two factions, one good and the other bad; the good always perseveres against heavy odds; what happens in-between is as formulized as hack writers can make it consisting of fist fights, shoot-outs and chases. If this punctures the bubble you obviously blew up for westerns, I'm sorry but this opinion has been with me for 45 years and I have a distinct idea that nothing will ever change it.
There is also a complete fallacy about the music used in western films. If you stop to consider that the west was populated by emigrants from the East, tunes like Buffalo Gals, Shenandoah and hundreds of others like them which were used in westerns simply because in most cases the author(s) was unknown and besides they fell into the public domain thus saving the producer a use fee, then you must realize that these melodies were folk songs and had nothing to do with cowboys, cattle and saloon keepers. I hope that this bubble bursting doesn't cause you great anguish but you asked for it." In fine condition.
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