Episode 68 - Stanley & Iris

John Williams had three film scores released in 1990, and each one presented different musical styles that continued to showcase Williams' ability to write music for any genre. He composed the score for "Stanley & Iris," his final collaboration with director Martin Ritt, in early 1989 after finishing work on "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade." This score is almost the polar opposite of his work for Indiana Jones, presenting an often-innocent melody for Robert DeNiro's Stanley that has some musical connection to Luke's theme in "Star Wars" and a love theme that becomes the main thematic material for the score. Though the film was a box office failure, it gave Williams the opportunity to return to the subtle music he composed for Ritt in his pre-Golden Age days. Enjoy this examination of the score with host Jeff Commings, who wished Stanley's theme got more play and understands why Jane Fonda decided on a 15-year acting retirement after this film.