So as the conclusion to a brief two week look back at the music categories, this week, we'll look back at the past winners of the Best Original Score Oscar, and the changes the award has gone through.
The Best Music-Original Score Oscar was first given the same year as Original Song, 1934 ... Louis Silvers was the first winner for his score to One Night of Love.
In 1938, the Scoring Oscar underwent its first change, when it was divided into a category for general scoring, and one for Original Score. This allowed Original Score winners such as Wizard of Oz and Pinocchio to win alongside scores to Stagecoach and Alexander's Ragtime Band.
As a reflection of the types of movies that were popular during that time, in 1941 the award changed again, this time having an Oscar for Best Score for a Comedy or Drama, and one for Best Score to a Musical, as musicals were once the most popular form of motion pictures. That year, legendary composer Bernard Herrmann won the Dramatic/Comedy score Oscar for All that Money Can Buy, and the score to Disney's Dumbo took the Musical Scoring Oscar.
The Scoring Oscars stayed this way until 1957, where for one year it merged into one award, honoring the score to Bridge on the River Kwai, and then splitting back again into two until 1961, when musicals were not as popular anymore.
Between 1941 and 1961, there were some incredible scores receiving the Oscar ... Max Steiner's score to Now, Voyager in 1942 ... the musical scores of Yankee Doodle Dandy, An American in Paris, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, and Oklahoma!
In 1962, the award for scoring changed again ... this time it was still two awards, one for Best Score Substantially Original, and one for Scoring of Music Adaptation or Treatment. During the 60's when those two awards were given, some very memorable scores won the Oscar, including Maurice Jarre's unforgettable music for Lawrence of Arabia, or Andre Previn's score to My Fair Lady. Maurice Jarre won again in 1965 for Doctor Zhivago.
