Source Music in Movies
 

The term "source music" in a film refers to background music that's coming from a realistic "source" within the fictitious world of the movie -- someone has a radio on or some such. It can have a stronger emotional impact than music coming out of nowhere that the characters don't hear.

What are some of your favorite examples of source music in movies?

Mine:

"Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" at the party in the bungalow in THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY: Torrid, steamy, seductive, redolent of orchid & eucalyptus ... & that's just the tropical Indonesian weather!

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How about when the Whos in Whoville sing the opening credits theme song -- "Welcome, Christmas" -- in HOW THE GRINCH STOLE XMAS? It warms the cockles of the heart. On second thought, this might have been written specifically for the show, thus rendering it ... not ... source music per se?

Or when the psychotic preacher sings "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms" in "NIGHT OF THE HUNTER? A little irony there, no? "Leaning, leaning, safe & secure from all alarms"?

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Blanche hums (& "hears") the "Varsouviana" in A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, & the talented Alex North strings the lilting waltz (which some weirdly call a polka) across the soundtrack like pearls of illumin'd wisdom -- in those scenes in which Blanche is especially discombobulated.

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How about the scene from 'Full Metal Jacket' where the soldiers are sitting in the cafe in Saigon drinking cokes and the Vietnamese bar girl tries to seduce them. "These Boots Were Made For Walkin'' was playing on a radio or record player in the cafe.

And who could forget the devastating scene in 'Philadelphia' where Tom Hanks is describing the aria "La Mamma Morta" that he loved, sung by Maria Callas and it is playing on a stereo in his living room? That scene made me cry, and actually I found it again on Youtube some months ago and it made me cry again.

Twisted in Twister.

Twist and Shout in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

I could just watch that parade scene forever. It's so over the top and fantastical and ridiculous and escapist that it actually comes full circle so it works! What I love most about that movie is that John Huges sat down and thought, "Right, what would a fantastic day off school consist of?" and instead of being content with that, he multiplied it by a factor of about ten and wrote that movie instead. The result is impossible but that's what makes it so brilliant, and it's the parade scene that sums up that feeling for me. :D

Just some:
South American way performed by Carmen Miranda coming from the radio in Radio days
Io t'abbraccio from Rodelinda by Handel sung by two members of the choir in Comme une image
Aria and Variation 7 from Goldberg Variations by Bach coming from a cassette player (I think) in Silence of the lambs
You can't always get what you want by Rolling Stones played at the organ in The big Chill
Bolero by Ravel coming from a record in 10
Vallon Sonore from Les Troyens by Berlioz coming from a 24th computer (I think) in First Contact
Annie Ross singing To hell with Love in Short Cuts
Caetano Veloso singing Cucurrucucú Paloma in Hable con Ella

Not a film but really marvellous:
Rosemary Clooney singing have Yourself a Merry little Christmas in E.R

Romy