The Best Years Of Our Lives | Soundtrack Suite (Hugo Friedhofer)

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1946). Composed by Hugo Friedhofer, Conducted by Emil Newman.

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Get the Soundtrack (re-recording also to find on YouTube):
Get the Movie:

Music Awards:
- Academy Award - Best Dramatic / Comedy Score

Playlist:
00:00 Main Title
01:04 Homecoming
03:25 Al & Family
04:18 The Children
05:48 Driving The Men Home
07:18 Fred's Nightmare
09:17 Fred Next Morning
10:21 Marie's Radio 1
10:50 Marie's Radio 2
11:03 Fred's Advice / Homer Accepts Wilma
12:33 Fred Leaves Marie
13:28 Fred & Peggy / End Credits

Music Source:
The Best Years Of Our Lives LaserDisc - Pioneer Special Edition

More Information:

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[kbunky]

How many cry at the end when Fred and Peggy commit to each other that music during the scene gets to your heart and soul .

[danacaruso]

I cry every time I watch this movie, or listen to the score. It was a simpler composers are fabulous♥️

[tiffsaver]

Most people don't even realize that music comprises nearly 40% of a movie. This score underscores this belief with a soundtrack that is as timeless and beautiful as the film itself. I call this classic, "The Best MOVIE Of Our Lives." Brilliant, from start to finish.
Btw, watch the scene when Dana Andrews is visiting the bomber graveyard... all done with mindboggling camera work and the magnificent, soaring music. Of all the memorable scenes of this film, which are nearly uncountable, this was the single greatest marriage of sound and cinematography I've ever seen. I better stop before I start babbling...

[suesmith]

This film is a complete masterpiece in no small measure due to the magnificent direction of the great, great William Wyler. The 'greatest generation' is represented in this seminal film about what it is to belong to community and above bravery. Whatever happened to the USA and its sense of community and can-do cohesion? Absolutely tragic.

[oelva]

Very deserved Academy Award for one of the best score in film music history. Thank You forever Maestro Friedhofer.

[Baileya]

One of the great film scores of all time....the greatest generation are almost all gone now. We will never see their like again

[dustykramer]

No movie has ever touched me as deeply and affects me more emotionally as The Best Years of Our Lives. The very last scene in the movie where Fred walks over to Peggy, is the emotional high point of any movie. As he speaks a slow, happy smile comes to her, and they embrace each other, is the most heartfelt and emotional scene of any movie ever made.

[williamsnyder]

The story, as I read it, was that Samuel Goldwyn had asked Alfred Newman to score "The Best Years of Our Lives" because Newman had scored all of Goldwyn's big films in the 1930s. However, Newman had taken over as musical director ar 20th Century-Fox in the 1940s and between runnng that department and scoring many of Fox's big films, he simply didn't have the time. However, he suggested Friedhofer, who had come to Fox from Warners a few years earlier. So Friedhofer came over to Goldwyn with Newman's brother, Emil, to create, I think, one of the great scores of all time. Thank you for providing this eloquent suite.

[hollydrucker]

One of the first films my dad saw after the war was over. He loved it. Every time I see this film I think of him . Much love my dad and miss him.

[blessOTMA]

One of the greatest scores. Thank you.

[lastmanonearth]

I am, moved to comment on this particular film score, only within recent years, did i have an opportunity to view this magnificent film. I deeply regret, that I hadn't seen it, much sooner. My initial viewing, left a lasting impression upon me, so much so, that I couldn't wait to see it again, and again! I had never seen a film, quite like this before, the performances, and the stories, were moving, and so real to life. I had never realized, that servicemen had gone through such difficulties, Vietnam, I could understand, but, WWII, I never could imagine. Terribly shortsighted of me, wasn't it? The film score was equally moving, and conveyed, the emotional impact of this unforgettable film experience. Thank you Sir, for the opportunity, to enjoy, and once again, marvel at the composer's

[Elainerulesutube]

From one of the best movies of our lives. Parts of it made me cry.

[stevegarlick]

One of the most powerful and beautiful scores. I watched the film again only a short time ago. Was in floods of tears. The citation scene where pops reads out Fred's wartime achievements. And Homer showing Wilma what would would be expected of her supporting a war veteran with a disability. And her loving acceptance of this. Friedhofer's score during this is so beautiful.

[JohnCine]

One of the most beautitul classics about end of war and return to home.

[hawkeyeten]

Homer and Wilma's love story in this film is one of the most powerful I've ever seen on screen. Thanks so much for posting this soundtrack.

[fredjohnson]

I had never heard of nor seen this movie growing up (my Momma loved the oldies). but I found this movie by accident in the mid '80's after I had gotten out of the service. I cannot say enough of how this movie helped me get thru my PTSD. And made me feel like I had a connection with the greatest generation, like my parents were. not to minimize my own issues, but it helped me to understand and work thru them much better. The love stories involved in this movie, and to feel what the men and women of our greatest generation went thru... no one today could make as great a movie as this was... today it would be full violence, drugs, and sex... and would never make the connection this movie did...honesty, tenderness, faithfulness and hope.

[nedland]

This wonderful soundtrack touches me deeply every time I hear it. It reminds me of my very early years. My dad came home from serving in the Philippines and Japan in 1946 and I was born a year later. This score and Friedhofer's "The Bishop's Wife" are great examples of how music can transport you instantly through time back to the days of some of your fondest memories. Many thanks for posting this beautiful music. Keep up the good work.

[blueduck]

As a Viet Vet, I tear up simply listening to the opening theme.

[SoundtrackFred]

*Strongly recommended to read:*
In 1946 the great Hugo Friedhofer earned much success and recognition as a composer for writing the music and winning an Academy Award for the William Wyler war-drama “The Best Years Of Our Lives”. It was his well-earned step out of being a recognized orchestrator (notably for various Korngold scores) into the light of a recognized composer.
In 1978 a re-recording of excerpts of Friedhofer’s magnificent score got released and although not a fan of re-recordings, I have to say it is by far one of the best I have ever heard and even Friedhofer himself gave the producers of the album “heartfelt thanks”.
Nevertheless, I felt that I should go back to the original music to provide the Oscar-winning recording as heard in the movie and to make the long story short: As on our “Psycho” project a few weeks ago, the original recordings for “The Best Years Of Our Lives” got an appearance on a LaserDisc as an isolated score track. Unfortunately, the master tapes don’t seem to have survived over the years, so that isolated score track is actually an isolated score & sound effects track. So please keep in mind that some sound effects from the movie will appear during this video, but as I feel, not too many to distract from the magnificent music. Look at it as a testament and to honor Friedhofer’s skills as a composer.
Special thanks go to the team at hugofriedhofer.dudaone.com for providing me with more information during the researches.

[PBXVIILY]

I just watched this film again, I’ve seen it many times. The Film score is a one of the most moving. Great film and great film score.