The Great Composer Quiz – July 28, 2020
Time’s up, pencils down, the Great Composer who took two spins as a dude rancher on the same plot of land in Agoura, California (1939 and 1948), writing music for two films set in central California during The Great Depression, based on books by John Steinbeck – Of Mice and Men and The Red Pony. The answer is Aaron Copland, who eventually used some “kids” music he had written for a musical called Tragic Ground (never produced) which became the basis for his score to The Red Pony (the screenplay for which was written by Steinbeck). It starred Myrna Loy and Robert Mitchum, with Margaret Hamilton and a 7-yo old Beau Bridges.