Ongoing History Daily: What was the first musical score written for a movie?

October 27, 2025 Alan Cross 0 Comments 0 min read

Writing musical scores for movies is big, big business and is an integral part to every film made today. But what was the first-ever movie with an original score written for it?

It was The Assassination of the Duke of Guise, a French silent film released in 1908. It was a very long film for the time, running an astonishing 15 minutes, and telling the story of King Henry III inviting his rival Duke Henri du Guise, over to the castle so he could murder him. The subject matter was so wild that the common practice of playing some classical music in the theatre just wouldn’t do. The composer was Charles-Camille Saint-Saens.

Every single film composer from John Williams and Hans Zimmer to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is a descendant of this first work.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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