David Quinn on the Beauty and Darkness of the ‘One-Eyed Jacks’ Score

Sound Bites is our series of odes to the art of music in film.

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David Quinn is a country/blues singer-songwriter from Illinois. Hailed as a “true original country troubadour” by Americana Highways, Quinn’s latest release Country Fresh delivers on that praise with heart, soul and gravy.

We asked David about his favorite western score and what he loves about it. His pick? The 1961 classic One-Eyed Jacks, composed by Hugo Friedhofer.

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Name: David Quinn

Film Score: One-Eyed Jacks

Composer: Hugo Friedhofer

First time I saw this film: The first time I watched One-Eyed Jacks was in college in my room alone. I used to watch so many films and study them. I was on a ‘60s westerns kick at the time and I had already watched the classics, which allowed me to dig deeper. When I came across One-Eyed Jacks it was different and I loved it. The tale of revenge is one of my favorites, but this one is deeper and more complex and one that you can watch and rewatch. The film also has an interesting history, which adds to the mystique. It started with Stanley Kubrick as the director, but by the time it got to shooting Brando was starring and making his directorial debut.

Why I love this score: One of the many things that stands out about this film is the score. There are so many different emotions in the film and Hugo Friedhofer nails them all. There are moments of beauty, drama, excitement, passion, and darkness, and Hugo elevates all of them. The score did something similar that Nino Rota did with The Godfather years later.

Stand-Out Track: I would have to say that the “Finale” is my favorite track of the score. Hugo does a great job of touching on the range of emotions the film has just taken you on and the piece of redemption at the end. That particular track starts quite dark and ends so triumphant.