In March 1935 the musicians of the LSO gathered at London's old Scala Theatre in Tottenham Street to perform the music for the new film Things to Come and, following 14 full orchestral sessions, started a veritable revolution in film production history. Until that time, recorded film music had consisted essentially of work by small bands and groups performing theme songs and pieces of short background music. But with the commissioning of Sir Arthur Bliss to compose a score performed by a full symphony orchestra for Alexander Korda's adaptation of H G Wells's famous novel, the face of film music was changed forever - not only in Britain but also around the world. For the first time, music for the cinema, previously regarded as a lowly art form, captured the attention of classical music scholars and enthusiasts, music critics and the film and music public. The LSO had begun its long historic journey as the premier film orchestra. After the breakthrough with Things to Come, the LSO's illustrious film music career continued with feature films and numerous documentaries for the Crown Film Unit and the Ministry of Information - this was the golden era when British documentary film-making led the world. Most famously, it was the Orchestra's performance of John Williams's scores for Star Wars (1977) and its sequels that attracted a new group of admirers and strengthened the period of film music activity for the Orchestra, which continues unabated to this day. Those triumphant notes played at the Scala Theatre in 1935 did indeed herald magnificent Things to Come.
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Biography from IMDb.
- June 9, 1904 (122)
- London, England, UK
- Actor and composer
- 11 on MovieCove · 45 credits in all
Known for
What are London Symphony Orchestra's films like?
Across a limited sample of 3 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 0 · Wry 0 · Earnest 3
Light 3 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
A split, not a type: Grounded 0 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 2
Gentle 3 · Charged 0 · Intense 0
Steady 3 · Shifting 0 · Whiplash 0
Straight-faced 2 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0
Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 0 · Relentless 0
Casual 3 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 3 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 3 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
- Allyas London Symphony Orchestra in Cypress Hill & The London Symphony Orchestra: Black Sunday Live at Royal Albert Hall (2025)
Moods and endings
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch London Symphony Orchestra's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 11 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (6).
- Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) · musician
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977) · musician
- Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983) · musician
- Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005) · musician
- Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002) · musician
- Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999) · musician
Subscription and free streaming for London Symphony Orchestra's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
45 credits, 11 with a MovieCove page; 5 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Asterix: The Kingdom of Nubia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)
Michelangeli and Celibidache interpret Ravel - Great musical moments (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Return to New Haven (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)
Beethoven: Complete Piano Concertos (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Kaija Saariaho: Innocence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Martha Argerich - Chopin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
Promises: Through Congress (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)
This is Rattle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
London Symphony Orchestra: The Young Debussy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)
BBC Proms: Bernstein's On the Town (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
London Symphony Orchestra: Bruckner & Messiaen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
Rachmaninoff: Symphonies Nos 1-3, Symphonic Dances (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)
London Symphony Orchestra: Stravinsky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
Stravinsky Ballets (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
London Symphony Orchestra: Ravel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)
London Symphony Orchestra: Shostakovich 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Nielsen: The Complete Symphonies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)
Leonard Bernstein conducts Stravinsky & Sibelius (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)
La Traviata - Festival d'Aix-en-Provence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)
Achucarro Brahms Piano Concerto No. 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)
Bernstein conducts Bernstein (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)
Kiri Te Kanawa: A Celebration Live at the Royal Albert Hall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)
Bernstein in London: Verdi Requiem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Barbie of Swan Lake(2003)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Leopold Stokowski - Classic Archive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
A Beethoven Concert: Symphony No. 7, Piano Concerto No. 1, Overture to Coriolan / Solti, Perahia, London Symphony Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)
Barbie as Rapunzel(2002)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Deep Purple: In Concert with The London Symphony Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
On Guard(1997)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
The True Story of Frank Zappa's 200 Motels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Raiders of the Lost Ark(1981)
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Who's Afraid of Opera? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
That Lady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)
The Voice Within (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Instruments of the Orchestra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Kelvin: Master of Measurement (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)
Famous Scenes from Shakespeare No. 2: Macbeth Act II, Scene 2 and Act V, Scene I (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)
Johannes Brahms - Karol Szymanowski - Symphonies No2 (London Symphony Orchestra) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)
Career shape
A full career of 42 titles, 40 of them dated from 1945 to 2025.
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.
How do London Symphony Orchestra's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 11; across a limited sample of 3 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 83rd percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up9
- 50th to 74th2
Shape of the crowd
5 of their 11 titles are Universally Loved.
- Universally Loved5
- Cult Classic1
- Crowd Pleaser5
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Who does London Symphony Orchestra work with?
People who share at least 2 of London Symphony Orchestra's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Owen Hurley shares the most, 2.
Directors
- Owen HurleyShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Owen Hurley
Writers
- Cliff RubyShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Cliff Ruby
- Elana LesserShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Elana Lesser
- Ruth HandlerShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Ruth Handler
Actors
- Ian James CorlettShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Ian James Corlett
- Kelly SheridanShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Kelly Sheridan
- Mark HildrethShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Mark Hildreth
Composers and editors
- Arnie RothShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Arnie Roth
- Greg RichardsonShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Greg Richardson
Producers
- Jennifer Twiner McCarronShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Jennifer Twiner McCarron
- Jesyca C. DurchinShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Jesyca C. Durchin
- Rob HudnutShared titles: Barbie of Swan Lake (2003), Barbie as Rapunzel (2002)See all 2 shared titles with Rob Hudnut
