Beethoven's 7th in Film

In anticipation of our concert 'The Genius that is Beethoven' next week, we've been having a look at the great man's 7th Symphony (our concert programme on 18th April includes the 7th Symphony and Violin Concerto in D major) in film soundtracks over the years and we've come up with some interesting results.

The most recent use of the 7th is in the much-acclaimed heartstring-tugger that is The King's Speech. Colin Firth gives his patriotic address to the nation right at the end of the film, with Beethoven's 7th as a backdrop.

Similarly, KNOW1NG (2009) - don't worry, this one passed us by too - starring Nicholas Cage as a teacher who opens a time capsule that contains some 'chilling predictions', also makes use of the 7th. 

It's also used in Immortal Beloved (1994), a film about Beethoven's life with particular focus on his love interests and the mysterious immortal beloved to whom he addressed various love letters. Perhaps it's just us though, but we reckon Beethoven looks uncannily like Dracula in this one...

Gary Oldman as Beethoven in Immortal Beloved

It also appears in a Looney Tunes short from 1949 called A Ham in a Role, featuring the Goofy Gophers and a dog with aspirations of becoming a Shakespearian actor. (It's about 4.23 mins in, when the dog is addressing a skull and the gopher is getting dressed into his skeleton costume).

However, our absolute favourite use of the 7th in a film has to be The Black Cat (1934) just because it sounds fantastic. It's about an American couple honeymooning in Hungary who become trapped in the home of a Satan-worshiping priest when the bride is taken there for medical help following a road accident.  Couldn't get much more far-fetched than that could you, good old Edgar Alan Poe.

Can you come up with any more?