
John Barry Prendergast OBE (3 November 1933 – 30 January 2011) was an English composer and conductor of film music. He composed the scores for eleven of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1987, as well as arranging and performing the "James Bond Theme" for the first film in the series, 1962's Dr. No. He wrote the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning scores to the films Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa, as well as the scores of The Scarlet Letter; Chaplin; The Cotton Club; The Tamarind Seed; Mary, Queen of Scots; Game of Death; and the theme for the television series The Persuaders!, in a career spanning over 50 years. In 1999, he was appointed with an OBE for services to music. Born in York, Barry spent his early years working in cinemas owned by his father. During his national service with the British Army in Cyprus, Barry began performing as a musician after learning to play the trumpet. Upon completing his national service, he formed a band in 1957, the John Barry Seven. He later developed an interest in composing and arranging music, making his début for television in 1958. He came to the notice of the makers of the first James Bond film Dr. No, who were dissatisfied with a theme for James Bond given to them by Monty Norman. Noel Rogers, the head of music at United Artists, approached Barry. This started a successful association between Barry and the Bond series that lasted for 25 years. Barry received awards including five Academy Awards: two for Born Free and one each for The Lion in Winter (for which he also won the first BAFTA Award for Best Film Music), Dances with Wolves and Out of Africa (both of which also won him Grammy Awards). He also received ten Golden Globe Award nominations, winning once for Best Original Score for Out of Africa in 1986. Barry completed his last film score, Enigma, in 2001 and recorded the successful album Eternal Echoes the same year. He then concentrated chiefly on live performances and co-wrote the music to the musical Brighton Rock in 2004 alongside Don Black. In 2001, Barry became a Fellow of the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors, and, in 2005, he was made a Fellow of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Barry was married four times and had four children. He moved to the United States in 1975 and lived there until his death in 2011. Description above from the Wikipedia page John Barry, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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Biography from TMDB.
- November 3, 1933
- January 30, 2011 (aged 77)
- York, North Yorkshire, England, UK
- Composer, also actor
- 95 on MovieCove · 125 credits in all
What are John Barry's films like?
Across their 85 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 3 · Wry 5 · Earnest 75
A split, not a type: Light 26 · Serious 24 · Dark 34
Grounded 34 · Stylized 34 · Heightened 16
Gentle 10 · Charged 47 · Intense 27
Steady 31 · Shifting 47 · Whiplash 6
Straight-faced 52 · Some laughs 27 · Funny 5
A split, not a type: Slow burn 43 · Even-paced 35 · Relentless 6
Casual 27 · Engaged 47 · Full focus 10
Easy watch 28 · Affecting 29 · Heavy 27
Resolved 49 · Open-ended 28 · Ambiguous 7
Moods and endings
- Happy25
- Bittersweet40
- Tragic10
- Ambiguous10
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 John Barry's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 54 of their 95 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (28).
- Dances with Wolves (1990) · composer · free
- Midnight Cowboy (1969) · composer · free
- The Lion in Winter (1968) · composer · free
- Zulu (1964) · composer · free
- King Rat (1965) · composer · free
- Frances (1982) · composer · free
- Somewhere in Time (1980) · composer · free
- Inside Moves (1980) · composer · free
- My Life (1993) · composer · free
- Swept from the Sea (1997) · composer · free
- The Cotton Club (1984) · composer · free
- The Party's Over (1965) · composer · free
- All their movies on Tubi
- Dances with Wolves (1990) · composer
- Goldfinger (1964) · composer
- Zulu (1964) · composer
- Dr. No (1962) · music arranger
- Somewhere in Time (1980) · composer
- You Only Live Twice (1967) · composer
- The Living Daylights (1987) · actor, composer
- Robin and Marian (1976) · composer
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) · composer
- Jagged Edge (1985) · composer
- Octopussy (1983) · composer
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971) · composer
- +10 more
- Zulu (1964) · composer · free
- Born Free (1966) · composer · free
- The Chase (1966) · composer · free
- Somewhere in Time (1980) · composer · free
- Inside Moves (1980) · composer · free
- The Tamarind Seed (1974) · composer · free
- A Doll's House (1973) · composer · free
- The White Buffalo (1977) · composer · free
- Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972) · composer · free
- A Killing Affair (1986) · composer · free
- The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) · composer · free
- Raise the Titanic (1980) · composer · free
- +1 more
- Midnight Cowboy (1969) · composer · free
- Zulu (1964) · composer · free
- Somewhere in Time (1980) · composer · free
- Playing by Heart (1998) · composer · free
- The Cotton Club (1984) · composer · free
- The White Buffalo (1977) · composer · free
- Indecent Proposal (1993) · composer · free
- Masquerade (1988) · composer · free
- The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) · composer · free
- Starcrash (1978) · composer · free
- Shout! TV, show their 8 titles on Shout! TV
- Howdy, show their 6 titles on Howdy
- BFI Player, show their 2 titles on BFI Player
- Lionsgate+, show their 2 titles on Lionsgate+
- ScreenPix, show their 2 titles on ScreenPix
- Cinemax, show their title on Cinemax
- Midnight Pulp, show their title on Midnight Pulp
- MovieSphere+, show their title on MovieSphere+
- Sony Pictures Core, show their title on Sony Pictures Core
Subscription and free streaming for John Barry'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
125 credits, 95 with a MovieCove page; 19 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

The Final Game of Death (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

Game of Death Redux (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

La Grande Tueuse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)
After Midnight: Reflecting on a Classic 35 Years Later (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

Dances with Wolves: The Creation of an Epic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

Enigma(2001)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Back To "Somewhere In Time" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

Playing by Heart(1998)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Mercury Rising(1998)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Swept from the Sea(1997)
Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films
Cry, the Beloved Country(1995)
Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all filmsAcross the Sea of Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

The Scarlet Letter(1995)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
The Specialist(1994)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
My Life(1993)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Indecent Proposal(1993)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Chaplin(1992)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Deception(1992)
Midcredits score: 15th percentile of all films
The Making of 'Dances with Wolves' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1990)

Dances with Wolves(1990)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Masquerade(1988)
Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films
Hearts of Fire(1987)
Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
The Living Daylights(1987)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Peggy Sue Got Married(1986)
Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films
Howard the Duck(1986)
Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films
Out of Africa(1985)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
A Killing Affair(1986)
Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films
Jagged Edge(1985)
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
A View to a Kill(1985)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
The Cotton Club(1984)
Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Until September(1984)
Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Mike's Murder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

The Golden Seal(1983)
Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films
Octopussy(1983)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
High Road to China(1983)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Svengali (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

Frances(1982)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Murder by Phone(1982)
Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
The Man Who Saved the World (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

Hammett(1982)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Body Heat(1981)
Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Inside Moves(1980)
Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films
Touched by Love(1980)
Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films
Somewhere in Time(1980)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films
Raise the Titanic(1980)
Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films
Night Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

The Black Hole(1979)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
Moonraker(1979)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
Hanover Street(1979)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Willa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

The Corn Is Green (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

Starcrash(1978)
Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all films
Game of Death(1978)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
The Betsy(1978)
Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films
The Gathering(1977)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
First Love(1977)
Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films
Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

The Deep(1977)
Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films
The War Between the Tates (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

The White Buffalo(1977)
Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
King Kong(1976)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Love Among the Ruins(1975)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Robin and Marian(1976)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Eleanor and Franklin(1976)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows
The Day of the Locust(1975)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films
Born Free (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

The Tamarind Seed(1974)
Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films
The Dove (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

Mission: Monte Carlo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

The Glass Menagerie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

A Doll's House(1973)
Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films
The Public Eye(1972)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films
Mary, Queen of Scots(1971)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
Diamonds Are Forever(1971)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 4th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)
Walkabout(1971)
Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films
UFO: Destroy Luna Base! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

They Might Be Giants(1971)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
The Last Valley(1971)
Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films
Murphy's War(1971)
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Monte Walsh(1970)
Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Midnight Cowboy(1969)
Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
The Appointment (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

Deadfall(1968)
Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films
The Lion in Winter(1968)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Petulia(1968)
Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films
Boom!(1968)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
Omnibus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

The Whisperers(1967)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films
You Only Live Twice(1967)
Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Dutchman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

The Quiller Memorandum(1966)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films
The Wrong Box(1966)
Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Born Free(1966)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
The Chase(1966)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Four in the Morning(1965)
Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films
Thunderball(1965)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films
King Rat(1965)
Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all filmsThe Newcomers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)
Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films
Mister Moses(1965)
Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films
The Party's Over(1965)
Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films
The Ipcress File(1965)
Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films
Boy and Bicycle(1965)
Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films
Sophia Loren in Rome (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

Goldfinger(1964)
Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
They All Died Laughing(1964)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
The Winston Affair(1964)
Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films
Zulu(1964)
Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
From Russia with Love(1963)
Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films
Elizabeth Taylor in London (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

The Cool Mikado (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

The Amorous Prawn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

The L-Shaped Room(1962)
Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films
Dr. No(1962)
Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films
Mix Me a Person(1962)
Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films
Wild for Kicks(1960)
Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films
Never Let Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)
Career shape
A full career of 125 titles from 1960 to 2023.

Biggest box office
Dances with Wolves (1990)

Highest rated
Dances with Wolves (1990)

Most popular right now
Indecent Proposal (1993)
Film career
- 1968Screen debut· Deadfall
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.
Awards
5 Oscars, a Golden Globe, 2 BAFTA Awards and 4 other major awards from 32 major nominations, 1964–2005.
- BAFTA Award, won · Film
- Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Score
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Original Film Score
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Grammy Award, won · Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television
- Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Score
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
- BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Score
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Grammy Award, won · Best Instrumental Composition
- Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Score
- Golden Globe, won · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
+1 other major body · 1 win
- Grammy Award, won · Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Big Band
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
Show 8 earlier yearsShow fewer
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition for a Special (Dramatic Underscore)
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
- Oscar, nominated · Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score - Motion Picture
- Grammy Award, won · Best Instrumental Theme
- Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Score for a Motion Picture (not a Musical)
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Score
- BAFTA Award, won
- Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Music Score
- Oscar, won · Best Music, Original Song
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song
+1 other major body · 3 nominations
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Instrumental Arrangement
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show
- Grammy Award, nominated · Song of the Year
- Golden Globe, nominated · Best Song
+1 other major body · 1 nomination
- Grammy Award, nominated · Best Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or Television Show
- Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Achievement in Composing Original Music for Television
Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.
How do John Barry's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 61st percentile, the median of all 94; across their 84 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up30
- 50th to 74th29
- 25th to 49th28
- Below 25th8
Shape of the crowd
49 of their 95 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Universally Loved13
- Universally Panned1
- Crowd Pleaser49
- Broadly Agreed9
- Mixed23
Reviewers score the sound and music 74/100 in their films, across 78 reviewed titles; fans 80, detractors 57. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.
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.
Is John Barry's work okay for kids?
Across up to 44 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore and sex & nudity run heavier than most films.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.
Who does John Barry work with?
People who share at least 2 of John Barry's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Richard Maibaum shares the most, 8.
Directors
- Bryan ForbesShared titles: Chaplin (1992), Deadfall (1968), The Whisperers (1967), The Wrong Box (1966), King Rat (1965), Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1964)See all 6 shared titles with Bryan Forbes

- Guy HamiltonShared titles: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), The Party's Over (1965), Goldfinger (1964), The Winston Affair (1964)See all 5 shared titles with Guy Hamilton

- John GlenShared titles: The Living Daylights (1987), A View to a Kill (1985), Octopussy (1983), A Doll's House (1973), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)See all 5 shared titles with John Glen

- Richard MarquandShared titles: Hearts of Fire (1987), Jagged Edge (1985), Until September (1984)See all 3 shared titles with Richard Marquand

Writers
- Richard MaibaumShared titles: The Living Daylights (1987), A View to a Kill (1985), Octopussy (1983), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964)See all 8 shared titles with Richard Maibaum

- Ian FlemingShared titles: The Living Daylights (1987), A View to a Kill (1985), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964)See all 7 shared titles with Ian Fleming

- Michael G. WilsonShared titles: The Living Daylights (1987), A View to a Kill (1985), Octopussy (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Michael G. Wilson

- James CostiganShared titles: Eleanor and Franklin: The White House Years (1977), Eleanor and Franklin (1976), Love Among the Ruins (1975)See all 3 shared titles with James Costigan

Actors
- Sean ConneryShared titles: Playing by Heart (1998), Robin and Marian (1976), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964)See all 5 shared titles with Sean Connery

- Michael CaineShared titles: The Last Valley (1971), Deadfall (1968), The Wrong Box (1966), The Ipcress File (1965), Zulu (1964)See all 5 shared titles with Michael Caine

- Roger MooreShared titles: The World of James Bond (1995), A View to a Kill (1985), Octopussy (1983), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)See all 4 shared titles with Roger Moore

- Desmond LlewelynShared titles: The Living Daylights (1987), Octopussy (1983), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Thunderball (1965)See all 4 shared titles with Desmond Llewelyn

Cinematographers and editors
- David WatkinShared titles: Masquerade (1988), Out of Africa (1985), Hanover Street (1979), Robin and Marian (1976), The Knack... and How to Get It (1965)See all 5 shared titles with David Watkin

- Ted MooreShared titles: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964), Mix Me a Person (1962)See all 5 shared titles with Ted Moore

- Richard H. KlineShared titles: Howard the Duck (1986), Body Heat (1981), Touched by Love (1980), King Kong (1976)See all 4 shared titles with Richard H. Kline

- John BloomShared titles: The Last Valley (1971), The Lion in Winter (1968), The Party's Over (1965), The Winston Affair (1964)See all 4 shared titles with John Bloom
Producers
- Albert R. BroccoliShared titles: The Living Daylights (1987), A View to a Kill (1985), Octopussy (1983), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964)See all 8 shared titles with Albert R. Broccoli

- Harry SaltzmanShared titles: The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), The Ipcress File (1965), Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964)See all 6 shared titles with Harry Saltzman

- Stanley SopelShared titles: Diamonds Are Forever (1971), On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964)See all 4 shared titles with Stanley Sopel

- Tom PevsnerShared titles: The Living Daylights (1987), A View to a Kill (1985), Octopussy (1983)See all 3 shared titles with Tom Pevsner

Mixed roles
- Peter O'TooleShared titles: The Lion in Winter (1968), The Party's Over (1965)See all 2 shared titles with Peter O'Toole

- Jack HawkinsShared titles: The Party's Over (1965), Zulu (1964)See all 2 shared titles with Jack Hawkins

- Terence YoungShared titles: Thunderball (1965), Goldfinger (1964)See all 2 shared titles with Terence Young





