February 10, 2026

20,000 vinyl LPs 408: Jerry Goldsmith ~ A Patch of Blue

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vinyl LP front cover 
 cover photo by 
photo of album cover by Styrous®


Today is the birthday of American composer, conductor and orchestrator Jerry Goldsmith. He was born on February 10, 1929, in Los Angeles, California. He had a career in film and television scoring that spanned nearly 50 years and over 200 productions between 1954 and 2003. He was considered one of film music's most innovative and influential composers.    
 
He composed scores for five films in the Star Trek franchise and three in the Rambo franchise, as well as for films including Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, The Omen, Alien, Poltergeist, The Secret of NIMH, Medicine Man, Gremlins, Hoosiers, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, Rudy and The Mummy. Of all the great scores he created, A Patch of Blue holds a cherished spot in my heart.    
 

vinyl LP front cover 
 cover photo by 
photo of album cover by Styrous®
 
 
A Patch of Blue is a 1965 American drama film directed and written by Guy Green about the friendship between an educated black man (played by Sidney Poitier) and an illiterate, blind, white 18-year-old girl (played by Elizabeth Hartman in her film debut), and the problems that plague their friendship in a racially divided America. Made in 1965 against the backdrop of the growing civil rights movement, the film explores racism while playing on the idea that "love is blind."       
 
Sidney Poitier gives a gentle, refined and lovable performance that brings on tears while the Shelley Winters role makes you want to hate her completely but she did win the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. It was the final screen appearance for actor Wallace Ford; his portrayal of the loving but impotent father left the audience in tears.       
 
A Patch of Blue may be the best reviewed film ever (links below) and it has been translated into many foreign languages. 
 

                  
 
 
 
vinyl LP sides 1 & 2 
photos by Styrous®
 


   
Tracklist:
       
Side 1:
        
A1 - Main Title - A Patch Of Blue - 2:06
A2 - The Park - 2:04
A3 - Stringin' Beads - 1:43
A4 - Pineapple Juice & Discovery - 2:44
A5 - Ol' Pa, Help Me - 2:40
A6 - Just The Radio - 2:47
       
Side 2:
       
B1 - Waiting - 2:44
B2 - Friends - 1:45
B3 - Grandmom's Music Box - 1:55
B4 - I Walked Myself - 2:07
B5 - Finale - Love, The Equalizer - 3:25
        
Credits:
       
    Composed By, Conductor – Jerry Goldsmith
    Edited By [Edited & Equalized For Album] – Chuck Britz, Joe Sidone
    Film Director – Guy Green
    Film Producer – Pandro S. Berman
    Producer – Jackie Mills
        
Barcode and Other Identifiers
 
Jerry Goldsmith – A Patch Of Blue (Original Sound Track Recording)
Label: Mainstream Records – 56068
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1965
Genre: Stage & Screen
Style: Soundtrack, Score 

       

         
Viewfinder links:         
        
Wallace Ford          
Elizabeth Hartman        
Sidney Poitier        
Shelly Winters       
        
Net links:        
        
The Angler ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                         
AWFJ ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                          
LetterBxd ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                          
Movie Mania Madness ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                           
Practical Pagan ~ A Patch of Blue (review)       
Shades of Black & White ~ A Patch of Blue (review)               
Silver Screen Classics ~ A Patch of Blue (review)                        
Variety ~ A Patch of Blue (review)               
        
YouTube links:           
 
A Patch of Blue trailer       
A Patch of Blue (10 tracks)        
        
         
        
        
         
        
        
        
Styrous® ~ Tuesday, February 10, 2026