Dimitri Tiomkin

Judging a film’s worth is a challenge not taken lightly by film buffs. Popular best lists and critical ratings run the gamut from those generated, issued, or published by The American Film Institute, IMDb, Letterboxd, Metacritic, Rotten Tomatoes, and Sight and Sound. Taking a slightly different approach, in the United States the National Film Registry plays an important role beyond popularity or critical acclaim. Each year since 1988, twenty-five films deemed culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant are added to the registry to ensure their preservation for future generations, with the tally currently at 925 films as of January 2026.

Dimitri Tiomkin composed the music scores for seventeen of the registry films, more than any other composer save for Alfred Newman, who is associated with nineteen films. In Tiomkin’s case, the range of film genres is remarkable and the output over three decades is enviable.

Lost Horizon (1937)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
Why We Fight (1943-1945)
The Negro Soldier (1944)
Battle of San Pietro (1945)
Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

Let There Be Light (1946)
Red River (1948)
Cyrano de Bergerac (1950)
D.O.A. (1950)
Strangers on a Train (1951)
The Thing from Another World (1951)
High Noon (1952)
Giant (1956)
Rio Bravo (1959)

Rio Bravo

Established by the National Film Preservation Act of 1988, the National Film Preservation Board works to ensure the survival, conservation and increased public availability of America’s film heritage, including advising the Librarian on its recommendations for annual selections to the National Film Registry. View the complete National Film Registry Listing here.