From an early age John Barry’s two abiding passions were music and film. If only it were as easy to capitalize on (and excel at) one’s interests as Barry made it look. After growing up in York and serving a stint in British national service, he formed his own jazz group and began arranging music for orchestras. Barry’s band flourished, and by the 1960s he turned his attention to composing music for movies. When Dr. No—the first film in the James Bond series—needed a theme song, Barry took on the task. He ended up providing timeless title songs and soundtracks for 11 other Bond movies, and wrote classic scores for films such as Born Free (1966) and Midnight Cowboy (1969). This winter, BFI Southbank offers a program dedicated entirely to Barry’s film work. The selections span the career of “Britain’s greatest soundtrack writer.” —Jack Sullivan