UH Today - KUHF Showcases Sounds Of The Silver Screen

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May 7, 2004

KUHF Showcases Sounds Of The Silver Screen

Regina Scruggs is a self-trained film expert, and her passion for the cinema has fueled her mission of bringing the sounds of the silver screen to radio audiences.

“As a child, I used to stay up and watch the late show when I should have been doing homework,” said Scruggs, broadcast operations coordinator at KUHF 88.7 FM and host of “Music from the Movies.”

“Music from the Movies” features film soundtracks at 7 p.m. every Friday on KUHF. From contemporary offerings such as “The Passion of the Christ” to 1950s fare such as “Love Me or Leave Me,” the program spotlights the oft-underrated genre of orchestral movie scores.

The show is in its second year on KUHF, but its history dates back to the 1980s when Scruggs was the program director for Houston’s classical music station, KLEF FM. When KLEF switched formats, Scruggs left the station. A few years later, she brought her talents and “Music From the Movies” to KUHF.

Photo: Regina Scruggs of KUHF

Regina Scruggs, broadcast operations coordinator at KUHF 88.7 FM and host of “Music from the Movies.”

Since its return to Houston airwaves, fans of classical music and movie aficionados have tuned in to hear their favorite movie soundtracks.

Scruggs said that one of her most popular shows was a recent retrospective of James Bond films.

“People react to things they’re familiar with,” she said. “The show on Friday, May 7 will focus on the upcoming action monster film, ‘Van Helsing’ and include music from classic monster movies like ‘The Wolf Man’ and ‘Bride of Frankenstein.’ Everybody knows these characters, so I’m anticipating a positive reaction to this show as well.”

Scruggs typically showcases music from new films and includes older scores that have a similar theme. As in the “Van Helsing” show, she coupled the score of this year’s “The Alamo” with music from the 1960 version starring John Wayne.

The formula has proven successful and Scruggs feels that it is conducive to maintaining an audience of both mature and young listeners, as well as a mix of film and music enthusiasts.

“Listeners enjoy this combination of old and new music,” Scruggs said. “I love the scores from the Golden Age of Hollywood, but I realize that today’s music is good too. The show tries to appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners. I think it’s doing just that.”

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu