In the early 1900s an American businessman was kidnapped by a rebellious Arab chieftain, principally as a means to embarrass the Sultan of Morocco. This abduction sparked the threat of armed intervention by President Theodore Roosevelt, which was never carried out. In The Wind and the Lion (1975), the unattractive male captive is replaced by the gorgeous female (American widow). The film's main theme, that of America's emergence as a world power, is largely secondary to the growing mutual-respect relationship between the widow and Arab chief. After releasing his hostage, the Arab chief is himself captured by German forces, who at the behest of the Kaiser are seeking out methods of laying the groundwork for what would evolve into World War I. With the help of widow -- and, in long-distance fashion, President Roosevelt -- the Arab chief escapes.

For over four decades, Jerry Goldsmith ranked among the film and television industry's most highly-regarded and prolific composers; at the peak of his activity during the 1960s, he was estimated to have scored an average of about six films annually.

For CBS television he composed themes for series including Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Have Gun Will Travel, The Twilight Zone and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. before turning to film in 1957, debuting with the score to Black Patch. Goldsmith rose to prominence with 1962's Lonely Are the Brave, and subsequently emerged as one of Hollywood's most prolific composers. Among his credits were such diverse offferings as Patton, Planet of the Apes, Seconds, Chinatown, Poltergeist , Gremlins, Rambo: First Blood Part II, Total Recall and Basic Instinct; while nominated for over a dozen Academy Awards, Goldsmith won only one, for 1976's The Omen.