Editing Van Dyke Parks (section)

===First film scores and late-1970s work===
[[File:Jack Nicholson - 1976 (new).jpg|thumb|upright=0.5|Parks' first film score was for [[Jack Nicholson]]'s ''[[Goin' South]]'' (1978)  ]]

By the late 1970s, Parks had entered a period of personal and professional transition.{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=129}} Having ensconced himself in the American southeast, he returned to Los Angeles after being commissioned by [[Jack Nicholson]] to compose the score for ''[[Goin' South]]'' (1978), Nicholson’s directorial debut.{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=130}} The film’s music, characterized by unconventional instrumentation and [[silent film|silent-film]]-era piano motifs, echoed the style of Parks’ earlier solo work, particularly ''Song Cycle''. This project marked his shift toward film composition, though his later screen scores seldom retained the sonic signatures of his standalone recordings.{{sfn|Henderson|2010|pp=130–131}}

George's 1979 solo debut, ''[[Thanks, I'll Eat It Here]]'', included "Cheek to Cheek", a song co-written with Parks.{{sfn|Brend|2002|pp=128, 163}} Little Feat biographer Mark Brend surmised that the track "Himmler's Ring", written by [[Jimmy Webb]], was arranged by Parks, citing a resemblance to ''Discover America''.{{sfn|Brend|2002|p=128}} Parks' partnership with Nilsson continued with ''[[Flash Harry (album)|Flash Harry]]'' (1980), an album that reunited the extant RCA house band and included Nilsson's version of "Cheek to Cheek".{{sfn|Shipton|2013|pp=237–238}}{{Refn|group=nb|Kibbee was listed as a third co-writer on Nilsson's version.{{sfn|Brend|2002|p=128}}}}

Parks and Nilsson also collaborated on the soundtrack for [[Robert Altman]]'s film ''[[Popeye (film)|Popeye]]'' (1980), where Parks appeared onscreen as a pianist.{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=128}} The film's soundtrack elicited a mostly unfavorable critical response; Parks later suggested that [[Tom Pearson]]'s incidental score had overshadowed the sparse, character-driven songs, disrupting his aim at a subdued musical atmosphere inspired by the original ''[[Popeye the Sailor (film series)|Popeye]]'' cartoons.{{sfn|Shipton|2013|p=245}} Elements of Parks' ''Popeye'' arrangements were later sampled in [[Jon Brion]]'s score for ''[[Punch-Drunk Love]]'' (2002).{{sfn|Henderson|2010|p=128}} Later in 1980, Parks joined Nilsson as part of a studio band for Starr’s unreleased album ''[[Stop and Smell the Roses (Ringo Starr album)|Can't Fight Lightning]]'', but the sessions halted abruptly following [[John Lennon]]'s [[Murder of John Lennon|assassination in December]].{{sfn|Shipton|2013|p=251}}