Composer
Elmer Bernstein
Born 4 April 1922 · New York City, New York, USA — died 18 August 2004
Elmer Bernstein (1922–2004) was an American composer and conductor who scored hundreds of film and television productions over about fifty years. He is known for the sweeping Western themes of The Magnificent Seven, for the humane score of To Kill a Mockingbird, and for comedy scores such as Ghostbusters and Airplane!.
Key films
The Ten Commandments (1956)On Cinespective
Early large-scale epic score that established him among Hollywood's leading film composers.
Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
Showed his command of jazz-inflected, urban film music in a celebrated noir drama.
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Its galloping main theme became one of the most recognised Western melodies ever written.
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
A gentle, restrained score often cited among the finest in American film.
Ghostbusters (1984)
Playful score that showed his range in later-career comedies, alongside Airplane! and Stripes.
Key awards
- Academy Award for Best Original Score, Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)
- Fourteen Academy Award nominations in total
- Two Golden Globe Awards
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 171
- 1951Saturday's HeroComposer
- 1952Sudden FearComposer
- 1952Battles of Chief PontiacComposer
- 1952Boots MaloneComposer
- 1953Robot MonsterComposer
- 1953Cat-Women of the MoonComposer
- 1953Never Wave at a WACComposer
- 1953Miss Robin CrusoeComposer
- 1954Make Haste to LiveComposer
- 1954Silent RaidersComposer
- 1955The Man with the Golden ArmComposer
- 1955Storm FearComposer
- 1955The Eternal SeaComposer
- 1955The View from Pompey's HeadComposer
- 1955It's a Dog's LifeComposer
- 1956The Ten CommandmentsComposer
- 1957Sweet Smell of SuccessComposer
- 1957The Tin StarComposer
- 1957Men in WarComposer
- 1957Fear Strikes OutComposer
- 1957DrangoComposer
- 1958Some Came RunningComposer
- 1958The BuccaneerComposer
- 1958Saddle the WindComposer
- 1958God's Little AcreComposer
- 1958Desire Under the ElmsComposer
- 1958Kings Go ForthComposer
- 1958Anna LucastaComposer
- 1959The MiracleComposer
- 1959The Story on Page OneComposer
- 1960The Magnificent SevenComposer
- 1960From the TerraceComposer
- 1960The Rat RaceComposer
- 1960The Fabulous FiftiesComposer
- 1961The ComancherosComposer
- 1961Summer and SmokeComposer
- 1961By Love PossessedComposer
- 1961The Young DoctorsComposer
- 19612ⁿ: A Story of the Power of NumbersComposer
- 1962To Kill a MockingbirdComposer
- 1962Birdman of AlcatrazComposer
- 1962Walk on the Wild SideComposer
- 1962A Girl Named TamikoComposer
- 1963The Great EscapeComposer
- 1963HudComposer
- 1963Love with the Proper StrangerComposer
- 1963Kings of the SunComposer
- 1963RampageComposer
- 1963The CaretakersComposer
- 1964The World of Henry OrientComposer
- 1964The CarpetbaggersComposer
- 1964Four Days In NovemberComposer
- 1965The Sons of Katie ElderComposer
- 1965The Hallelujah TrailComposer
- 19657 WomenComposer
- 1965Baby the Rain Must FallComposer
- 1965The RewardComposer
- 1966Return of the SevenComposer
- 1966Cast a Giant ShadowComposer
- 1966HawaiiComposer
- 1966The SilencersComposer
- 1967Thoroughly Modern MillieComposer
- 1968The ScalphuntersComposer
- 1968I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!Composer
- 1969True GritComposer
- 1969The Bridge at RemagenComposer
- 1969Guns of the Magnificent SevenComposer
- 1969The Gypsy MothsComposer
- 1969Midas RunComposer
- 1969Where's Jack?Composer
- 1970The Liberation of L.B. JonesComposer
- 1970Cannon for CordobaComposer
- 1970A Walk in the Spring RainComposer
- 1971Big JakeComposer
- 1971See No EvilComposer
- 1971Doctors' WivesComposer
- 1972The Magnificent Seven Ride!Composer
- 1972The Amazing Mr. BlundenComposer
- 1973Cahill: United States MarshalComposer
- 1973Incident on a Dark StreetComposer
- 1974McQComposer
- 1974GoldComposer
- 1974The Trial of Billy JackComposer
- 1974Nightmare HoneymoonComposer
- 1974Men of the DragonComposer
- 1975Report to the CommissionerComposer
- 1975The Old Curiosity ShopComposer
- 1975Ellery Queen: Too Many SuspectsComposer
- 1976The ShootistComposer
- 1976From Noon Till Three · as Songwriter (uncredited)Actor
- 1976From Noon Till ThreeComposer
- 1976The Incredible SarahComposer
- 1977Billy Jack Goes to WashingtonComposer
- 1977The 3,000 Mile ChaseComposer
- 1978Animal HouseComposer
- 1978BloodbrothersComposer
- 1979MeatballsComposer
- 1979Zulu DawnComposer
- 1979The Great SantiniComposer
- 1979CharlestonComposer
- 1980Airplane!Composer
- 1980The Blues BrothersComposer
- 1980Saturn 3Composer
- 1980This Year's BlondeComposer
- 1981An American Werewolf in LondonComposer
- 1981StripesComposer
- 1981Heavy MetalComposer
- 1981The ChosenComposer
- 1981Honky Tonk FreewayComposer
- 1981Going Ape!Composer
- 1982Airplane II: The SequelComposer
- 1982Five Days One SummerComposer
- 1983Trading PlacesComposer
- 1983ClassComposer
- 1983Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden ZoneComposer
- 1984GhostbustersComposer
- 1985The Black CauldronComposer
- 1985Spies Like UsComposer
- 1985GulagComposer
- 1985Prince JackComposer
- 1985Marie Ward - Zwischen Galgen und GlorieComposer
- 1986¡Three Amigos!Composer
- 1986Legal EaglesComposer
- 1987Leonard Part 6Composer
- 1987Amazing Grace and ChuckComposer
- 1988Funny FarmComposer
- 1988The Good MotherComposer
- 1988DaComposer
- 1989My Left Foot: The Story of Christy BrownComposer
- 1989SlipstreamComposer
- 1990The GriftersComposer
- 1990The FieldComposer
- 1991Cape FearComposer
- 1991OscarComposer
- 1991Rambling RoseComposer
- 1991A Rage in HarlemComposer
- 1992The BabeComposer
- 1992Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann · as SelfActor
- 1993The Age of InnocenceComposer
- 1993The Good SonComposer
- 1993Mad Dog and GloryComposer
- 1993Lost in YonkersComposer
- 1993The Cemetery ClubComposer
- 1993Innocence and Experience: The Making of 'The Age of Innocence' · as SelfActor
- 1994The Bible According to Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 1995Devil in a Blue DressComposer
- 1995Canadian BaconComposer
- 1995RoommatesComposer
- 1995Search and DestroyComposer
- 1995Frankie StarlightComposer
- 1995The Hollywood Soundtrack Story · as SelfActor
- 1996BulletproofComposer
- 1997The RainmakerComposer
- 1997HoodlumComposer
- 1997BuddyComposer
- 1998TwilightComposer
- 1998Fearful Symmetry · as SelfActor
- 1998The Yearbook: An Animal House Reunion · as Self - ComposerActor
- 1999Wild Wild WestComposer
- 1999Bringing Out the DeadComposer
- 1999The Deep End of the OceanComposer
- 1999Introducing Dorothy DandridgeComposer
- 1999Making 'Taxi Driver' · as SelfActor
- 2000Keeping the FaithComposer
- 2000Chinese CoffeeComposer
- 2000Guns for Hire: The Making of 'The Magnificent Seven' · as SelfActor
- 2000Frank Sinatra Memorial · as SelfActor
- 2001The Making of 'Cape Fear' · as SelfActor
- 2002Far from HeavenComposer
- 2003Far from Heaven: "Making of"Actor
- 2004Cecil B. DeMille: American EpicComposer
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.