Elmer Bernstein (1992 – 2004)

Donald Macleod talks to Peter and Emilie Bernstein about their father, award winning Hollywood film composer Elmer Bernstein, who wrote for films during the 1980s and 1990s.

Born in 1922, Elmer Bernstein created the music for more than 150 films. His big break was one of Hollywood's biggest pictures, Cecil B DeMille's swan song, the 1955 biblical epic, "The Ten Commandments". At the same time as working on that enormous canvas for DeMille, Bernstein was composing the first in a series of ground-breaking jazz infused scores, "The Man with the Golden Arm". He went on to write the music for the Hollywood adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel "To Kill a Mockingbird", Westerns which include The Magnificent Seven, surely one of the best known title themes in the history of cinema, before he became the go to composer for John Wayne. His scores for action adventures include "The Great Escape" and a moving depiction of the inner life of a prisoner in "Birdman of Alcatraz". Nominated on numerous occasions, he won an Oscar for "Thoroughly Modern Millie". In the 1980s he delighted younger generations of cinema goers with scores such as "National Lampoon's Animal House", "Ghostbusters" and "Airplane!", before deciding to make a return to more serious drama. Projects with Martin Scorsese included the film of Edith Wharton's novel "The Age of Innocence", and he also created a remarkable portrait of the artist Christy Brown in "My Left Foot". His last score, for which he received a final Oscar nomination, was for Todd Haynes' "Far from Heaven" in 2002. He died just two years later in 2004.

As well as a hugely successful career as a film composer Elmer Bernstein assumed several leadership roles. He also financed a scheme to preserve Hollywood film scores. Among the music he preserved was Max Steiner's King Kong.

Donald Macleod marks the centenary of this gifted and versatile film composer in conversation with Peter and Emilie Bernstein, two of Elmer Bernstein's children. They offer a fascinating insider's view to the film music industry alongside a personal portrait of their father.

Music Featured:

The March from Stripes Prelude to The Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (excerpt) To Kill a Mockingbird (excerpt) Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra for two Christophers: II: Reflections The Man with the Golden Arm (excerpt) Walk on the Wild Side: Main title The Magnificent Seven (excerpt) To Kill a Mockingbird (excerpt) True Grit (excerpt) How Now Dow Jones: A Little Investigation The Great Escape: Main title Overture to Hawaii The Birdman of Alcatraz Summer and Smoke (excerpt) Big Jake (excerpt) Zulu Dawn: River Crossing Ghostbusters theme Suite from Airplane! Heavy Metal: Taarna’s Theme Ghostbusters (excerpt) My Left Foot (excerpt) The Grifters (excerpt) Far from Heaven: Autumn in Connecticut Far From Heaven (excerpt) Rambling Rose (excerpt) Devil in a Blue Dress (excerpt) Cape Fear (excerpt) The Age of Innocence: Main title

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Johannah Smith

For full track listings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004) https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0015v23

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z