Elmer Bernstein

Person

Elmer Bernstein

Sound April 4, 1922

New York City, New York, USA

Elmer Bernstein (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed mu…

IMDb

Known for

Popular titles

Ghostbusters

Ghostbusters

7.5 1984 Movie
Airplane!

Airplane!

7.3 1980 Movie
The Blues Brothers

The Blues Brothers

7.7 1980 Movie
Cape Fear

Cape Fear

7.3 1991 Movie
Trading Places

Trading Places

7.2 1983 Movie
Wild Wild West

Wild Wild West

5.3 1999 Movie
To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

8.0 1962 Movie
The Great Escape

The Great Escape

7.9 1963 Movie
An American Werewolf in London

An American Werewolf in London

7.4 1981 Movie
The Magnificent Seven

The Magnificent Seven

7.5 1960 Movie
The Ten Commandments

The Ten Commandments

7.8 1956 Movie
Animal House

Animal House

7.0 1978 Movie

Biography

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Elmer Bernstein (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions. His most popular works include the scores to The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, The Great Escape, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ghostbusters, The Black Cauldron, Airplane!, and The Rookies. Bernstein won an Oscar for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and was nominated for fourteen Oscars in total. He also won two Golden Globes and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Bernstein wrote the theme songs or other music for more than 200 films and TV shows, including The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Ten Commandments (1956), The Man with the Golden Arm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Robot Monster, and the fanfare used in the National Geographic television specials. His theme for The Magnificent Seven is also familiar to television viewers, as it was used in commercials for Marlboro cigarettes. Bernstein also provided the score to many of the short films of Ray and Charles Eames. In 1961 Bernstein co-founded Äva Records an American record label based in Los Angeles together with Fred Astaire, Jackie Mills and Tommy Wolf.

Filmography

Movies and shows, newest first

  1. 2026
    Cape Fear

    TV show Music

  2. 2011
    Torrente 4: Lethal crisis

    Movie Music

  3. 2007
    Return Of The Ghostbusters

    Movie Compositor

  4. 2004
    Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic

    Movie Original Music Composer

  5. 2002
    Far from Heaven

    Movie Original Music Composer

  6. 2001
    The Making of 'Cape Fear'

    Movie Self

  7. 2000
    Chinese Coffee

    Movie Original Music Composer

  8. 2000
    Frank Sinatra Memorial

    Movie Self

  9. 2000
    Guns for Hire: The Making of 'The Magnificent Seven'

    Movie Self

  10. 2000
    Keeping the Faith

    Movie Original Music Composer

  11. 2000
    A Storm in Summer

    Movie Music Producer

  12. 1999
    Bringing Out the Dead

    Movie Original Music Composer

  13. 1999
    Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

    Movie Original Music Composer

  14. 1999
    Wild Wild West

    Movie Original Music Composer

  15. 1999
    Making 'Taxi Driver'

    Movie Self

  16. 1999
    The Deep End of the Ocean

    Movie Original Music Composer

More credits
  1. 1999
    Imagining 'Heavy Metal'

    Movie Music

  2. 1998
    The Yearbook: An Animal House Reunion

    Movie Self - Composer

  3. 1998
    Puppies for Sale

    Movie Music

  4. 1998
    Twilight

    Movie Original Music Composer

  5. 1998
    Fearful Symmetry

    Movie Self

  6. 1997
    The Rainmaker

    Movie Original Music Composer

  7. 1997
    Hoodlum

    Movie Original Music Composer

  8. 1997
    Buddy

    Movie Original Music Composer

  9. 1996
    Bulletproof

    Movie Original Music Composer

  10. 1995
    Devil in a Blue Dress

    Movie Original Music Composer

  11. 1995
    Frankie Starlight

    Movie Original Music Composer

  12. 1995
    Canadian Bacon

    Movie Original Music Composer

  13. 1995
    A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

    TV show Original Music Composer

  14. 1995
    Search and Destroy

    Movie Original Music Composer

  15. 1995
    Roommates

    Movie Original Music Composer

  16. 1995
    The Hollywood Soundtrack Story

    Movie Self

  17. 1994
    The Bible According to Hollywood

    Movie Self

  18. 1993
    The Good Son

    Movie Original Music Composer

  19. 1993
    The Age of Innocence

    Movie Original Music Composer

  20. 1993
    Innocence and Experience: The Making of 'The Age of Innocence'

    Movie Self

  21. 1993
    Fallen Angels

    TV show Main Title Theme Composer

  22. 1993
    Lost in Yonkers

    Movie Original Music Composer

  23. 1993
    Mad Dog and Glory

    Movie Original Music Composer

  24. 1993
    The Cemetery Club

    Movie Original Music Composer