Person · Male
Elmer Bernstein
American score composer
- From
- New York, United States
- Active
- 1922–2004
- Rating
- ★ 3
- Releases
- 150
- classical
About
Elmer Bernstein ( BURN-steen; April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 original film scores, as well as scores for nearly 80 television productions. For his work, he received an Academy Award for Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and a Primetime Emmy Award. He also received seven Golden Globe Awards, five Grammy Awards, and two Tony Award nominations.
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Bernstein composed and arranged over 100 film scores, including Sudden Fear (1952), The Man with the Golden Arm (1955), The Ten Commandments (1956), Sweet Smell of Success (1957), The Magnificent Seven (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), The World of Henry Orient (1964), The Great Escape (1963), Hud (1963), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), True Grit (1969), My Left Foot (1989), The Grifters (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Twilight (1998), and Far from Heaven (2002). He is known for his work on the comedic films Animal House (1978), Meatballs (1979), Airplane! (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), Stripes (1981), Heavy Metal (1981), Trading Places (1983), Ghostbusters (1984), Spies Like Us (1985), The Black Cauldron (1985) and Three Amigos (1986).
He also worked on frequent collaborations with directors Martin Scorsese, Robert Mulligan, John Landis, Ivan Reitman, John Sturges, Bill Duke, George Roy Hill, Richard Fleischer, John Frankenheimer, and Henry Hathaway.
In 1985, Bernstein composed the dark, orchestral score for Disney's animated feature The Black Cauldron. Utilizing the eerie electronic tones of the ondes Martenot, with no songs, his work marked a distinct musical shift for Disney animation, though a significant amount of his music was cut out due to last-minute revisions.
Member of
-
Elmer Bernstein & Orchestra eponymous, principal
Discography
Albums
Compilations
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The Magnificent Seven Collection
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To Kill a Mockingbird / Walk on the Wild Side
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The AVA Collection
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The Comancheros / North to Alaska / The Undefeated
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The Eternal Sea / Make Haste To Live (Original Motion Picture Soundtracks) Apple Music
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The Unforgiven: Classic Western Scores From United Artists
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Film Music by Elmer Bernstein
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The Bridge at Remagen / The Train
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Film Music Collection
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The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
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Never So Few / 7 Women
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The View from Pompey's Head / Blue Denim
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Great Composers: Elmer Bernstein
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Bernard Herrmann Film Scores: From Citizen Kane to Taxi Driver
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A Man and His Movies Apple Music
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Digital Premiere Recordings From the Films of John Wayne: The Comancheros / True Grit
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The Music From Marlboro Country
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Movie and TV Themes Composed & Conducted by Elmer Bernstein
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Sweet Smell of Success / Walk on the Wild Side
Other
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Devil in a Blue Dress: Original Motion Picture Score
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Class (Original MGM Motion Picture Soundtrack)
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Rat Race
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Legal Eagles
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The Amazing Mr. Blunden
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Airplane II: The Sequel
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Going Ape!
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Spies Like Us
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Blind Terror
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The Shootist / The Sons of Katie Elder
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The Miracle
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Hud / The Lonely Man
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To Kill a Mockingbird Apple Music
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Cahill United States Marshal
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The Carpetbaggers
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Canadian Bacon
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The Rat Race
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Antheil: The Pride and the Passion / Bernstein: Kings Go Forth
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Fear Strikes Out / The Tin Star
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The Great Santini
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An American Werewolf in London
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Trading Places
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Rampage
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Men in War
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A Walk in the Spring Rain
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Love with the Proper Stranger / A Girl Named Tamiko
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God's Little Acre
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Report to the Commissioner
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Desire Under the Elms Apple Music
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Gangs Of New York/The Journey Of Natty Gann/The Scarlet Letter
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Laurette / Prince Jack
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Anna Lucasta
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By Love Possessed
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Some Came Running
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Cannon For Cordoba / From Noon Till Three
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The Caretakers / The Young Doctors
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Saturn 3
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The Scalphunters
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The Hallelujah Trail
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Saddle the Wind
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National Geographic Presents: Yankee Sails Across Europe / Grizzly!
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McQ
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The Gypsy Moths
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Far From Heaven Apple Music
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The Story On Page One / The Reward
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Big Jake
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The World of Henry Orient
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Airplane!
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Music for the Films of Charles and Ray Eames
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Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone in 3-D
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From the Terrace
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Slipstream Apple Music
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The Comancheros
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The Deep End of the Ocean
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Wild Wild West Apple Music
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Bringing Out the Dead
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Twilight
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Ghostbusters: Original Motion Picture Score
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The Magnificent Seven Apple Music
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Hoodlum
Links
Listen
Official
Buy
Parent
Teacher
Also known as
Bernstein · E. Bernstein · Elmer Bernestein · Elmer Bernestin · Elmer Bernstain · Elmer Bernsteen · Elmer Bernsten · Elmer Bernstin · Elmer Berstein · Elmer Brenstein · Elmer Burnstein
Tags
- 2008 universal fire victim
- american
- check it
- composer
- easy listening soundtracks and musicals
- film composer
- soundtrack
Identifiers
- MusicBrainz
- e2c7d7a5-b520-4232-b7cf-aaceead17b6c
- ISNI
- 0000000114541797
- IPI
- 00002932222
- IPI
- 00066100802
Data from MusicBrainz, saved 6 Nov 2026. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, covers from the Cover Art Archive and Apple Music.