This Is Your Life: Elmer Bernstein

Elmer BERNSTEIN (1922-2004)

THIS IS YOUR LIFE - Elmer Bernstein, film composer, was surprised by Michael Aspel at London's Royal Albert Hall after conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra as part of his 80th birthday celebrations.

Elmer, who was born in Brooklyn, New York, performed professionally as a dancer and actor as a child and won several prizes for his painting. He later gravitated towards music, and as a young pianist, he gave his first concert at age 15 in New York's Steinway Hall. During the Second World War, he was drafted into the US Army Air Forces, where he wrote music for the Armed Forces Radio and worked as an arranger of folk music for Glenn Miller.

In 1950 Elmer moved to America's west coast to write film scores. In a career that spanned more than five decades, he composed more than 200 film and television scores, including some of the most recognisable and memorable themes in Hollywood history, such as The Ten Commandments, The Magnificent Seven, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Escape, Cape Fear and The Age of Innocence. Elmer was nominated for 14 Academy Awards, winning in 1967 for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie. He also won two Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award and was nominated for five Grammy Awards.

"Well obviously this is a surprise! Well, what a thrill!"

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