To Kill a Film Composer

(Kudos to Monty)

Elmer Bernstein, one of the most prolific film composers of all time with more than 200 movies to his credit, has died at the age of 87. Nominated for 14 Oscars, winning for Thoroughly Modern Millie, Bernstein’s scores were the glue that held together such classics as The Ten Commandments and Bernstein’s resume reveals he could score anything, from the aforementioned dramas to action hits like The Magnificent Seven, Hud, The Great Escape and True Grit to screwball comedies like Ghost Busters, Airplane!, Animal House and Trading Places. His resume also reveals he was a man who knew how to just collect a paycheck: Going Ape!, Billy Jack Goes to Washington, Guyana Tragedy: the Story of Jim Jones, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, Leonard Part 6, and Canadian Bacon.