Elmer Bernstein, American composer and conductor (d. 2004)
Elmer Bernstein (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned more than 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 Primetime Emmy Award. He also received seven Golden Globe Award, five Grammy Award, and two Tony Award nominations.
He composed and arranged scores for over 100 film scores including such films as 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 Great Escape (1963), Hud (1963), Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967), True Grit (1969), My Left Foot, The Grifters (1990), Cape Fear (1991), Twilight (1998), and Far from Heaven (2002). He is also known for his work on the comedic films, Animal House (1978), Meatballs (1979), Airplane! (1980), The Blues Brothers (1980), Stripes (1981), Trading Places (1984), Ghostbusters (1984), Spies Like Us (1985), and Three Amigos (1986).