Top 14 Quotes & Sayings by Elmer Bernstein

Explore popular quotes and sayings by an American composer Elmer Bernstein.
Last updated on September 18, 2024.
Elmer Bernstein

Elmer Bernstein 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 Primetime Emmy Award. He also received seven Golden Globe Awards, five Grammy Awards, and two Tony Award nominations.

Victor Young had been hired to write the score for the dances of The Ten Commandments but he became very ill. You were then hired to write the score. But at the same time you'd written The Man with the Golden Arm score.
You wouldn't think it would but my parents were really balanced about that. When it came time for me to be out of the house and out on my own they were very supportive.
One of the things that happens in the business is that success is a very strange thing in that if you are involved in something very successful the next person wants you to repeat it.
I made my way on to a grey list, a black list even. That's something I'm very proud of, actually. — © Elmer Bernstein
I made my way on to a grey list, a black list even. That's something I'm very proud of, actually.
I did 10 years of comedies and 10 years of Westerns. I really like to stay away from car chases. I prefer the more intimate film. You have a much more direct association with the emotions.
It was a great way to work. In those days, you had to be there. It was your world. It was your club. Your friends were there, your associates were there, your security was there.
I'm generally pessimistic about the dumbing down of America - especially with summer movies.
There's no way I can compete with someone who can write rap or rock and roll. Nor do I wish to. But I've always kept up to date with music changes. I worked very hard not to type myself.
When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don't have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About alienated feelings. We are much more alienated from our colleagues nowadays.
I thought in terms of the enthusiasm of doing it. I didn't think about whether I was ready.
I would do the occasional score. I thought it was the most thrilling thing. It was instant. You made the music and they played it right away to millions of people. I found it thrilling.
Today you have something like A Film by Joe Harry. That is patently asinine and ridiculous.
All of a sudden I found myself doing things like 'Robot Monster' and 'Cat-Women of the Moon,' and I didn't know what the devil was going on. But if you're going to do areally bad movie, at least you do one that is at the top of the all-time bad-movie list.
Jerry Goldsmith is the #1 composer working now. He's open to new ideas and always inventing.
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