Elmer Bernstein Quotes

• I thought in terms of the enthusiasm of doing it. I didn’t think about whether I was ready.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Self, Thought, Enthusiasm

• I made my way on to a grey list, a black list even. That’s something I’m very proud of, actually.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Self, Proud

• 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.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Self, Thought, Thrilling, Music

• 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.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Life

  Tags in Self, Performances

• I’m generally pessimistic about the dumbing down of America – especially with summer movies.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in America, Movies

  Tags in Summer

• 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.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Work

  Tags in World, Friends, Security

• 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.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Business

  Tags in Successful, Person

• 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.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Rock And Roll, Music

• Today you have something like A Film by Joe Harry. That is patently asinine and ridiculous.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in ridiculous, Film

• 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.

  Elmer Bernstein

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Golden, Arm, Man

• 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.

  Emile Zola

  Topics in Uncategorized

  Tags in Parents, Supportive

Elmer Bernstein (11)

Birth:	4th April, 1922
Death:	18th August, 2004
Nationality:	American
Profession:	Composer, Lyricist, Music Conductor

About

Elmer Bernstein was born in New York City, New York, USA. He was an American composer, lyricist, and conductor best known for his many film scores. His most popular works include the scores to The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, The Great Escape, To Kill a Mockingbird, Ghostbusters, The Black Cauldron, Airplane!, The Rookies, and Cape Fear. He won an Oscar for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie and was nominated for fourteen Oscars in total. He also won two Golden Globes and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. He wrote the theme songs or other music for more than 200 films and TV shows, including The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Ten Commandments, and To Kill a Mockingbird.

Related Authors

• Christopher Haden Guest
• Tori Amos
• Maurice Jarre
• Morton Gould
• Georges Bizet
• Edvard Grieg
• Jay Livingston
• Olivier Messiaen
• Clint Eastwood
• Lindsey Buckingham

Advertisement

Today's Anniversary - 21st November

Births

• 1844 - Ada Cambridge
• 1953 - Tina Brown
• 1971 - Michael Strahan
• 1963 - Nicollette Sheridan
• 1965 - Reggie Lewis

Deaths

• 1958 - Mel Ott
• 2000 - Sir Cyril Astley Clarke
• 1945 - Robert Benchley
• 1996 - Mohammad Abdus Salam
• 1922 - Ricardo Flores Magon