The Magnificent Elmer Read online

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  The Incredible Sarah, 1976

  The Shootist, 1976

  Slap Shot, 1977

  Animal House, 1978

  Billy Jack Goes to Washington, 1978

  Blood Brothers, 1979

  Meatballs, 1979

  Zulu Dawn, 1979

  From the 1980s

  Trust Me, 1980

  Airplane!, 1980

  The Blues Brothers, 1980

  The Great Santini, 1980

  Saturn 3, 1980

  An American Werewolf in London, 1981

  The Chosen, 1981

  Going Ape!, 1981

  Heavy Metal, 1981

  Honky Tonk Freeway, 1981

  Stripes, 1981

  Five Days One Summer, 1982

  Genocide, 1982

  Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone, 1983

  Trading Places, 1983

  Ghostbusters, 1984

  Marie Ward - Zwischen Galgen und Glorie, 1984

  Prince Jack, 1984

  The Black Cauldron, 1985

  Spies Like Us, 1985

  Legal Eagles, 1986

  Three Amigos!, 1986

  Amazing Grace and Chuck, 1987

  Leonard Part 6, 1987

  Da!, 1988

  Funny Farm, 1988

  The Good Mother, 1988

  A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon, 1988

  My Left Foot, 1989

  Slipstream, 1989

  From the 1990s

  The Field, 1990

  The Grifters, 1990

  Cape Fear, 1991

  Oscar, 1991

  A Rage in Harlem, 1991

  Rambling Rose, 1991

  The Babe, 1992

  Mad Dog and Glory, 1992

  The Age of Innocence, 1993

  The Cemetery Club, 1993

  The Good Son, 1993

  Lost in Yonkers, 1993

  Devil in a Blue Dress, 1995

  Frankie Starlight, 1995

  Roommates, 1995

  Search and Destroy, 1995

  Bulletproof, 1996

  Buddy, 1997

  Hoodlum, 1997

  The Rainmaker, 1997

  Twilight, 1998

  Bringing Out the Dead, 1999

  The Deep End of the Ocean, 1999

  Wild Wild West, 1999

  From the 2000s

  Far From Heaven, 2002

  Photos of Elmer and the Family

  Elmer at work on the score for the film Saturday’s Hero, 1950

  Pearl and Elmer contemplate their new addition to the baby boom generation in their Hollywood Hills home, 1951

  Pearl, Elmer and their son Peter enjoy the as yet unblemished beach at Santa Monica, 1952

  Pearl and Peter exchange their views on the meaning of life and other complexities in Malibu, 1952

  Elmer calls balls and strikes for his sons at a Sherman Oaks baseball diamond, 1961

  Gregory (in the driver’s seat) discovers the perks of a celebrity father, namely a visit to the Paramount lot (where Elmer had scored The Ten Commandments) and a ride in the Batmobile, 1963

  Pearl and Elmer with Carl Rowan, JFK’s new ambassador to Finland, at an LA dinner, 1963

  ELMER’S TUNES

  To read a book about the world and the work of Elmer Bernstein without hearing the music—well, it’s like looking at a sunset in black-and-white, or like reading about van Gogh without seeing his brushstrokes. To see the colors and the brushstrokes of Elmer’s music, and even enjoy a taste of the films, just click on one of the links listed below.

  Elmer Bernstein: A Musical Tribute

  To Kill a Mockingbird—Stephen Bennett on harp guitar

  The Magnificent Seven Suite—Elmer Bernstein

  Cat Women of the Moon (1953)

  The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

  Elmer Bernstein on “Walk on the Wild Side”

  Slipstream (1989)

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Contents

  Chapter One: The Door Opens

  Chapter Two: Rise and Fall

  Chapter Three: The De Millennium

  Chapter Four: Eine Kleine Moses Musik

  Chapter Five: The Big O

  Chapter Six: Atticus

  Chapter Seven: The Magnificent Elmer

  Chapter Eight: “That David Copperfield Kind of Crap”

  Chapter Nine: Things Change

  Chapter Ten: Hollywood Be Thy Name

  Chapter Eleven: To Russia with Love

  Chapter Twelve: Next Year in Jerusalem

  Chapter Thirteen: Odets, Where Is Thy Sting?

  Chapter Fourteen: Sweet Smell of Hollywood

  Chapter Fifteen: Art Isn’t Easy

  Chapter Sixteen: Thoroughly Modern Elmer

  Chapter Seventeen: Fine and Danny

  Chapter Eighteen: Ole Blue Eyes

  Chapter Nineteen: Comedy Tonight

  Chapter Twenty: The Maestros

  Chapter Twenty-One: Bernstein’s Complaint

  Chapter Twenty-Two: “Her or Me”

  Chapter Twenty-Three: Score One for Me

  Chapter Twenty-Four: I’m Still Here

  Chapter Twenty-Five: Tribute

  Chapter Twenty-Six: Why Is This Woman Laughing?

  Author’s Note and Acknowledgments

  Appendix: The Elmer Oeuvre

  Photos of Elmer and the Family

  Elmer’s Tunes