Jerry Goldsmith
b. Jerrald Goldsmith, 10 February 1929, Los Angeles, California, USA. Goldsmith is a prolific composer for films and television, from the late '50s through to the '90s. Besides studying music at the University of South Carolina, Goldsmith also took lessons in office practice, and secured a job as a clerk/typist with CBS Television, before moving to the company's music department in Los Angeles in 1950. During the '50s, first as a staffer, and then as a freelancer, he wrote theme music for popular television series such as GUNSMOKE, PERRY MASON, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, THE TWILIGHT ZONE, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E., DOCTOR KILDARE, and several more. In the late '50s, Goldsmith started to compose for films such as BLACK PATCH and CITY OF FEAR and, through the good auspices of film composer Alfred Newman, he came to prominence with his score for LONELY ARE THE BRAVE (1962). It was the start of a career in which he composed the music for over 150 films, ranging from westerns such as RIO CONCHOS, BANDOLERO! and a re-make of STAGECOACH to the ‘schockers’, POLTERGEIST, THE OMEN, DAMIEN (OMEN II), THE FINAL CONFLICT, PSYCHO IIAND SECONDS. He was also involved in STAR TREK, GREMLINS, TOTAL RECALL, RAMBO, PATTON, TORA! TORA! TORA!, CHINATOWN, FREUD, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY, THE SECRET OF NIMHand ISLANDS IN THE STREAM. The latter film was one of several that he made with his favourite director, Franklin Schaffner. The others included THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, THE STRIPPER, PAPILLON, PLANET OF THE APES and PATTON. During the '60s it was estimated that Goldsmith was averaging about six films a year. These included THE PRIZE, SEVEN DAYS IN MAY, THE SPIRAL ROAD, LILIES OF THE FIELD, IN HARM'S WAY, THE TROUBLE WITH ANGELS, THE SAND PEBBLES, THE BLUE MAX, IN LIKE FLINT, TO TRAP A SPY, A PATCH OF BLUE, VON RYAN'S EXPRESS, THE SATAN BUG, THE FLIM-FLAM MAN, THE DETECTIVE and JUSTINE. Throughout the '70s, '80s and early '90s, he was still one of the busiest film composers, contributing to movies such as THE MEPHBISTO WALTZ, THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD, MACARTHUR, CAPRICORN ONE, COMA, MAGIC, THE FIRST GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, OUTLAND, RAGGEDY MAN, UNDER FIRE, KING SOLOMON'S MINES, HOOSIERS, EXTREME PREJUDICE, BEST SHOT, INNERSPACE, WARLOCK, RAMBO III, GREMLINS: THE NEW BATCH, STAR TREK V THE FINAL FRONTIER, THE RUSSIA HOUSE, SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY, NOT WITHOUT MY DAUGHTER, TOTAL RECALL, BASIC INSTINCT, MOM AND DAD SAVE THE WORLD, FOREVER YOUNG, LOVE FIELD, MATINEE, THE VANISHING, DENNIS, and MALICE (1993). By this stage, 16 of his scores had been nominated for an Academy Award, but only THE OMEN (1976) received an Oscar. In addition to composing, Goldsmith conducted orchestras such as the San Diego Symphony and Britain's Royal Philharmonic, playing his music in concert halls around the world.