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Elmer Bernstein

Elmer Bernstein

Composer · Died August 18, 2004, aged 82 · New York City, New York, USA

Elmer Bernstein (April 4, 1922 – August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor best known for his many film scores. In a career which spanned fifty years, he composed music for hundreds of film and television productions. 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!, and The Rookies. Bernstein won an Oscar for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and was nominated for fourteen Oscars in total. He also won two Golden Globes and was nominated for two Grammy Awards. Bernstein 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 (1956), The Man with the Golden Arm, To Kill a Mockingbird, Robot Monster, and the fanfare used in the National Geographic television specials. His theme for The Magnificent Seven is also familiar to television viewers, as it was used in commercials for Marlboro cigarettes. Bernstein also provided the score to many of the short films of Ray and Charles Eames. In 1961 Bernstein co-founded Äva Records an American record label based in Los Angeles together with Fred Astaire, Jackie Mills and Tommy Wolf.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
April 4, 1922
Died
August 18, 2004 (aged 82)
From
New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
142 on MovieCove · 202 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26Up 5% in 30 days

What are Elmer Bernstein's films like?

Across their 137 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Drama48 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Comedy29 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Action22 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Adventure15 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Crime11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 76th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Biography6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Animation2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
26%
Morality
25%
Self
16%
Survival
12%
Power
10%
Society
10%
Ideas
2%
Justice32 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds31 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love27 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival18 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship14 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption16 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition11 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth12 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 137 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 44 · Serious 42 · Dark 51

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 73 · Stylized 47 · Heightened 17

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 28 · Charged 70 · Intense 39

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 59 · Shifting 68 · Whiplash 10

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 78 · Some laughs 33 · Funny 26

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 57 · Even-paced 73 · Relentless 7

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 65 · Engaged 68 · Full focus 4

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 51 · Affecting 44 · Heavy 42

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 110 · Open-ended 22 · Ambiguous 5

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
89
Melancholic
59
Absurd
27
Joyful
23
Hopeful
27
Other
139

How their films linger

Bittersweet56 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful41 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun34 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good35 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking27 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 17 with a twist

  • Happy39
  • Bittersweet76
  • Tragic13
  • Ambiguous8
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Elmer Bernstein's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 85 of their 142 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (45).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Elmer Bernstein's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

202 credits, 142 with a MovieCove page; 13 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Cape Fear(2026)

    Show 10 episodes · Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Torrente 4: Lethal Crisis(2011)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Return Of The Ghostbusters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Compositor

  • Cecil B. DeMille: American Epic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2004)

    Composer

  • Far from Heaven: "Making of" (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Far from Heaven(2002)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Chinese Coffee (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • Keeping the Faith(2000)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • A Storm in Summer(2000)

    Music Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Bringing Out the Dead(1999)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Introducing Dorothy Dandridge(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Wild Wild West(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Deep End of the Ocean(1999)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Imagining 'Heavy Metal' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • Puppies for Sale (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    Composer

  • Twilight(1998)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • The Rainmaker(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Hoodlum(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Buddy(1997)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Bulletproof(1996)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Devil in a Blue Dress(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Frankie Starlight(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Canadian Bacon(1995)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

  • Search and Destroy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Composer

  • Roommates(1995)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Good Son(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Age of Innocence(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Fallen Angels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    Show 15 episodes · Main Title Theme Composer

  • Lost in Yonkers(1993)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Mad Dog and Glory(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Cemetery Club(1993)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Babe(1992)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Cape Fear(1991)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Rambling Rose(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • A Rage in Harlem(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Oscar(1991)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Field(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • The Grifters(1990)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Slipstream(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 10th percentile of all films

  • My Left Foot(1989)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • The Good Mother(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Funny Farm(1988)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Da (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • Leonard Part 6(1987)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films

  • Amazing Grace and Chuck(1987)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • ¡Three Amigos!(1986)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Legal Eagles(1986)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Spies Like Us(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Prince Jack (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • The Black Cauldron(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Marie Ward - Zwischen Galgen und Glorie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • Gulag(1985)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Ghostbusters(1984)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Michael Jackson's Thriller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1983)

    Composer

  • Class(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Trading Places(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone(1983)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • Airplane II: The Sequel(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Five Days One Summer(1982)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Genocide(1982)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • An American Werewolf in London(1981)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Honky Tonk Freeway(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 26th percentile of all films

  • The Chosen(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Heavy Metal(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Stripes(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Going Ape!(1981)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • Airplane!(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • The Blues Brothers(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • This Year's Blonde(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1980)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Saturn 3(1980)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Great Santini(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Meatballs(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Zulu Dawn(1979)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Charleston (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Little Women (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Bloodbrothers(1978)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • National Lampoon's Animal House(1978)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Cezanne (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • Calypso's Search for the Britannic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • The 3,000 Mile Chase(1977)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Powers of Ten (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Billy Jack Goes to Washington(1977)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • The Incredible Sarah (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • From Noon Till Three(1976)

    Composer · as Songwriter (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • The Shootist(1976)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Serpico: The Deadly Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • Mr. Quilp(1975)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Ellery Queen: Too Many Suspects (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • Report to the Commissioner(1975)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Metropolitan Overview (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • The Trial of Billy Jack(1974)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Nightmare Honeymoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Composer

  • Gold(1974)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • Men of the Dragon(1974)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • McQ(1974)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Cahill U.S. Marshal(1973)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Incident on a Dark Street(1973)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Nicholas Copernicus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • The Amazing Mr. Blunden(1972)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Magnificent Seven Ride!(1972)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Rookies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • Computer Perspective (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • Appointment With Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • See No Evil(1971)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Walt Whitman: Poet for a New Age (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Big Jake(1971)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Doctors' Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Appointment With Destiny: The Last Days of John Dillinger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • The Tell-Tale Heart (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Cannon for Cordoba(1970)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • A Walk in the Spring Rain(1970)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Liberation of L.B. Jones(1970)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • The Gypsy Moths(1969)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Guns of the Magnificent Seven(1969)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Bridge at Remagen(1969)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • True Grit(1969)

    Composer · Songs

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Midas Run (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Composer

  • Where's Jack? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Composer

  • Tops (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Composer

  • I Love You, Alice B. Toklas!(1968)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • A Computer Glossary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Composer

  • The Scalphunters(1968)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • A Rough Sketch for a Proposed Film Dealing with the Powers of Ten and the Relative Size of Things in the Universe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)

    Composer

  • Thoroughly Modern Millie(1967)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Return of the Seven(1966)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Hawaii(1966)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Cast a Giant Shadow(1966)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Silencers(1966)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • View from the People Wall (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Composer

  • 7 Women(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Reward (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Composer

  • The Smithsonian Institution (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Composer

  • The Sons of Katie Elder(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • The Hallelujah Trail(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Bold Men (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Music Supervisor

  • Baby the Rain Must Fall(1965)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • A Patch of Blue(1965)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • IBM at the Fair (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Composer

  • Four Days In November (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)

    Composer

  • The Carpetbaggers(1964)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The World of Henry Orient(1964)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Making of the President 1960 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)

    Composer

  • Love with the Proper Stranger(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Kings of the Sun(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Rampage(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • The Caretakers(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Great Escape(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Hud(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • A Girl Named Tamiko(1962)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • To Kill a Mockingbird(1962)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Birdman of Alcatraz(1962)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Walk on the Wild Side(1962)

    Composer · Conductor · Songs

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Comancheros(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Summer and Smoke(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Young Doctors(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • By Love Possessed(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Topology: Jordan's Curve Theorem (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Composer

  • 2ⁿ: A Story of the Power of Numbers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Composer

  • The Magnificent Seven(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • From the Terrace(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Rat Race(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Fabulous Fifties(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • An Introduction to Feedback (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Composer

  • The Story on Page One(1959)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • The Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Composer

  • Some Came Running(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Buccaneer(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Anna Lucasta(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • God's Little Acre(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Kings Go Forth(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Saddle the Wind(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Desire Under the Elms(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Tin Star(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Toccata for Toy Trains (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Composer

  • Sweet Smell of Success(1957)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Men in War(1957)

    Composer · Conductor

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • Fear Strikes Out(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Drango(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • The Information Machine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Composer

  • The Ten Commandments(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The Naked Eye (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Composer

  • The Man with the Golden Arm(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • It's a Dog's Life(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Storm Fear(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The View from Pompey's Head(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • The Eternal Sea(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • House: After Five Years of Living (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Composer

  • Silent Raiders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Composer

  • Make Haste to Live(1954)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Miss Robin Crusoe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Composer

  • Cat-Women of the Moon(1953)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • Robot Monster(1953)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 3rd percentile of all films

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • Never Wave at a WAC(1953)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • A Communications Primer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Composer

  • Battles of Chief Pontiac (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • Sudden Fear(1952)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Boots Malone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • Saturday's Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Composer

  • Taking The Wheel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Composer

Career shape

A full career of 201 titles, 200 of them dated from 1951 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Wild Wild West (1999)

$222M worldwide

Highest rated

The Great Escape (1963)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Cape Fear (1991)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting2 of 201: 1 only acting, 1 with another roleMusic198 of 201: 181 only music, 17 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thOther crew18 of 201: 2 only other crew, 16 with another role · typical Midcredits score71st

201 titles, 17 with more than one role — music and other crew overlap on 16 of them.

By decade

1950s36 · crew1960s50 · crew1970s42 · 1 acting · 42 crew1980s33 · crew1990s30 · crew2000s7 · 1 acting · 6 crew2010s1 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Elmer Bernstein's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 141; across their 137 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 57th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

57thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 137

Approval · how many liked their films

62ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 137

Reach · how many have seen their films

74thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 137

Midcredits score across 142 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up40
  • 50th to 74th51
  • 25th to 49th38
  • Below 25th13

Shape of the crowd

76 of their 142 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved18
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic2
  • Crowd Pleaser76
  • Broadly Agreed17
  • Mixed28

Most divisive · composer

The Fabulous Fifties (1960)

87th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Great Escape (1963)

Midcredits 99th · 91% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 68/100 in their films, across 109 reviewed titles; fans 74, detractors 52. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Elmer Bernstein's work okay for kids?

Across up to 61 MovieCove titles with content scores, profanity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore44 titles19–79 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity61 titles7–64 · median 29 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity44 titles15–67 · median 46 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs39 titles28–63 · median 39 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense42 titles9–69 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Elmer Bernstein work with?

People who share at least 2 of Elmer Bernstein's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; John Landis shares the most, 7.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles