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Laurence Rosenthal

Laurence Rosenthal

Composer, also actor · Born November 4, 1926 (99) · Detroit, Michigan, USA

Composer Laurence Rosenthal was born in Detroit, Michigan. He studied piano and composition at the Eastman School of Music and later with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. His symphonic compositions have been premiered by Leonard Bernstein with the New York Philarmonic, among others. He has composed extensively for films and television. He has been nominated for two Oscars. Among his best-known film scores are A Raisin in the Sun (1961), The Miracle Worker (1962), Becket (1964), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977), The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976) and Peter Brook's Meetings with Remarkable Men (1979). He has won seven Emmys for miniseries, including Peter the Great (1986) and Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna (1986), as well as for episodes of George Lucas's The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (1992).

Read more

Biography from IMDb.

Born
November 4, 1926 (99)
From
Detroit, Michigan, USA
Works as
Composer, also actor
Titles
63 on Motif · 126 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 39 days to Oct 28Down 1% in 30 days

What are Laurence Rosenthal's films like?

Across their 60 Motif titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama28 titlesTypical Motif score: 56th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Biography11 titlesTypical Motif score: 62nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Action5 titlesTypical Motif score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Adventure4 titlesTypical Motif score: 53rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies
Horror4 titlesTypical Motif score: 31st percentile
: browse their Horror movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Motif score: 37th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Crime2 titlesTypical Motif score: 22nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies

Their Motif films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Motif 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
Morality
25%
Bonds
19%
Self
19%
Survival
18%
Society
8%
Power
7%
Ideas
4%
Family bonds13 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice12 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival8 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity8 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief7 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice6 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 58 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 10 · Serious 17 · Dark 31

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

Grounded 40 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 3

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

Gentle 7 · Charged 32 · Intense 19

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

Steady 34 · Shifting 23 · Whiplash 1

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 50 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 31 · Even-paced 25 · Relentless 2

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

Casual 21 · Engaged 31 · Full focus 6

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

Easy watch 11 · Affecting 25 · Heavy 22

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

Resolved 43 · Open-ended 11 · Ambiguous 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
41
Melancholic
31
Contemplative
16
Dread
14
Hopeful
15
Other
31

How their films linger

Bittersweet22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting17 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet29
  • Tragic13
  • Ambiguous6

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 Laurence Rosenthal's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 30 of their 63 Motif titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (23).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Laurence Rosenthal's titles on Motif; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Motif 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

126 credits, 63 with a Motif page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • Fantasy Island(2021)

    Show 10 episodes · Main Title Theme Composer

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story(2002)

    Composer

    Motif score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Master Spy: The Robert Hanssen Story (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • A Time for Dancing(2002)

    Composer

    Motif score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Majestic White Horses (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • Wild Iris (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Winds of Change (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: The Perils of Cupid (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Passion for Life (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Espionage Escapades (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Love's Sweet Song (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Journey of Radiance (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: My First Adventure (not in the Motif catalog yet)(2000)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Adventures in the Secret Service (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Masks of Evil (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Spring Break Adventure (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Tales of Innocence (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1999)

    Composer

  • Inherit the Wind(1999)

    Composer

    Motif score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Echo of Thunder(1998)

    Composer

    Motif score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The Member of the Wedding(1997)

    Composer

    Motif score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Captured Eichmann(1996)

    Composer

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Travels with Father(1996)

    Composer

    Motif score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Catherine the Great(1995)

    Composer

    Motif score: 45th percentile of all films

  • The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Hollywood Follies (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1994)

    Composer

  • Triumph Over Disaster: The Hurricane Andrew Story(1993)

    Composer

    Motif score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Young Indy Around the World (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1993)

    Composer

  • The Fire Next Time(1993)

    Show Composer

    Motif score: 8th percentile of all shows

  • The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • Grass Roots (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • The Strauss Dynasty (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1991)

    Show 6 episodes · Composer

  • Mark Twain and Me(1991)

    Composer

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Tiny Toon Adventures(1990)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all shows

  • The Kissing Place (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1990)

    Composer

  • The Incident(1990)

    Composer

    Motif score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Plot to Kill Hitler(1990)

    Composer

    Motif score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Billy the Kid (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • My Name Is Bill W.(1989)

    Composer

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Forgotten (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    Composer

  • Brotherhood of the Rose (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Twist of Fate (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1989)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders(1988)

    Composer

    Motif score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Street of Dreams (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • To Heal a Nation(1988)

    Composer

    Motif score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Bourne Identity (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer · Conductor · Orchestrator

  • My Father, My Son (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • Wall of Tyranny (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1988)

    Composer

  • Proud Men (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1987)

    Composer

  • Fight for Life(1987)

    Composer

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Downpayment on Murder (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1987)

    Composer

  • Stranger in My Bed (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1987)

    Composer

  • License to Kill(1984)

    Composer

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna(1986)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

    Motif score: 26th percentile of all shows

  • Peter the Great (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1986)

    Show 4 episodes · Composer

  • Blackout (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1985)

    Composer

  • Evergreen (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1985)

    Show 1 episode · Composer

  • Consenting Adult(1985)

    Composer

    Motif score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Hearst and Davies Affair(1985)

    Composer

    Motif score: 27th percentile of all films

  • George Washington (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1984)

    Show 3 episodes · Composer

  • The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1984)

    Composer

  • Easy Money(1983)

    Composer

    Motif score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Heart Like a Wheel(1983)

    Composer

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Who Will Love My Children?(1983)

    Composer

    Motif score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Letter (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1982)

    Composer

  • The Patricia Neal Story(1981)

    Composer

    Motif score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Clash of the Titans(1981)

    Composer

    Motif score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Revenge of the Stepford Wives(1980)

    Composer

    Motif score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Rage! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1980)

    Composer

  • F.D.R.: The Last Year(1980)

    Composer

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

  • The Day Christ Died(1980)

    Composer

    Motif score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Orphan Train (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Meteor(1979)

    Composer

    Motif score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Meetings with Remarkable Men(1979)

    Composer

    Motif score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Portrait of a Hitman (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1979)

    Composer

  • Brass Target(1978)

    Composer

    Motif score: 40th percentile of all films

  • And I Alone Survived(1978)

    Composer

    Motif score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Who'll Stop the Rain(1978)

    Composer

    Motif score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Fantasy Island(1977)

    Show 152 episodes · Main Title Theme Composer

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • Return to Fantasy Island (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1978)

    Composer

  • The Hunted Lady (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • Murder in Peyton Place(1977)

    Composer

    Motif score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Island of Dr. Moreau(1977)

    Composer

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Howard Hughes(1977)

    Composer

    Motif score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Amazing Howard Hughes (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Fantasy Island (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1977)

    Composer

  • 21 Hours at Munich(1976)

    Composer

    Motif score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Young Pioneers' Christmas (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • Death at Love House(1976)

    Composer

    Motif score: 16th percentile of all films

  • The Return of a Man Called Horse(1976)

    Composer

    Motif score: 44th percentile of all films

  • State Fair (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • The Story of David(1976)

    Composer

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Story of David (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Show 2 episodes · Composer

  • Young Pioneers (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1976)

    Composer

  • Murder on Flight 502(1975)

    Composer

    Motif score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • Rooster Cogburn(1975)

    Composer

    Motif score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • A Home of Our Own (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • The Wild Party(1975)

    Composer

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • The Log of the Black Pearl (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1975)

    Composer

  • The Missiles of October(1974)

    Composer

    Motif score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Death Sentence(1974)

    Composer

    Motif score: 24th percentile of all films

  • Lovin' Molly(1974)

    Additional Music

    Motif score: 19th percentile of all films

  • Satan's School for Girls(1973)

    Composer

    Motif score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Portrait: A Man Whose Name Was John (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • Pueblo (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • Call to Danger (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1973)

    Composer

  • The Devil's Daughter(1973)

    Composer

    Motif score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Lapin 360 (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1972)

    Composer

  • The Last Child (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Sweet, Sweet Rachel (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • The African Elephant (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer · Conductor

  • A Gunfight(1971)

    Composer

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Night Chase (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)

    Composer

  • The House That Would Not Die(1970)

    Composer

    Motif score: 29th percentile of all films

  • How Awful About Allan(1970)

    Composer

    Motif score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • George M! (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1970)

    Music Supervisor

  • Three(1969)

    Composer

    Motif score: 34th percentile of all films

  • The Comedians(1967)

    Composer

    Motif score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Hotel Paradiso (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1966)

    Composer

  • Becket(1964)

    Composer

    Motif score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Power and the Glory(1961)

    Composer

    Motif score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Requiem for a Heavyweight(1962)

    Composer

    Motif score: 96th percentile of all films

  • The Miracle Worker(1962)

    Composer · Conductor · Orchestrator

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Dark Odyssey (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1961)

    Composer

  • A Raisin in the Sun(1961)

    Composer

    Motif score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Naked In The Sun (not in the Motif catalog yet)(1957)

    Composer

  • Yellowneck(1955)

    Composer

    Motif score: 3rd percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 125 titles from 1955 to 2021.

Biggest box office

Clash of the Titans (1981)

$41M worldwide

Highest rated

The Miracle Worker (1962)

Motif 98th

Most popular right now

Clash of the Titans (1981)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Music124 of 125: 121 only music, 3 with another role · typical Motif score50thOther crew4 of 125: 1 only other crew, 3 with another role

125 titles, 3 with more than one role — music and other crew overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1950s2 · crew1960s9 · crew1970s45 · crew1980s34 · crew1990s22 · crew2000s12 · 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 Motif score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on Motif, shown from 5 scored.

How do Laurence Rosenthal's films land?

Their typical Motif film has a Motif score in the 50th percentile, the median of all 58; across their 58 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 52nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Reach · how many have seen their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 58

Motif score across 63 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up16
  • 50th to 74th15
  • 25th to 49th20
  • Below 25th12

Shape of the crowd

23 of their 63 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Universally Panned1
  • Cult Classic6
  • Crowd Pleaser23
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed22

Most divisive · composer

F.D.R.: The Last Year (1980)

84th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Miracle Worker (1962)

Motif 98th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 54/100 in their films, across 38 reviewed titles; fans 63, detractors 42. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on Motif; 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 Motif score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their Motif 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 Laurence Rosenthal's work okay for kids?

Across up to 7 Motif titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Sex & Nudity7 titles25–52 · median 49 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 31
Profanity5 titles4–49 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 35
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 47 · moderateMedian 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 Laurence Rosenthal work with?

People who share at least 2 of Laurence Rosenthal's Motif titles, grouped by what they did on them; Aaron Spelling shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Editors

Producers