Tag Archives: Motion Picture Academy

A Centennial Salute to Alex North

JBNortheveningAcadI was pleased to be asked to host a tribute to this great composer at the Motion Picture Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. We played clips from four North classics including Spartacus and then screened the entire film of The Misfits (1961). Joining me on stage to talk about this groundbreaking composer and his work in Hollywood were fellow composer Laurence Rosenthal, biographer Sanya Henderson, and the composer’s son Steven North. Here‘s the Academy press release and here is a recap of the evening.

Miklos Rozsa Centennial at the Academy

L-R: Acad president Sid Ganis, JB, Juliet Rozsa, Bruce Broughton, Rudy Behlmer.

L-R: Acad president Sid Ganis, JB, Juliet Rozsa, Bruce Broughton, Rudy Behlmer.

For Rozsa’s centennial celebration, I worked with Academy execs to design a weekend of classic films (including The Thief of Bagdad and El Cid) and an evening of clips and talk culminating in a screening of Ivanhoe. Joining me on stage were composer Bruce Broughton, film historian Rudy Behlmer and the composer’s daughter Juliet Rozsa. All offered valuable insights and reminiscences. Here is Susan King’s preview of the weekend, featuring comments from all of us.

Elmer Bernstein’s 50 years in Hollywood

ElmerLATimescoverI was thrilled to be able to put Elmer Bernstein on the front page of the Los Angeles Times‘ Calendar section. He was being honored by the Motion Picture Academy for his half-century of composing for movies. It was a great year for Elmer; he was celebrated around the world. This was a big feature I wrote that chronicled his career (at least, as much as you can do in 2,400 words). Interviews were conducted with Elmer, Gregory Peck, John Landis, Martin Scorsese, James Newton Howard and Leonard Maltin.