Jerrald King Goldsmith (February 10, 1929 – July 21, 2004) was an American composer, conductor, and orchestrator. He worked in film and television music for nearly 50 years, creating scores for more than 200 movies and shows between 1954 and 2003. He was considered one of the most innovative and influential composers in film music. He was nominated for 18 Academy Awards, winning one in 1977 for The Omen. He also received six Grammy Awards, five Primetime Emmy Awards, nine Golden Globe Awards, and four British Academy Film Awards.

He composed scores for five films in the Star Trek franchise, three in the Omen franchise, and three in the Rambo franchise. His work included films such as Logan's Run, Planet of the Apes, Tora! Tora! Tora!, Patton, Papillon, Chinatown, Alien, Poltergeist, The Secret of NIMH, Medicine Man, Gremlins, Hoosiers, Total Recall, Basic Instinct, Sleeping with the Enemy, Air Force One, L.A. Confidential, Mulan, Rudy, and The Mummy. He also composed the current fanfare for the Universal Pictures logo, which first appeared in The Lost World: Jurassic Park.

He often worked with directors such as Paul Verhoeven, Franklin J. Schaffner, Richard Fleischer, Fred Schepisi, Michael Crichton, Jack Smight, Gordon Douglas, J. Lee Thompson, Paul Wendkos, John Frankenheimer, and Joe Dante.

Early life and education

Goldsmith was born on February 10, 1929, in Los Angeles, California. His mother, Tessa (born Rappaport), was a school teacher, and his father, Morris Goldsmith, was a structural engineer. His grandparents were Jewish people who moved from Europe to the United States. He began playing the piano when he was six years old, but he started to take it seriously when he was eleven. At thirteen, he studied piano privately with Jakob Gimpel, a professional pianist and teacher. Goldsmith later hired Gimpel to perform piano solos in his score for The Mephisto Waltz. By sixteen, he was studying music theory and counterpoint with Italian composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, who also taught other famous composers and musicians, including Henry Mancini, Nelson Riddle, Herman Stein, André Previn, Marty Paich, and John Williams.

At sixteen, Goldsmith watched the 1945 film Spellbound and was inspired by the unusual music written by Miklós Rózsa to pursue a career in music. He later attended the University of Southern California, where he took classes with Rózsa. However, he left the university to join a more hands-on music program at Los Angeles City College. There, he coached singers, worked as an assistant choir director, played piano accompaniment, and served as an assistant conductor.

Film and television scoring

In 1950, Goldsmith began working at CBS as a clerk typist in the network's music department under director Lud Gluskin. There, he started writing scores for radio shows such as CBS Radio Workshop, Frontier Gentleman, and Romance. In an interview with Andy Velez from BarnesandNoble.com, Goldsmith said: "It was about 1950. CBS had a workshop, and once a week, employees would produce a radio show. You had to be an employee to participate. They needed someone to do music, and I knew someone who said I’d be great for this. I’d just gotten married and needed a job, so they helped me pass a typing test. Then I could do these shows. About six months later, the music department heard what I did, liked it, and gave me a job." He later worked on live CBS television shows such as Climax! and Playhouse 90. He also scored multiple episodes of the television series The Twilight Zone. He remained at CBS until 1960, after which he moved to Revue Studios and then to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer for producer Norman Felton, whom he had worked with during live TV and would later compose music for shows produced by MGM Television such as Dr. Kildare and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

His feature film debut occurred when he composed the music for the western Black Patch (1957). He continued with scores for films such as the western Face of a Fugitive (also 1957) and the science fiction film City of Fear (1959).

Goldsmith began the decade composing for television shows such as Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, and Thriller, as well as the drama film The Spiral Road (1962). However, he gained widespread recognition after his score for the western Lonely Are the Brave (1962). His involvement in the film was due to a recommendation by composer Alfred Newman, who had been impressed with Goldsmith’s score for the television show Thriller and suggested Goldsmith to the head of Universal’s music department, even though they had never met. That same year, Goldsmith composed the mostly atonal and dissonant score for the biopic Freud (1962), which depicted a five-year period of the life of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. Goldsmith’s score led to his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score, though he lost to fellow first-time nominee Maurice Jarre for his music to Lawrence of Arabia (also 1962). Goldsmith composed the score for The Stripper (1963), his first collaboration with director Franklin J. Schaffner, for whom Goldsmith would later score the films Planet of the Apes (1968), Patton (1970), Papillon (1973), Islands in the Stream (1977), The Boys from Brazil (1978), and Lionheart (1987).

Following his success with Lonely Are the Brave and Freud, Goldsmith composed the theme music for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964) and scores for films such as the western Rio Conchos, the political thriller Seven Days in May (both also 1964), the romantic drama A Patch of Blue (1965), the war film In Harm’s Way (also 1965), the World War I air combat film The Blue Max (1966), the period naval war drama The Sand Pebbles (also 1966), the thriller Warning Shot (1967), the western Hour of the Gun (also 1967), and the mystery The Detective (1968). He almost did not accept the assignment for The Blue Max when he watched the final cut with the producers, who had temporarily used Richard Strauss’s Also Sprach Zarathustra. He said: "I admit it worked fairly well, but my first reaction was to get up and walk away from the job, but I couldn’t. Once you’ve heard music like that with the picture, it makes your own scoring more difficult to arrive at, it clouds your thinking." Goldsmith’s scores for A Patch of Blue and The Sand Pebbles earned him his second and third Academy Award nominations, respectively, and were both among the 250 nominees for the American Film Institute’s top twenty-five American film scores. His scores for Seven Days in May and The Sand Pebbles also earned Goldsmith his first two Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Original Score in 1965 and 1967. During this time, he also composed for lighter, comedic films such as the family comedy The Trouble with Angels (1966), the James Bond parodies Our Man Flint (1966) and its sequel In Like Flint (1967), and the comedy The Flim-Flam Man (1967).

Goldsmith gained attention for the score of the post-apocalyptic science fiction film Planet of the Apes (1968), which was one of the first to be written entirely in an avant-garde style. When scoring Planet of the Apes, Goldsmith used innovative techniques such as looping drums into an echoplex, using the orchestra to imitate the grunting sounds of apes, having horns blown without mouthpieces, and instructing woodwind players to finger their keys without using any air. He also used stainless steel mixing bowls and other objects to create unique percussive sounds. The score earned Goldsmith another Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score and ranks No. 18 on the American Film Institute’s top twenty-five American film scores. Though he did not return to compose for its sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970), Goldsmith scored the third installment in the Planet of the Apes franchise, Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971).

Goldsmith concluded the decade with scores for films such as the western Bandolero! (1968), the spy thriller The Chairman, the science fiction film The Illustrated Man, and the western 100 Rifles (all 1969). He composed the theme for the comedy-drama television series Room 222, which debuted in 1969.

Throughout the score for the World War II biographical film Patton (1970), Goldsmith used an echoplex to loop recorded sounds of "call to war" triplets played on the trumpet, which represented General George S. Patton’s belief in reincarnation. The main theme also included a symphonic march accompanied by a pipe organ to reflect the protagonist’s militaristic and deeply religious nature. The film’s music earned Goldsmith an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score and was

Concert works

• Toccata for Solo Guitar In the 1950s, Goldsmith created a musical piece called "Toccata for Solo Guitar." Later, Gregg Nestor performed and recorded the piece. It was released by BSX Records on January 5, 2010.
• The Thunder of Imperial Names In 1957, Goldsmith composed a patriotic work based on a text by Thomas Wolfe titled The Thunder of Imperial Names for concert band and narration. The piece first appeared on the CBS Radio Workshop episode "1489 Words." In 2006, the U.S. Air Force Tactical Command Band, led by conductor Lowell E. Graham, performed and re-recorded the piece. Gary McKenzie narrated the version from that year.
• Christus Apollo In 1969, the California Chamber Symphony asked Goldsmith to compose a cantata based on the text Christus Apollo by science fiction writer Ray Bradbury. Goldsmith had previously worked with Bradbury on radio dramas and the 1969 film The Illustrated Man. The piece, written in four movements, included orchestra, choir, a mezzo-soprano soloist, and narration (originally performed by Charlton Heston). Goldsmith used the 12-tone system to compose the work, stating later, "I feel there is a great relationship between impressionism and dodecaphonicism, and that was the musical language I wanted for Christus Apollo." For the 2002 Telarc album release, the London Symphony Orchestra, London Voices, mezzo-soprano Eirian James, and actor Anthony Hopkins narrated the performance.
• Music for Orchestra In 1970, conductor Leonard Slatkin asked Goldsmith to compose a short piece for the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. The atonal composition was divided into three sections based on a single 12-tone row. The first section was described as "turbulent," the second as "introspective," and the third as "very agitated." Goldsmith later explained that the piece reflected personal challenges, including a divorce and his mother's serious illness with cancer. He stated, "All of my personal turmoil—pain, anger, and sorrow—went into writing Music for Orchestra in strict dodecaphonic form."
• Fireworks: A Celebration of Los Angeles In 1999, Goldsmith composed Fireworks: A Celebration of Los Angeles to end his first concert series with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. Reflecting on the piece later, Goldsmith said, "After starting to write what was to be a big fireworks extravaganza, I realized I was writing about the city where I was born and had lived my entire life. I decided instead to make the piece a grand celebration of my childhood, growing years, my years of maturity, and all the events that culminated with my first appearance at the Hollywood Bowl."

Personal life

Goldsmith was married twice. His first wife was Sharon Hennagin, and they married in 1950. They divorced in 1970. He later married Carol Heather Sheinkopf in 1972, and they remained married until his death in 2004. His oldest son, Joel Goldsmith, was born in 1957 and died in 2012. Joel was also a composer and worked with his father on the music for Star Trek: First Contact, writing about 22 minutes of the score. Goldsmith also led the music for Joel’s theme in The Untouchables and composed the theme for the pilot episode Hollister, which was scored by Joel. Goldsmith’s daughter, Carrie Goldsmith, attended high school with James Horner, the composer of the music for the movie Titanic. James Horner also composed music for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. Carrie was writing a book about her father, but the book is not being published for unknown reasons. Ellen Smith, who sang the title song for Wild Rovers, changed her last name to Smith but was actually Goldsmith’s daughter, Ellen Goldsmith.

Death

Goldsmith passed away due to colon cancer at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on July 21, 2004, when he was 75 years old. He was buried at Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery.

Style and influences

Goldsmith was greatly influenced by early 20th-century classical music movements. These include modernism, Americana, impressionism, dodecaphonism, and early film scores. He has named Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Miklós Rózsa, Bernard Herrmann, Béla Bartók, and Alban Berg, as well as others, as key influences on his style of composition.

His style is known for using a wide variety of instruments. These include ethnic instruments, recorded sounds, synthetic textures, and traditional orchestra instruments, often used together. When asked about his preference for using new techniques and changing his musical style over time, Goldsmith said, "It seems like it's me, and that's that! Some composers repeat the same ideas, which I think is not very interesting. I believe you don’t grow much that way. I like to keep changing and try new things. Basically, I’m saying the same thing with a small change. Once you start the creative process, something inside you takes over, and your subconscious does the rest."

Recognition in the gaming community

Goldsmith's work has been praised by many in the gaming community. Fans and composers often mention his music as a key inspiration. His skill in combining classical music arrangements with electronic sounds has helped shape the growth of video game music.

Legacy

Jerry Goldsmith is widely regarded as one of the most creative and important composers in the history of film music. In 1993, when Henry Mancini, another famous composer, gave Goldsmith a Career Achievement Award from the Society for the Preservation of Film Music, he said, "Goldsmith has taught two important lessons to his fellow composers. One is that he keeps us honest. The other is that he makes us feel nervous." In a review of the 1999 re-release of the Star Trek: The Motion Picture soundtrack, Bruce Eder praised Goldsmith's work, noting, "One new track, 'Spock's Arrival,' may be the closest Goldsmith ever came to writing serious music in a traditional Romantic style; this could have been created by composers like Rimsky-Korsakov or Stravinsky—it is that strong." In a 2001 interview, film composer Marco Beltrami (3:10 to Yuma, The Hurt Locker) said, "Without Jerry Goldsmith, film music might be very different today. I believe he more than any other composer connected the old Hollywood music style with modern film music."

In 2006, when Marco Beltrami composed the score for The Omen (a remake of the 1976 film originally scored by Goldsmith), he dedicated his work to Goldsmith. His score included a new version of the song "Ave Satani," titled "Omen 76/06." In 2012, when composer Brian Tyler was asked to update the Universal Studios logo for its 100th anniversary, he kept the melody originally written by Goldsmith in 1997 and adapted it to fit the 21st century.

Awards and nominations

Throughout his career, Goldsmith received 18 total Academy Award nominations, making him one of the most nominated composers in the history of the Awards. Although he was nominated many times, Goldsmith won only one Oscar for his score for The Omen (1976). This makes him the most nominated composer to have won an Oscar only once. In 1991, Goldsmith was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Music from Berklee College of Music.

On May 9, 2017, Goldsmith received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after he passed away, recognizing his achievements in the music industry. The star is located at 6752 Hollywood Boulevard.

The American Film Institute ranked Goldsmith's scores for Chinatown (1974) and Planet of the Apes (1968) as No. 9 and No. 18 on their list of the 25 greatest film scores. Goldsmith is one of only five composers to have more than one score featured in the list. The other composers are Elmer Bernstein, Bernard Herrmann, Max Steiner, and John Williams. His scores for the following films were also nominated for inclusion:

• Alien (1979)
• L.A. Confidential (1997)
• The Omen (1976)
• Papillon (1973)
• A Patch of Blue (1965)
• Patton (1970)
• The Sand Pebbles (1966)
• Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
• The Wind and the Lion (1975)

List of movies and series

• The Lineup (television series, 1954)
• Climax! (television series, 1954)
• Black Patch (1957)
• Westinghouse Studio One: Tongue of Angels, Season 10, Episode 24 (live television drama, 1958)
• Face of a Fugitive (1959)
• City of Fear (1959)
• Playhouse 90 (television series, 1959)
• The Twilight Zone (television series, 1959)
• Perry Mason (1959 television series background music, episode 3–75)

• Hollow Man (2000)
• Soarin' Over California (simulator ride, 2001)
• Along Came a Spider (2001)
• The Last Castle (2001)
• The Sum of All Fears (2002)
• Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)
• Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003)
• Timeline (2003) rejected score
• The Kennedy Center Honors (song, 2003)

Film studio fanfares

• Cinema International Corporation (from 1978 to 1986)
• Carolco Pictures (in 1987)
• Warner Bros. Pictures (in 1988)
• Cinergi Pictures (from 1993 to 1998)
• Universal Pictures (from 1997 to the present; the music from Goldsmith, arranged by Brian Tyler, has been used since 2012)
• C2 Pictures (from 2003 to 2008)
• Paramount Pictures (from 1976 to 2004)