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American composer and conductor renowned for his prolific and influential work in film and television scoring.Born in New York City, Bernstein studied music extensively, including composition with Aaron Copland.His film career began in the early 1950s but was interrupted when he was blacklisted during the McCarthy era.He achieved major success with iconic scores like 'The Ten Commandments' (1956), 'The Magnificent Seven' (1960), 'To Kill a Mockingbird' (1962), 'The Great Escape' (1963), and 'Ghostbusters' (1984).Bernstein received 14 Academy Award nominations, winning once for 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' (1967).He was known for his stylistic versatility, composing jazz, western, dramatic, and comedic scores.He died at his home in Ojai, California, at the age of 82.

• Bernstein's early film career was derailed when he was blacklisted in the early 1950s due to the McCarthy-era Hollywood blacklist, forcing him to work on low-budget science fiction films like 'Robot Monster' (1953).
• His score for 'The Man with the Golden Arm' (1955) was groundbreaking for its prominent use of jazz in a dramatic film, revitalizing his career post-blacklist.
• Despite creating some of the most iconic Western themes (e.g., 'The Magnificent Seven'), Bernstein initially resisted being typecast as a Western composer after its success.
• He was a passionate advocate for film music as a serious art form, founding the Film Music Society and later conducting numerous concerts of film music worldwide.
• His daughter, Emilie Bernstein, also became a film composer and orchestrator, sometimes collaborating with him.