About
"In the music department at Universal Television in 1963 I was in one office, John Williams was in another, Quincy Jones, Dave Grusin, and Lalo Schifrin were all there. We'd try to outdo each other. It was a very creative time that doesn't exist now."
In his two-hour interview, Jerry Goldsmith talks about his early years at CBS where he began as a typist in the music department and then began working on shows, adding library music (and some original work) to radio series of the day. He describes his transition to television with the "live" dramatic anthology series Climax! He talks about the schedule for this series, the kinds of music he wrote, and the phenomenon of working in "live" television. He also discusses working on the last two seasons of the prestigious CBS anthology series Playhouse 90. Additionally, he talks about his continued work in television (at Revue Studios, Lorimar Studios, and elsewhere), where he worked on other filmed series, television movies, and television miniseries. Jon Burlingame conducted the interview on May 8, 2002 in Beverly Hills, CA.
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on his early aspirations and career path; on his early experience with watching television
On getting into the business of composing music; on going to work for CBS Radio; on his job in the CBS Radio music library and on how he came to start writing scores for CBS radio shows
On transitioning into composing for CBS television with the series Climax!; on the craft of composing music for live television broadcasts and on the process of composing for television; on the experiences of having his score played during live broadcasts
Chapter 2
On where he would sit and conduct the orchestra during live Playhouse 90 broadcasts for director John Frankenheimer and on mishaps on live television; on the pressure of composing for live television in the '50s and what he learned in that time; on working with producer Norman Felton on Studio One
On Climax! being in color and being the first dramatic show to be taped; on composing for Playhouse 90 for producer Herbert Brodkin; on the various directors of Playhouse 90
On the process of composing for television; on the transition into composing for filmed television shows like Black Saddle; on the larger ensemble he used for The Twilight Zone episode "The Invaders"
Chapter 3
On composing for The Twilight Zone and working with Rod Serling on various shows; on leaving CBS and going to compose for Revue (later Universal Television) for series like Thriller; on composing for Dr. Kildare and other shows and his process of composing for television
On composing the theme and incidental music for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; on being under contract for FOX and composing music for The Loner; on composing for Jericho and being nominated for Emmy Awards for composing for Thriller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
On composing for CBS Playhouse and the state of the television orchestras in the '60s; on composing for Room 222; on composing the themes for The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, and Hawkins
Chapter 4
On composing for the made-for-television movie The Red Pony for which he won an Emmy Award; on composing for QB VII; on composing for Babe and Pursuit
On composing for Contract on Cherry Street; on composing for Hollywood Television Theater and Masada; on composing the theme for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," which later became the theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and composing for other "Star Trek" features and shows including Star Trek: Voyager
On the difference between composing for features and composing for television; on career highlights; on advice to aspiring composers
Shows
Babe
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Babe and Pursuit
Black Saddle
Jerry Goldsmith on the transition into composing for filmed television shows like Black Saddle
CBS Playhouse
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for CBS Playhouse and the state of the television orchestras in the '60s
Climax!
Jerry Goldsmith on transitioning into composing for CBS television with the series Climax!
Jerry Goldsmith on Climax! being in color and being the first dramatic show to be taped
Contract on Cherry Street
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Contract on Cherry Street
Dr. Kildare
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Dr. Kildare and other shows and his process of composing for television
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Jericho and being nominated for Emmys for composing for Thriller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for the made-for-television movie The Red Pony for which he won an Emmy
Hollywood Television Theatre
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Hollywood Television Theater and Masada
Jericho (1966-67)
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Jericho and being nominated for Emmy Awards for composing for Thriller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Loner, The
Jerry Goldsmith on being under contract for FOX and composing music for The Loner
Man From U.N.C.L.E., The
Jerry Goldsmith on composing the theme and incidental music for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Masada
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Hollywood Television Theater and Masada
Playhouse 90
Jerry Goldsmith on where he would sit and conduct the orchestra during live Playhouse 90 broadcasts for director John Frankenheimer and on mishaps on live television
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Playhouse 90 for producer Herbert Brodkin
Jerry Goldsmith on the various directors of Playhouse 90
Pursuit
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Babe and Pursuit
QB VII
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for QBVII
Room 222
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Room 222
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Jerry Goldsmith on composing the theme for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", which later became the theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and composing for other "Star Trek" features and shows including Star Trek: Voyager
Studio One
Jerry Goldsmith on working with producer Norman Felton on Studio One
Thriller
Jerry Goldsmith on leaving CBS and going to compose for Revue (later Universal Television) for series like Thriller
Twilight Zone, The
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for The Twilight Zone and working with Rod Serling on various shows
Twilight Zone, The: "The Invaders"
Jerry Goldsmith on the larger ensemble he used for The Twilight Zone episode "The Invaders"
Waltons, The
Jerry Goldsmith on composing the theme for The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, and Hawkins
Topics
Advice
Jerry Goldsmith on advice to aspiring composers
Anthology Drama
Jerry Goldsmith on the craft of composing music for live television broadcasts and on the process of composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on the pressure of composing for live television in the '50s and what he learned in that time
Bloopers
Jerry Goldsmith on where he would sit and conduct the orchestra during live Playhouse 90 broadcasts for director John Frankenheimer and on mishaps on live television
Emmy Awards
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Jericho and being nominated for Emmys for composing for Thriller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for the made-for-television movie The Red Pony for which he won an Emmy
Television Industry
Jerry Goldsmith on advice to aspiring composers
TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)
Jerry Goldsmith on the craft of composing music for live television broadcasts and on the process of composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on the pressure of composing for live television in the '50s and what he learned in that time
Professions
Composer
Jerry Goldsmith on the craft of composing music for live television broadcasts and on the process of composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Dr. Kildare and other shows and his process of composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on the difference between composing for features and composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on advice to aspiring composers
Music Director
Jerry Goldsmith on the process of composing for television
Music Professionals
Jerry Goldsmith on the craft of composing music for live television broadcasts and on the process of composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on the process of composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Dr. Kildare and other shows and his process of composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on the difference between composing for features and composing for television
Jerry Goldsmith on advice to aspiring composers
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
Jerry Goldsmith on transitioning into composing for CBS television with the series Climax!
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Playhouse 90, Climax!, and Studio One
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for The Twilight Zone (Part 1)
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for The Twilight Zone and working with Rod Serling on various shows (Part 2)
Jerry Goldsmith on leaving CBS and going to compose for Revue (later Universal Television) for series like Thriller
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Jericho and being nominated for Emmy Awards for composing for Thriller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for CBS Playhouse and the state of the television orchestras in the '60s
Cop/Detective/Mystery Series
Jerry Goldsmith on composing the theme and incidental music for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Jericho and being nominated for Emmy Awards for composing for Thriller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Jerry Goldsmith on composing the theme for The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, and Hawkins
Drama Series
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for various made-for-television movies in the '70s including The Homecoming, the pilot for The Waltons
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Jericho and being nominated for Emmy Awards for composing for Thriller and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Jerry Goldsmith on composing the theme for The Waltons, Barnaby Jones, Police Story, and Hawkins
Medical Dramas
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Dr. Kildare and other shows and his process of composing for television
Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series
Jerry Goldsmith on composing the theme for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", which later became the theme for Star Trek: The Next Generation, and composing for other "Star Trek" features and shows including Star Trek: Voyager
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for various made-for-television movies in the '70s including The Homecoming, the pilot for The Waltons
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for QB VII
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Babe and Pursuit
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Contract on Cherry Street
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Hollywood Television Theater and Masada
Western Series
Jerry Goldsmith on being under contract for FOX and composing music for The Loner
People
Herbert Brodkin
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for Playhouse 90 for producer Herbert Brodkin
Norman Felton
Jerry Goldsmith on working with producer Norman Felton on Studio One
John Frankenheimer
Jerry Goldsmith on where he would sit and conduct the orchestra during live Playhouse 90 broadcasts for director John Frankenheimer and on mishaps on live television
Rod Serling
Jerry Goldsmith on composing for The Twilight Zone and working with Rod Serling on various shows