Lalo Schifrin

Composer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his one-and-a-half-hour interview, Lalo Schifrin talks about his early musical influences and studies, including his years in Paris studying with noted composer Olivier Messiaen. He speaks about coming to the United States and working with famed jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie, joining his band, and recording numerous LPs with him. He describes his entrance into writing music for television, working under head of Universal's TV music, Stanley Wilson. He comments on some of the early projects he worked on including the series Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre and the television movie See How They Run. He looks back on the television series with which he is most associated, Mission: Impossible, for which he composed the now world-famous theme music, set against a lit fuse in the memorable opening titles. Among the other series he discusses, for which he scored the theme and episodic music, are Mannix and Medical Center. He then describes his compositions for several notable television documentaries including The Making of the President: 1964, The Hidden World of Insects, and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich. For the latter documentary, he recalls that the dramatic cantata he wrote was later performed at the Hollywood Bowl. He also speaks about his compositions outside of television, and acknowledges that a notable piece from his Cool Hand Luke score was later used as the Eyewitness News theme. Jon Burlingame conducted the interview on October 3, 2008 in Beverly Hills, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Study harmony, study counterpoint, study orchestration, and all the composition. And not only that, but see a lot of opera. Because if you want to write for film or television, you have to have a sensitivity for what is dramatic."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Lalo Schifrin on the theme song to Mission Impossible
01:54
Lalo Schifrin on composing for The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
02:14
Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's three-part documentary The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; on developing a cantata from his score
02:31
Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme for Medical Center and using a Moog synthesizer
01:08
Lalo Schifrin on differences between scoring documentaries and fictional TV shows
00:45
Lalo Schifrin on combining classical music and jazz influences into a single work
03:21
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early years and education; on his musical influences; on studying music in Paris; on coming to the United States and working with Dizzy Gillespie; on his first work in motion pictures
On his early television work on Harris Against the World and Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre; on the process of composing music for television; on some of the TV movies and series he worked on, including The Man From U.N.C.L.E and T.H.E. Cat
On composing the themes and music for Mission: Impossible and Mannix; on composing for Bronk and Hunter; on composing the theme music for Paramount Pictures; on his work in documentaries for David Wolper including The Making of the President: 1964 and The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

Chapter 2

On composing for The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, Medical CenterPetrocelli, Starsky and Hutch, Most Wanted, and other TV movies and miniseries
On how part of his composition for the feature film Cool Hand Luke became the theme for local Eyewitness News broadcasts; on composing for Out on a Limb and other TV movies and miniseries; on working with The Three Tenors; on the role of music in a television show and how it elicits an emotional response
On how technology has impacted his work; on the business of composing for film; on his proudest career achievement; on his advice to aspiring composers
Shows

A.D.

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the TV movie The Nativity and the miniseries A.D.
01:26

Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the Chrysler Theatre teleplay "A Clash of Cymbals"
01:03
Lalo Schifrin on composing for the Chrysler Theatre teleplay "A Small Rebellion" -- featuring Dizzy Gillespie acapella
01:30

Bronk

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for Bronk
00:47

Harris Against the World

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music and writing the theme for Harris Against the World
00:29

Hollywood Wives

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the miniseries Hollywood Wives
00:29

Hunter

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for the pilot of Hunter
00:13

Making of the Presidency, The

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's documentaries, including The Making of the President: 1964; on the differences of scoring for TV vs. scoring documentaries
01:55

Man From U.N.C.L.E., The

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for several episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E
00:23

Mannix

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Lalo Schifrin on Bruce Geller wanting him to compose for Mannix
04:08

Medical Center

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Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme for Medical Center and using a Moog synthesizer
01:08

Mission: Impossible

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for Mission: Impossible; on his Mission: Impossible theme
12:42

Most Wanted

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for Most Wanted
00:32

National Geographic Specials

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for the National Geographic special "The Hidden World of Insects"
00:24

Nativity, The

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the TV movie The Nativity and the miniseries A.D.
01:26

Out on a Limb

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the miniseries Out on a Limb
01:27

Petrocelli

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for Petrocelli
00:57

Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's three-part documentary The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; on developing a cantata from his score
02:31

See How They Run

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for the first movie of the week, See How They Run
00:22

Starsky and Hutch

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for Starsky and Hutch
00:57

T.H.E. Cat

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Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme and music for T.H.E. Cat, produced and directed by Boris Sagal
02:01

Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau, The

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
02:14

Woman Named Jackie, A

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the miniseries A Woman Named Jackie
00:20
Topics

Advice

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Lalo Schifrin on advice to an aspiring composer
02:03

John F. Kennedy

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's documentaries, including The Making of the President: 1964; on the differences of scoring for TV vs. scoring documentaries
01:55

Pop Culture

View Topic
Lalo Schifrin on composing the Mission: Impossible theme
12:42
Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme for Medical Center
02:11
Lalo Schifrin on how part of his composition for the feature film Cool Hand Luke became the theme for local Eyewitness News broadcasts
01:59

TV Theme Songs

View Topic
Lalo Schifrin on composing the Mission: Impossible theme
12:42
Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme for Medical Center
02:11
Lalo Schifrin on how part of his composition for the feature film Cool Hand Luke became the theme for local Eyewitness News broadcasts
01:59

Technological Innovation

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Lalo Schifrin on how technology has impacted his work
02:14

Television Industry

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Lalo Schifrin on advice to an aspiring composer
02:03

Television and the Presidency

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's documentaries, including The Making of the President: 1964; on the differences of scoring for TV vs. scoring documentaries
01:55
Professions

Composer

View Profession
Lalo Schifrin on his process for writing music for television; on writing music for Universal and for MGM
03:28
Lalo Schifrin on differences between composing for film and television
01:16
Lalo Schifrin on his music style
01:20
Lalo Schifrin on composing chamber music
01:30
Lalo Schifrin on combining classical music and jazz influences into a single work
03:21
Lalo Schifrin on the role of music in a television show and how it elicits an emotional response
01:04

Music Director

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Lalo Schifrin on being music director for the Paris Philharmonic
01:05

Music Professionals

View Profession
Lalo Schifrin on his process for writing music for television; on writing music for Universal and for MGM
03:28
Lalo Schifrin on differences between scoring documentaries and fictional TV shows
00:45
Lalo Schifrin on differences between scoring documentaries and fictional TV shows
00:45
Lalo Schifrin on differences between composing for film and television
01:16
Lalo Schifrin on his music style
01:20
Lalo Schifrin on being music director for the Paris Philharmonic
01:05
Lalo Schifrin on the business side of music for television
01:34
Lalo Schifrin on composing chamber music
01:30
Lalo Schifrin on combining classical music and jazz influences into a single work
03:21
Lalo Schifrin on the role of music in a television show and how it elicits an emotional response
01:04
Genres

Adventure/Espionage Series

View Genre
Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme and music for T.H.E. Cat, produced and directed by Boris Sagal
02:01
Lalo Schifrin on composing the Mission: Impossible theme
12:43

News and Documentary

View Genre
Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's three-part documentary The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; on developing a cantata from his score
02:31
Lalo Schifrin on composing for The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
02:14
People

Aaron Spelling

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for Starsky and Hutch
00:36

Adolph Hitler

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's three-part documentary The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
01:44

Boris Sagal

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Lalo Schifrin on composing the theme and music for T.H.E. Cat, produced and directed by Boris Sagal
01:30

Bruce Geller

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Lalo Schifrin on meeting Bruce Geller and composing for Mission: Impossible; on his Mission: Impossible theme
12:43
Lalo Schifrin on Bruce Geller wanting him to compose for Mannix, and at the same time, composing for Braddock
04:08

Bruce Lee

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Lalo Schifrin on a connection between the music of Mission Impossible and Bruce Lee (Schifrin wrote the music for Enter the Dragon)
01:51

David L. Wolper

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Lalo Schifrin on composing music for David Wolper's three-part documentary The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich
01:44

Dizzy Gillespie

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Lalo Schifrin on first meeting Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones and coming to the United States at the request of Dizzy Gillespie; on joining his band
04:01
Lalo Schifrin on composing for Chrysler Theatre teleplays
03:44
Lalo Schifrin on composing for the Chrysler Theatre teleplay "A Small Rebellion" -- featuring Dizzy Gillespie acapella
01:30

Elmer Bernstein

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Lalo Schifrin on composer Elmer Bernstein and Mel Stuart being responsible for getting him involved with music for David Wolper's documentaries
01:15

Jacques Cousteau

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau
02:14

Jennings Lang

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Lalo Schifrin on meeting Jennings Lang, father of studio pianist Mike Lang
00:20

Mel Stuart

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Lalo Schifrin on composer Elmer Bernstein and Mel Stuart being responsible for getting him involved with music for David Wolper's documentaries
01:31

Placido Domingo

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Lalo Schifrin on his collaborations with The Three Tenors
03:56

Quincy Jones

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Lalo Schifrin on first meeting Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones
00:51

Rod Serling

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the film The Doomsday Flight written by Rod Serling
00:45

Shirley MacLaine

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Lalo Schifrin on composing for the miniseries Out on a Limb
01:27

Stanley Wilson

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Lalo Schifrin on meeting Stanley Wilson (the head of Universal's music department) and how he impacted his career
02:24

Walter Scharf

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Lalo Schifrin on Walter Scharf composing for Mission: Impossible
00:26

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