Elmer Bernstein papers, 1945-2004

Summary

Creators:
Bernstein, Elmer
Abstract:
This collection contains music scores and sketches, audio and video, office records and other related materials created during the life and career of Elmer Bernstein.
Extent:
343.25 Linear Feet 255 boxes
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Elmer Bernstein papers, Collection no. 2644, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Background

Scope and content:

This collection contains music scores and sketches, audio and video, office records and other related materials created during the life and career of Elmer Bernstein. From Bernstein's early works and juvenilia through his transition from radio to film and television in the early 1950's all the way to his later compositions which include works for theatre, recordings, and live concert performance, the collection contains material spanning more than 50 years.

Biographical / historical:

Born on April 4th, 1922, in New York City, Elmer Bernstein's career in the arts began very young. Having been introduced to composer Aaron Copland at 12, Bernstein decided upon music as his course of study. Beginning with composing for Army Air Corps shows on radio during the second World War, Bernstein's career spanned more than half a century, and resulted in 14 Academy Award nominations, 1 Academy Award win (in 1967 for his score for Thoroughly Modern Millie), as well as numerous other awards in film, television, theatre, and commercial recordings. Having been "gray-listed" in Hollywood during the 1950's, Bernstein struggled to find work easily, but he was brought back into the mainstream with his score for Cecil B. DeMille's The Ten Commandments. Bernstein later broke new ground with his jazz scores to The Man With The Golden Arm, and The Sweet Smell of Success,, as well as his scores for The Magnificent Seven (1960) and To Kill A Mockingbird (1962). Bernstein continued to compose until his death in 2004 at the age of 82.

Processing information:

This collection is unprocessed.

Arrangement:

This collection is organized into the following series:

Film Music; Television Music; Concert Works; Recordings; Film Music Collection (set of LP's produced by Elmer Bernstein in the 1970's); Theatre; Radio; Juvenilia; Songs; Other and Unidentified Music; Plaques and Awards; Audio; Office Records; Video; Additions (subsequent collection material donated after initial cataloging).

The series are broken down further into sub-series according to project, form, subject, or other suitable criteria. Most materials are housed in acid free, white banker's boxes, whereas music scores too large to fit into bankers boxes are housed in larger gray drop-front boxes. The boxes are sequentially numbered 1-215.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance notice required for access.

Terms of access:

All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Cinematic Arts Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Cinematic Arts Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.

Finding aid description and metadata are licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.

Preferred citation:

[Box/folder# or item name], Elmer Bernstein papers, Collection no. 2644, Cinematic Arts Library, USC Libraries, University of Southern California

Location of this collection:
Cinematic Arts Library
Doheny Memorial Library, Room G4
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0185, US
Contact:
(213) 740-8383
ctlibarc@usc.edu
Website