Listen to a sample
The Magnificent Elmer
- Author
- Pearl Bernstein Gardner
- Narrator
- Lorna Raver
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date
- 1 December 2014
- Run Time
- 3 hours 48 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
What to expect
Written by his wife of twenty years, The Magnificent Elmer is the first book about Elmer Bernstein, a seminal figure of movie music.
Born in New York City in 1922, Elmer Bernstein was one of America's most celebrated composers, best known for the award-winning musical scores he developed for film, theater, and television for fifty years. He wrote music for more than two hundred films, including the scores for Hawaii, The Carpetbaggers, The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, The Man with the Golden Arm, The Sweet Smell of Success, The Ten Commandments, The World of Henry Orient, To Kill a Mockingbird, True Grit, and Walk on the Wild Side, just to name a few. He was nominated for fourteen Oscars and won for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie. He also won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for two Grammy Awards.
In this book, Elmer's former wife Pearl tells in vivid anecdotes of their move from a fifth-floor Manhattan walk-up to the red carpets of Hollywood—not an entirely timely move, as Joe McCarthy was at the peak of his powers and the studios were in their death throes. Pearl participated in the ups and downs of McCarthy, Will Hays, and Otto Preminger. And she presents an array of Hollywood's leading men, warts and all, from Sinatra to Odets, from DeMille to Elmer's eponymous rival, Leonard Bernstein.
Critics Review
-
“The former wife of the Golden Globe- and Academy Award-winning film, television, and theatrical music composer Elmer Bernstein tells a loving, sincere, and provocative story of their lives together…Her story is wry and witty…Narrator Lorna Raver is an excellent choice for the portrayal of a ‘woman of a certain age’ with a profoundly ‘New York’ assertiveness. Each chapter is amusingly brief and to the point. The audiobook is simply a series of affectionate reminiscences. As intended, there is but the briefest of early life biographical detail of either of the Bernsteins. This is vintage Hollywood champagne for the earbuds.”
AudioFile
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Pearl Bernstein Gardner
- Narrator
- Lorna Raver
- Duration
- 3 hours 48 minutes
- Release Date
- 1 December 2014
- ISBN
- 9781481500869
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Blackstone Publishing
- Genre
- Memoirs, Biography: arts and entertainment, Composers and songwriters, Musicians, singers, bands and groups
Synopsis
Written by his wife of twenty years, The Magnificent Elmer is the first book about Elmer Bernstein, a seminal figure of movie music.Born in New York City in 1922, Elmer Bernstein was one of America's most celebrated composers, best known for the award-winning musical scores he developed for film, theater, and television for fifty years. He wrote music for more than two hundred films, including the scores for Hawaii, The Carpetbaggers, The Great Escape, The Magnificent Seven, The Man with the Golden Arm, The Sweet Smell of Success, The Ten Commandments, The World of Henry Orient, To Kill a Mockingbird, True Grit, and Walk on the Wild Side, just to name a few. He was nominated for fourteen Oscars and won for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie. He also won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for two Grammy Awards.In this book, Elmer's former wife Pearl tells in vivid anecdotes of their move from a fifth-floor Manhattan walk-up to the red carpets of Hollywood—not an entirely timely move, as Joe McCarthy was at the peak of his powers and the studios were in their death throes. Pearl participated in the ups and downs of McCarthy, Will Hays, and Otto Preminger. And she presents an array of Hollywood's leading men, warts and all, from Sinatra to Odets, from DeMille to Elmer's eponymous rival, Leonard Bernstein.
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.