Marvin Hamlish
Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (born June 2, 1944 in New York City, New York – died August 6, 2012 in Los Angeles, California) was an American composer. He is considered one of the most successful musical and film composers of the 20th century. He is one of the few artists to have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.
Life
Hamlisch, who came from a Jewish family in Vienna, learned to play the piano at an early age and was considered a child prodigy. As a youth he gave concerts in the Town Hall. Then he studied at the Juilliard School of Music. Already at this time he turned to composing. In 1965 he wrote Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows for Lesley Gore, a first hit that he was able to repeat in 1967, also for Gore, with California Nights. After hearing him play the piano at a party, Sam Spiegel commissioned him to compose his first film (for The Swimmer, 1966). He then moved to Los Angeles to be closer to the studios. His adaptations of Scott Joplin's ragtime compositions, which he wrote for the 1973 film The Clou, achieved great fame.
He has provided the music for many feature films and television series, as well as the hit Broadway musicals A Chorus Line and They're Playing Our Song. In 1977, Hamlisch also wrote the music for the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me (1977). He has also been the conductor and arranger of Barbra Streisand concerts since 1993, for whom he also wrote the number one hit and million-seller The Way We Were in 1973. The cover version by Gladys Knight & the Pips was also successful worldwide.
Hamlisch has been honored with numerous prizes. The year 1974 was outstanding in this respect, when he was awarded Oscars in three different categories. This was followed by seven Oscar nominations over the next few years. He has won an Emmy three times and a Golden Globe Award twice. Most often, he has received the ASCAP Award four times.
Hamlisch died on August 6, 2012 after a short illness at the age of 68.
Works
Filmography
1968 The Swimmer - Directed by Frank Perry
1969: A Frog in Manhattan (The April Fools) – Directed by Stuart Rosenberg
1969: Hop, Hop (Move) – Directed by Stuart Rosenberg
1969: Woody, the Unlucky Raven (Take the Money and Run) – Directed by Woody Allen
1970: The Indian (Flap) – Directed by Carol Reed
1971: Bananas – Directed by Woody Allen
1971: El Capitano (Something Big) – Directed by Andrew V. McLaglen
1971: Grandpa Can't Help It (Kotch) - Directed by Jack Lemmon
1972: Big Boy - The world's greatest athlete - Directed by Robert Scheere
1972: Fat City – Directed by John Huston
1972: War between Men and Women - Directed by Melville Shavelson
1973: Save the Tiger – Directed by John G. Avildsen
1973: Cherie Bitter (The Way We Were) – Directed by Sydney Pollack
1973 The Sting – Directed by George Roy Hill
1974 The Prisoner of Second Avenue – Directed by Melvin Frank
1976 The Entertainer - Directed by Donald Wyre
1977: The Absent-Minded Waiter – Directed by Carl Gottlieb Short film
1977 The Spy Who Loved Me - Directed by Lewis Gilbert
1978: Ice Fever (Ice Castles) – Directed by Donald Wyre
1978: Same Time, Next Year - Directed by Robert Mulligan
1979: Starting over - Directed by Alan J. Pakula
1979: Ordinary people - Directed by Robert Redford
1980: Chapter Two - Directed by Robert Moore
1980: Seems like old times - Directed by Jay Sandrich
1981 The Fan - Directed by Edward Bianchi
1981 Pennies from Heaven – Directed by Herbert Ross
1982: Actually, I wanted to be in pictures (I ought to be in pictures) – Director: Herbert Ross
1982: Sophie's choice - Directed by Alan J. Pakula
