Bernard Herrmann
A film composer whose jagged, psychological scores for Hitchcock and Welles taught audiences to feel fear, tension, and tragedy through sound.
1911–1975 (age 64)·American composer·Birthday: June 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Bernard Herrmann didn't just write music for movies; he weaponized sound to get inside a viewer's head. A New York native who studied at Juilliard, he first made waves in radio, composing for Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre, including the infamous 'War of the Worlds' broadcast. That partnership moved to film with 'Citizen Kane,' where Herrmann's innovative, leitmotif-driven score announced a new force. His defining collaboration was with Alfred Hitchcock, for whom he composed a string of masterworks. The shrieking violins of 'Psycho's shower scene are his most famous creation, but the dizzying waltz of 'Vertigo' and the brutal jazz of 'Taxi Driver' are equally transformative. Herrmann fought producers for his artistic vision, insisting music should comment on, not merely decorate, a scene. His final score, for 'Taxi Driver,' was completed the day he died, a fitting end for a man whose work was inseparable from the films it haunted.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Bernard was born in 1911, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Bernard Was Born
The biggest hits of 1911
Bernard's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1911Born
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1916Started school
The Battle of the Somme claims over a million casualties
President: Woodrow Wilson
1924Became a teenager
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Could drive
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1929Could vote
Wall Street crashes, triggering the Great Depression
Gas: $0.21/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Singin' in the Rain" — Cliff EdwardsBest Picture: The Broadway Melody
1932Turned 21
Amelia Earhart flies solo across the Atlantic
Gas: $0.18/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Night and Day" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: Grand Hotel
1941Turned 30
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1951Turned 40
First color TV broadcast in the US
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,925Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Too Young" — Nat King ColeBest Picture: An American in Paris
1961Turned 50
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1971Turned 60
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1975Died at 64
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Key Achievements
- Composed the landmark scores for Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho,' 'Vertigo,' and 'North by Northwest.'
- Won an Academy Award for his score for 'The Devil and Daniel Webster' (1941).
- Created the innovative, character-driven score for Orson Welles's 'Citizen Kane.'
- Composed the scores for several fantasy films, including 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' and 'The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad.'
Did You Know?
He insisted on conducting the 'Psycho' score himself because the required string-only ensemble was considered beneath most Hollywood conductors.
He had a famous falling out with Hitchcock after the director rejected his score for 'Torn Curtain.'
He was a champion of Charles Ives's music and conducted a recording of Ives's symphony.
The theremin used in his score for 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' was played by musician Samuel Hoffman.
“I don't write music for fun. I write music to fill a need.”
