Marvin Hamlisch, the award-winning composer of Hollywood film scores and Broadway musicals, has died at the age of 68.
Hamlisch's film credits include The Way We Were (1973), Sophie's Choice (1982) and Frankie and Johnny (1991). His best-known effort for the Broadway stage was A Chorus Line (1975), which won nine Tony Awards and a Pulitzer Prize.
His adaptation of the music of Scott Joplin for the 1973 film The Sting created a surge of popularity for ragtime music.
Here, we present a video timeline of Hamlisch's most memorable scores and compositions:
1968
Hamlisch began his career in the film business writing the music for the Frank Perry film The Swimmer, starring Burt Lancaster. The video features not only scenes from the film but also an interview with Hamlisch.
1973
Hamlisch won two Academy awards for his work on Sydney Pollack's The Way We Were: one for best original score and the other for best original song for "The Way We Were," which was performed by the film's co-star, Barbra Streisand. The soundtrack sold more than one million copies. Here's the trailer:
The Sting, starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford, was nominated for 10 Academy awards and won seven, including best music, scoring original song score and/or adaptation. Hamlisch's adaptation of the music of Scott Joplin was an enormous success.
1975
Hamlisch wrote the music for A Chorus Line, the Broadway musical within a musical. It was an unprecedented success when it premiered in 1975 and remains the fifth longest-running Broadway show in history. In 1985 it was adapted for the big screen by director Richard Attenborough:
1977
Hamlisch wrote the music for the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me, including the single "Nobody Does It Better," which was a hit for singer Carly Simon. Hamlisch incorporated not only elements of then-popular disco into his score but also works by J.S. Bach and Mozart. He won two Academy awards, a Golden Globe and a Grammy for his efforts.
1982
Another of Hamlisch's successes was his score for Sophie's Choice. Meryl Streep's performance of the title role is often described as one of the great achievements in the history of cinema. Hamlisch won another Oscar for this project. His music played a huge role in the film's emotional impact:
1990 to the present
Hamlisch was the arranger and musical director of Streisand's tour of England and the United States. He was admired as a conductor of pops concerts with some of America's leading orchestras, including the Dallas, Pittsburgh and San Diego symphonies. Hamlisch was scheduled to lead the New York Philharmonic's New Year's Eve concert later this year. Here's Streisand introducing him to her audience:
Related:
Movie composer Marvin Hamlisch dies
Marvin Hamlisch, Film and Stage Maestro, Dies at 68