Born in New York City; educated at the Walden School and NYU. Studied with Roger Sessions and Stefan Wolpe and protégé of Aaron Copland. Served in the US Army Air Corps in World War II. Leading writer of film scores since the mid-1950s, when his work on THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM (1955) and THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) pushed him into the front rank of Hollywood composers. Noted for his strong use of solo instruments and his facility with the jazz idiom. Among his almost 250 film and television credits, here are some notable (non-nominated) films that Bernstein scored: 1950s: SUDDEN FEAR (1952), CAT-WOMEN OF THE MOON and ROBOT MONSTER (both 1953), THE ETERNAL SEA (1955), SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS and THE TIN STAR (both 1957), GOD'S LITTLE ACRE, THE BUCCANEER, SOME CAME RUNNING, DESIRE UNDER THE ELMS and ANNA LUCASTA (all 1958) 1960s: THE YOUNG DOCTORS and THE COMANCHEROS (both 1961), BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ and A GIRL NAMED TAMIKO (both 1962), HUD, THE GREAT ESCAPE and LOVE WITH THE PROPER STRANGER (all 1963), THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT and THE CARPETBAGGERS (both 1964), BABY THE RAIN MUST FALL (1965), I LOVE YOU, ALICE B. TOKLAS! (1968), THE GYPSY MOTHS and THE BRIDGE AT REMAGEN (both 1969) 1970s: BIG JAKE, SEE NO EVIL and DOCTORS' WIVES (all 1971), THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN RIDE! (1972), CAHILL U.S. MARSHAL (1973), McQ and THE TRIAL OF BILLY JACK (both 1974), REPORT TO THE COMMISSIONER (1975), THE SHOOTIST and THE INCREDIBLE SARAH (both 1976), ANIMAL HOUSE and BLOODBROTHERS (both 1978), ZULU DAWN, MOONRAKER, MEATBALLS and THE GREAT SANTINI (all 1979) 1980s: SATURN 3, THE BLUES BROTHERS and AIRPLANE! (all 1980), STRIPES, HEAVY METAL and AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON (all 1981), AIRPLANE II: THE SEQUEL (1982), CLASS (1983), GHOST BUSTERS and BOLERO (love scenes) (both 1984), THE BLACK CAULDRON and SPIES LIKE US (both 1985), LEGAL EAGLES, THE COLOR OF MONEY and ¡THREE AMIGOS! (all 1986), AMAZING GRACE AND CHUCK (1987), FUNNY FARM, DA and THE GOOD MOTHER (all 1988), MY LEFT FOOT (1989) 1990s: THE FIELD and THE GRIFTERS (both 1990), A RAGE IN HARLEM, RAMBLING ROSE and CAPE FEAR (adaptation & arrangement) (all 1991), THE BABE (1992), THE CEMETERY CLUB, MAD DOG AND GLORY, LOST IN YONKERS and THE GOOD SON (all 1993), JIMMY HOLLYWOOD (1994), ROOMMATES, CANADIAN BACON and DEVIL IN A BLUE DRESS (all 1995), BULLETPROOF (1996), BUDDY, HOODLUM and THE RAINMAKER (all 1997), TWILIGHT (1998), WILD WILD WEST and BRINGING OUT THE DEAD (both 1999) 2000s: KEEPING THE FAITH and CHINESE COFFEE (both 2000) and TAKING THE WHEEL and THE RISING OF THE MOON (both 2002). He was not related to conductor/composer Leonard Bernstein.  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1955: THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1960: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1961: SUMMER AND SMOKE  Nominated for Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Music Score substantially original) 1962: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD  Nominated for Music Best Song 1962: WALK ON THE WILD SIDE "Walk on the Wild Side" - Music  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of Music adaptation or treatment) 1966: RETURN OF THE SEVEN  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Original Music Score) 1966: HAWAII  Nominated for Music Best Song 1966: HAWAII "My Wishing Doll" - Music  Music Scoring Awards (Original Music Score) 1967: THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE  Nominated for Music Best Song 1969: TRUE GRIT "True Grit" - Music  Nominated for Music Best Song 1974: GOLD "Wherever Love Takes Me" - Music  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Original Song Score or Adaptation Score) 1983: TRADING PLACES - Adaptation Score  Nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Score) 1993: THE AGE OF INNOCENCE  Nominated for Achievement in Music (Original Score) 2002: FAR FROM HEAVEN 14 nominations, 1 Award