ScoreKeeper here with my eyes to the earth and ears toward the heavens upon hearing the news that film composer Maurice Jarre has passed away at the age of 84.

A titan in the world of cinema, Jarre had composed music for over a hundred and fifty film and television productions including LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962), DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965), THE PROFESSIONALS (1966), SHOGUN (1980), A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1984), WITNESS (1985), THE MOSQUITO COAST (1986), FATAL ATTRACTION (1987), and GHOST (1990).

Born in Lyon, France, on September 13th, 1924, Maurice Jarre initially pursued a career as an engineer before switching to music. At the request of movie producer Sam Spiegel, he moved to the United States in 1961 to score David Lean’s LAWRENCE OF ARABIA which earned Jarre his first Academy Award™ for Best Original Score. In 1965 he earned his second Oscar™ for his score for DOCTOR ZHIVAGO. Nearly twenty years passed before Jarre completed his Oscar™ collection with a win for his score for A PASSAGE TO INDIA.

Throughout his long and distinguished career, Jarre has written music for an eclectic array of film, television, and theater productions. He composed concert music and was a prolific conductor as well.

On behalf of Ain’t It Cool News I’d like to extend our condolences to the Jarre family in this time of grief. He will certainly be missed.

If you’re out and about in Hollywood tonight and you walk past Maurice Jarre’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, hum the theme to LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, look up, and whisper…

…”thank you.”

ScoreKeeper