Song of the Day #1925

Song of the Day: The Great Escape (“Soundtrack Suite”) [YouTube link], composed by Elmer Bernstein, is a terrific complement to the suspense and thrills of this 1963 epic POW film, directed by John Sturges. The all-star cast includes Steve McQueen, James Garner, and Richard Attenborough. It is said that Bernstein lived off the royalties to the film’s popular score for the rest of his life. Not too shabby considering that he composed the scores for 150+ other films and nearly 80 television productions throughout his career. I will feature another Bernstein gem tomorrow.