James Bernard

Working with The Hammer Film Company's low-budget, gothic vampire, and monster movies during the 1950s to the 1970s, James Bernard's music set the mood for many horrific moments in film. Bernard was born in India and brought up in England. His fascination for the piano and opera started at an early age. He was educated in Britain at Wellington College where he met his idol, composer Benjamin Brittan, whom was impressed with the 17-year-old's compositions. The two kept in touch during Bernard's years at the Royal Air Force, with Brittan encouraging Bernard to study at the Royal College of Music. Bernard assisted Brittan on the opera Billy Bud and then wrote music for a series of plays, which led him to meet conductor John Hollingsworth. At the time, Hollingsworth was musical director for Hammer Films and brought Bernard into the horror movie business. During his career Bernard composed the scores for classic horror films like The Curse of Frankenstein (1975), Horror of Dracula, (1958) and The Devil Rides Out (1968). Ironically, the one Academy Award he did receive was for best motion picture story, which he shared with Paul Dehn for Seven Days to Noon. During Bernhard's nearly half-century long career he scored more than 20 films for Hammer Films. In 1994 he participated in a documentary on the film house, Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror. Three years later, in his early seventies, he was asked to compose music for the restored version of Nosferatu, presented at the London Film Festival. In 1998 Bernhard composed his last score, for a film documentary on Universal Studios horror films of the '30s and '40s. Leaving behind a lasting imprint in film score, Bernhard passed away at a hospital in London on July 12, 2001. ~ Diana Potts