Georges Delerue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georges Delerue
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Georges Delerue
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| Background information | |
| Born | 12 March 1925 Roubaix, France |
| Died | 20 March 1992 (aged 67) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Film scores, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Composer |
| Instruments | Piano, clarinet |
| Years active | 1947–1992 |
Georges Delerue (born March 12, 1925 – died March 20, 1992) was a famous French composer. He wrote music for over 350 movies and TV shows. People called him "the Mozart of cinema" because he was so talented.
Delerue won many important awards for his music. He received an Academy Award for the movie A Little Romance (1980). He also won three César Awards, which are France's top film awards. He was even nominated for four more Academy Awards and several other major awards. France honored him with the title of Commander of Arts and Letters, one of their highest honors.
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Early Life and Musical Journey
Georges Delerue was born in Roubaix, France, on March 12, 1925. Music was a big part of his family life. His grandfather led a singing group, and his mother played the piano.
By age 14, Georges was playing the clarinet at a local music school. He had to stop his regular studies to work and help his family. But he kept playing music with local bands. He later switched to the piano and studied famous composers like Bach and Mozart. After being sick for a while, Georges decided he wanted to become a composer.
In 1945, he got into the Conservatoire de Paris, a famous music school. To earn money, he played music at dances, weddings, and even jazz clubs. He won several awards for his compositions during this time. He also started writing music for plays in the late 1940s.
A Career in Film Music
By the early 1950s, Delerue was writing music for short films and plays. He worked with writer Boris Vian on several projects. In 1952, he started directing an orchestra for French radio and TV. He also wrote music for his first TV drama.
Georges Delerue became known for his work with many famous directors. He often worked with François Truffaut on movies like Jules and Jim. He also composed for Jean-Luc Godard's Contempt. Later, he wrote music for big Hollywood movies. These included Oliver Stone's Platoon and Salvador. A director named Ken Russell even made a documentary about Delerue called Don't Shoot the Composer.
Delerue wrote music for nearly 200 feature films, 125 short films, and many TV shows. His music for the war film Diên Biên Phu (1992) was one of his last important works. He even made small acting appearances in a couple of movies.
Working with Jack Clayton
Georges Delerue worked on five films with the British director Jack Clayton. Their first movie together was The Pumpkin Eater in 1964.
One of their most famous collaborations was for the Disney film Something Wicked This Way Comes (1982). Delerue wrote a score that was a bit dark, fitting the movie's original mood. However, Disney changed the film to make it more family-friendly. They decided to remove Delerue's music and replaced it with a new, lighter score. This was very disappointing for Delerue. He said it was "probably the most ambitious score I wrote in the United States." Later, some of his original music for the film was finally released for fans. Despite this, Delerue continued to work with Clayton on other projects.
How He Worked
Georges Delerue was very dedicated to his music. He would often rewrite parts of his scores to perfectly match the movie's editing. He liked to arrange and conduct his own music. This allowed him to make sure every detail was just right. He was known for creating beautiful melodies that captured the feeling of the movies he worked on.
His Final Years
Georges Delerue passed away on March 20, 1992, in Los Angeles. He had a heart attack just eight days after his 67th birthday. He was recording music for the movie Rich in Love when he died. He is buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in California. He left behind his wife, Colette, and his daughter, Claire.
Awards and Recognition
Georges Delerue received many awards and nominations throughout his career. Here are some of his key achievements:
- 1979 Academy Award for Best Original Score (A Little Romance) Won
- 1979 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (Get Out Your Handkerchiefs) Won
- 1980 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (Love on the Run) Won
- 1981 César Award for Best Music Written for a Film (The Last Metro) Won
- 1988 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Film (Twins) Won
- 1990 ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Film (Platoon) Won
- 1991 Genie Award for Best Original Score (Black Robe) Won
- 1992 Australian Film Institute Award for Best Original Music Score (Black Robe) Won
He was also nominated for several other prestigious awards, including:
- Academy Award nominations for Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), The Day of the Dolphin (1973), Julia (1977), and Agnes of God (1985).
- Golden Globe Award nominations for Anne of the Thousand Days (1969), The Day of the Dolphin (1973), and A Little Romance (1979).
- BAFTA Award nominations for Women in Love (1970) and Julia (1979).
Images for kids
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Georges Delerue, a famous French composer.
See also
In Spanish: Georges Delerue para niños
