Bert Shefter

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Bert Shefter (May 15, 1902 – June 29, 1999) was a Russian film composer who worked primarily in America.

His first work in film was as musical director for the production One Too Many in 1950.

In later years he struck up an alliance with fellow film composer Paul Sawtell and they produced many film scores together. Most notably they provided the music to the classic science fiction films Curse of the Fly, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and It! The Terror from Beyond Space in 1958. In 1965 they composed some scores for the director Russ Meyer, such as the cult classic Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! and Motorpsycho.

The last score they provided was for the Mexican film Emiliano Zapata in 1970 shortly before Paul Sawtell's death.

After this he would write two further scores for film on his own: The Gatling Gun in 1973 and Revenge of the Fists of Fury in 1975.

He retired in 1975 and died in 1999 at the age of 97.