Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman |
Born |
Daniel Robert Elfman
May 29, 1953 (1953-05-29) (age 56)
Los Angeles, CA, U.S. |
Occupation |
composer and singer |
Spouse(s) |
First marriage: Unknown spouse - 2 children: Lola (born 1979, adopted) and Mali (born 1985); second marriage:Bridget Fonda (November 29, 2003 - present) 1 child: Oliver |
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Daniel Robert "Danny" Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American musician, who is famous for composing scores and songs for Tim Burton's films, composing "The Simpsons Theme," and leading the rock band Oingo Boingo as singer/songwriter from 1976 until its breakup in 1995, and has composed film scores extensively since 1985's Pee-wee's Big Adventure. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and won a Grammy Award for Tim Burton's Batman and an Emmy Award for his Desperate Housewives theme. Elfman also wrote the theme for the video game Fable.
Early career
Elfman was born in Los Angeles, California, the son of Blossom (née Bernstein), a writer and teacher, and Milton Elfman, a teacher who was in the Air Force.[1] Elfman grew up in a racially mixed community in the Baldwin Hills area of Los Angeles, where he was known as 'the whitest white kid'.[2] He spent much of his time in the local movie theatre, adoring the music of such film composers as Bernard Herrmann and Franz Waxman.
After dropping out of high school, he followed his brother Richard to France, where he played his violin on the street and performed with Le Grand Magic Circus, an avant-garde musical theater group. Violin in tow, Elfman next journeyed to Africa where he traveled through Ghana, Mali, and Upper Volta, absorbing new musical styles, including the Ghanaian highlife genre which would eventually influence his own music. Elfman contracted malaria during his one-year stay and was often sick. Eventually he returned home to the United States, where his brother was forming a new musical theater group, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. The group performed the music for Richard's debut feature film, Forbidden Zone. Danny Elfman composed his first score for the film and played the role of Satan. By the time the movie was completed, The Mystic Knights had shortened their name to Oingo Boingo and become a recording and touring rock group.
Personal life
Elfman is the son of Milton and Blossom Elfman and the brother of Richard Elfman.
In November 2003, Elfman married actress Bridget Fonda in a private ceremony at Los Angeles' First Congressional Church, with Fonda's father, Peter Fonda, giving her away. The couple reportedly met while working on the film A Simple Plan. They have one son, Oliver, born January 2005. Elfman is of Jewish ancestry. [3]
Danny Elfman and Tim Burton
In 1985, Tim Burton and Paul Reubens invited Elfman to write the score for their first feature film, Pee-wee's Big Adventure. Elfman was apprehensive at first because of his lack of formal training, but with orchestration assistance from Oingo Boingo guitarist and arranger Steve Bartek he achieved his goal of emulating the mood of such composers as Nino Rota and Bernard Herrmann.[4] He later described, in the booklet for the first volume of 'Music for a Darkened Theatre,' that the first time he heard his music played by a full orchestra was one of the most thrilling experiences of his life[5] . Elfman has spoken of the affinity he developed right away with Burton,[4] and he has gone on to score all but three of his major studio films (Ed Wood, which was scored by Howard Shore, Sweeney Todd, an adaptation of the 1979 Stephen Sondheim Broadway musical for which music already existed, and James and the Giant Peach, for which the musical score was done by Randy Newman ).
To date Elfman has scored the following Burton films:
- Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) – his first orchestral score.
- Beetlejuice (1988)
- Batman (1989) – his first large-scale action score.
- Edward Scissorhands (1990) – his personal favorite of his own scores.
- Batman Returns (1992)
- The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) - in which he also performed the singing voice of the lead character (Jack Skellington) and two supporting roles (Barrel, one of Oogie Boogie's three henchmen, and The Clown with the Tearaway Face).
- Mars Attacks! (1996)
- Sleepy Hollow (1999)
- Planet of the Apes (2001)
- Big Fish (2003)
- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) - in which he also provided the voices for the Oompa-Loompas in the musical numbers.
- Corpse Bride (2005) - in which he also performed the role of Bonejangles.
Burton has said of Elfman: "We don't even have to talk about the music. We don't even have to intellectualize – which is good for both of us, we're both similar that way. We're very lucky to connect" (Breskin, 1997).
Musical influences
Elfman’s film scores can be described as dark and brooding, lush and romantic, wild and manic - reflecting the many composers and styles which have influenced him over the years.
He recalls that the first time he became aware of film music was in his youth during a screening of The Day the Earth Stood Still (Robert Wise, 1951). The music was by Bernard Herrmann, and that, he has said, was where his love of film music began (Russell and Young, 2000). Elfman purposefully nodded towards Herrmann's The Day the Earth Stood Still score in Tim Burton's sci-fi spoof Mars Attacks!
Other film composers have also proven to be influential, such as Nino Rota and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, the former in Elfman's playful music for Pee-wee's Big Adventure, the latter in his much grander work, Batman. Sometimes his music has a distinctly Russian feel, inspired by the likes of Prokofiev, Stravinsky and Tchaikovsky’s ballet music, while his frequent use of choirs reflects his love of choral music by the likes of Mozart and Carl Orff. Jazz and rock influences from his earlier career are evident in such films as Chicago and To Die For.
Criticism
According to Alex Ross of The New Yorker, Elfman's "rock origins and lack of classical training raised doubts at the start; some established composers considered him a 'hummer'—Hollywood slang for a would-be composer who can’t read music and relies on ghostwriters."[6]
After the release of Batman, Elfman reacted to comments in Keyboard Magazine wherein Micah Rubenstein conjectured that a rock musician like Elfman, not classically trained, probably didn't even write out the musical score to Batman. Speaking on behalf of "the many musicians, composers, and arrangers who lack formal education," Keyboard published an open letter by Elfman in March 1990. Elfman referred to Rubenstein's comments as a growing "musical elitism," stating he worked 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week, for a month and a half to write the Batman score.[7]
And, as Alex Ross notes, Elfman has gone on to receive Academy Award nominations and other accolades for his work.[6]
Hearing damage
When asked during a 2007 phone-in interview on XETRA-FM if he ever had any notions of performing in an Oingo Boingo reunion, Elfman immediately rejected the idea and stated that in the last few years with the band he had begun to develop significant and irreversible hearing damage as a result of his continuous exposure to the high noise levels involved in performing in a rock band. He went on to say that he believes his hearing damage is partially due to a genetic predisposition to hearing loss, and that he will never return to the stage for fear of worsening the condition.
Filmography
In addition to his work with Tim Burton, Elfman has written scores for numerous other films including:
- Forbidden Zone (Richard Elfman, 1980)
- Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Amy Heckerling, 1982)
- Weird Science (John Hughes, 1985)
- Back to School, (Alan Metter, 1986)
- Wisdom (Emilio Estevez, Robert Wise, 1986)
- Big Top Pee-wee (Randal Kleiser, 1988)
- Midnight Run (Martin Brest, 1988)
- Scrooged (Richard Donner, 1988)
- Darkman (Sam Raimi, 1990)
- Dick Tracy (Warren Beatty, 1990)
- Nightbreed (Clive Barker, 1990)
- Army of Darkness (Sam Raimi, 1993) (theme)
- Sommersby (Jon Amiel, 1993)
- Black Beauty (Caroline Thompson, 1994)
- Dolores Claiborne (Taylor Hackford, 1995)
- Dead Presidents (Hughes Brothers, 1995)
- To Die For (Gus Van Sant, 1995)
- The Frighteners (Peter Jackson, 1996)
- Freeway (Matthew Bright, 1996)
- Mission: Impossible (Brian De Palma, 1996)
- Good Will Hunting (Gus Van Sant, 1997)
- Men in Black (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1997)
- A Simple Plan (Sam Raimi, 1998)
- Instinct (Jon Turteltaub, 1999)
- Proof of Life (Taylor Hackford, 1999)
- The Family Man (Brett Ratner, 2000)
- Chicago (Rob Marshall, 2002) (The instrumental pieces "After Midnight" and "Roxie's Suite")
- Men in Black II (Barry Sonnenfeld, 2002)
- Spider-Man (Sam Raimi, 2002)
- Red Dragon (Brett Ratner, 2002)
- Hulk (Ang Lee, 2003)
- Spider-Man 2 (Sam Raimi, 2004)
- Deep Sea 3D (Howard Hall, 2006)
- Nacho Libre (Jared Hess, 2006) (Ramses Suite)
- Charlotte's Web (Gary Winick, 2006)
- Meet the Robinsons (Steve Anderson, 2007)
- The Kingdom (Peter Berg, 2007)
- Standard Operating Procedure (Errol Morris, 2008)
- Wanted (Timur Bekmambetov, 2008)
- Hellboy II: The Golden Army (Guillermo del Toro, 2008)
- Milk (Gus Van Sant, 2008)
- The Wolfman (Joe Johnston, 2009)
- Alice in Wonderland (2010 film) (Tim Burton, 2010)
He has also written the theme music for several television series, including:
- Pee-wee's Playhouse (some episodes) (1986)
- Sledge Hammer! (1986)
- The Simpsons (1989)
- Beetlejuice (1989)
- Tales from the Crypt (1989)
- The Flash (1990)
- Batman: The Animated Series (1992)
- The New Batman/Superman Adventures, (1997)
- Perversions of Science, (1997)
- Dilbert (1999)
- Desperate Housewives (2004)
- Point Pleasant (2005)
His other work includes:
- The opening title theme of the 2004 video game Fable.
- The opening title theme as well as major themes of the 2008 video game "Fable II"
- Elfman was in Finding Kraftland for his agent Richard Kraft.
- Soundtrack to the 2008 video game Lego Batman: The Video Game (various tracks from the soundtracks of two movies: Batman (1989 film) and 1992's Batman Returns)
Serenada Schizophrana and concert works
Elfman has recently started working in the classical world, beginning with Serenada Schizophrana for the American Composers Orchestra. It was conducted by John Mauceri on its recording and by Steven Sloane at its premiere at Carnegie Hall in New York City on 23 February 2005. After its premiere, it was recorded in studio and released onto SACD on 3 October 2006. The meeting with Mauceri proved fruitful as the composer was encouraged then to write a new concert piece for Mauceri and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Elfman composed an "overture to a nonexistent musical" and called the piece "The Overeager Overture."
Selected awards and nominations
- Academy Awards
- Nominated for Best Original Dramatic Score: Good Will Hunting (1997)
- Nominated for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score: Men in Black (1997)
- Nominated for Best Original Score: Big Fish (2003)
- Annie Awards
- Nominated for Best Music in an Animated Feature Production: Meet the Robinsons (2008)
- BAFTA Awards
- Nominated for Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music: Chicago (2002)
- Emmy Awards
- Nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music: The Simpsons (1989)
- WINNER: Outstanding Achievement in Main Title Theme Music: Desperate Housewives (2004)
- Golden Globes
- Grammy Awards
- WINNER: Best Instrumental Composition: The Batman Theme from Batman (1989)
- Nominated for Best Album of Original Instrumental Background Score for a Motion Picture: Batman (1989)
- Nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for a Motion Picture: Dick Tracy (1990)
- Nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for a Motion Picture: Edward Scissorhands (1990)
- Nominated for Best Musical Album for Children: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
- Nominated for Best Instrumental Composition for a Motion Picture: Men in Black (1997)
- Nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture: Planet of the Apes (2001)
- Nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture: Spider-Man (2002)
- Nominated for Best Score Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture: Big Fish (2003)
- Nominated for Best Song for a Motion Picture: "Wonka’s Welcome Song" from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
- Honorary Doctorate
- Danny Elfman received an Honorary Doctorate on June 2, 2007 from the North Carolina School of the Arts. Elfman also provided the commencement address for the 2007 graduating class, which can be read in its entirety here.
References
External links
Oingo Boingo |
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Studio albums |
Only a Lad • Nothing to Fear • Good for Your Soul • So-Lo • Dead Man's Party • Boi-ngo • Dark at the End of the Tunnel • Boingo
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Live albums |
Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheater, Halloween 1995
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Compilation albums |
Boingo Alive • The Best of Oingo Boingo: Skeletons in the Closet • Stay • Best O' Boingo • Anthology • The Best of Oingo Boingo: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection
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EPs |
Oingo Boingo
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Related articles |
Discography • Forbidden Zone • Forbidden Zone soundtrack • Dead Bands Party: A Tribute to Oingo Boingo
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1989–1997 Batman film series |
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Batman • Returns • Forever • Batman & Robin |
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Cast |
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Characters
created for the films |
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Crew |
Tim Burton era: Tim Burton • Peter Guber • Jon Peters • Michael Uslan • Benjamin Melniker • Sam Hamm • Charles McKeown • Warren Skaaren • Danny Elfman • Steve Bartek • Ray Lovejoy • Anton Furst • Derek Meddings • Keith Short • Denise Di Novi • Daniel Waters • Wesley Strick • Chris Lebenzon • Bo Welch • Stan Winston • Larry J. Franco • Boss Film Studios (Jim Rygiel) • Pacific Data Images • Kathy Long • Anthony De Longis
Joel Schumacher era: Joel Schumacher • Akiva Goldsman • Elliot Goldenthal • John Dykstra • Andrew Adamson • Stephen Goldblatt • Dennis Virkler • Rick Baker • Will Shortz • Mitch Gaylord • Mali Finn • Alan Grant • EFilm • BUF Compagnie • Cinesite • Rainmaker Digital Effects • Rhythm and Hues Studios
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Music |
"Batdance" • Batman (album) • "The Arms of Orion" • Batman (score) • Batman Forever (orchestral score) • Batman Forever (soundtrack) • Batman & Robin (soundtrack) • "The End Is the Beginning Is the End" • "Face to Face" • "Foolish Games" • "The Future" • "Gotham City" • "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" • "The Hunter Gets Captured by the Game" • "Kiss from a Rose" • "Look into My Eyes" • "Partyman" • "The Passenger" • "The Riddler" • "Scandalous" • "Smash It Up" • "Super Freak"
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Video games |
Batman (NES) • Batman (Sega Mega Drive) • Batman (arcade game) • Batman (pinball) • Batman Returns (video game) • Batman Forever (pinball) • Batman Forever (video game) • Batman Forever: The Arcade Game • Batman & Robin (video game)
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Batmobiles |
Batmobile (1989) • Batmobile (Batman Forever) • Batmobile (Batman & Robin)
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Other vehicles,
items and gadgetry |
Batarang • Batboat (Batman Returns / Batman Forever) • Batplane (Batman / Batman Forever) • Batsuit (Batman / Batman Returns / Batman Forever / Batman & Robin) • Batman's utility belt • Batblade • Redbird • Smilex
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Sets and locations |
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Amusement rides
and stunt shows |
Batman: The Ride • Batman Adventure - The Ride • Batman & Robin: The Chiller • Mind Bender (Six Flags Over Georgia) • Mr. Freeze (Six Flags St. Louis) • Mr. Freeze (Six Flags Over Texas)
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Related articles |
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Spider-Man film series |
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Spider-Man • Spider-Man 2 • Spider-Man 3 • Spider-Man 4 • Spider-Man 5 |
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Cast |
Tobey Maguire ( Spider-Man/Peter Parker) • Kirsten Dunst (Mary Jane Watson) • James Franco ( Harry Osborn/Green Goblin II) • J. K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson) • Rosemary Harris (May Parker) • Cliff Robertson ( Ben Parker) • Willem Dafoe (Norman Osborn/Green Goblin) • Alfred Molina ( Otto Octavius/Doctor Octopus) • Dylan Baker (Dr. Curt Connors) • Daniel Gillies (John Jameson) • Topher Grace (Eddie Brock Jr./Venom) • Thomas Haden Church (Flint Marko/Sandman) • Bill Nunn (Joseph "Robbie" Robertson) • Elizabeth Banks (Betty Brant) • Bryce Dallas Howard (Gwen Stacy) • James Cromwell (Captain George Stacy) • Michael Papajohn (Dennis Carradine) • Joe Manganiello (Flash Thompson)
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Crew |
Sam Raimi • Avi Arad • Laura Ziskin • Grant Curtis • Alvin Sargent • Ivan Raimi • James Vanderbilt • Danny Elfman • Steve Bartek • Christopher Young • Bill Pope • Bob Murawski • David Koepp • Scott Rosenberg • John Dykstra • James Acheson • Alfred Gough • Miles Millar • Michael Chabon • John Debney • Grant Curtis • Baxter Humby • Peter David • Sony Pictures Imageworks
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Soundtrack |
Spider-Man (soundtrack) • Music from and Inspired by Spider-Man • "Hero" • "It's What We're All About" • "Hate to Say I Told You So" • Spider-Man theme song • Spider-Man 2 (soundtrack) • "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" • "Vindicated" • "This Photograph Is Proof (I Know You Know)" • "We Are" • "I Am" • "Meant to Live" • "Web of Night" • "Najane Kyun" • Spider-Man 3: The Official Soundtrack • "Signal Fire" • "Pleased to Meet You" • "The Twist"
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Video games |
Spider-Man (2002 video game) • Spider-Man 2 (video game) • Spider-Man 3 (video game) • Spider-Man: Friend or Foe • Spider-Man (pinball)
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Sets and locations |
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Related articles |
Spider-Man in other media • Spider-Man's powers and equipment (Spider-sense • Web-shooters) • Goblin glider • Pumpkin Bomb • Sky Stick • Symbiote • Spider-Man: The New Animated Series • Lego Spider-Man
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