Composer Lalo Schifrin

Lalo Schifrin, no doubt best known for composing the theme to the 1960s and 1970s television series Mission: Impossible--for which he received a Grammy Award--died last week, at age 93. 

The theme song was also used in a 1988-1990 version of the TV show--and in the Mission: Impossible series of films, beginning in 1996, starring Tim Cruise.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/28/arts/music/lalo-schifrin-dead.html?unlocked_article_code=1.TE8.uffQ.8PnO8iaVY2rL&smid=url-share

Mr. Schifrin, as The New York Times noted in its obituary, also wrote the scores for such films as Bullitt, Cool Hand Luke, Voyage of the Damned, and Dirty Harry. During his career, six of his movie scores were nominated for Academy Awards.

Reporter Jeré Longman wrote this, in the Times obituary:

Perhaps Mr. Schifrin’s most provocative movie moment came in “Bullitt” (1968), with what The Washington Post described as “a radical absence of music.” As Mr. McQueen famously squealed through the streets of San Francisco in his Ford Mustang during a 10-minute car chase, there was no background music.

When the movie’s director, Peter Yates, objected, Mr. Schifrin is said to have responded, “Silence is also music.”

June 19th

 Happy Juneteenth...

"Good Night, and Good Luck."

On Saturday (from 7-9 p.m., Eastern time), CNN will be broadcasting--live, from Broadway--the drama Good Night, and Good Luck.

The play, which had its debut at the Winter Garden Theatre the first week of April, will have its final performance on Sunday.

The show stars George Clooney, as the legendary journalist Edward R. Murrow.  The play concerns Mr. Murrow's 1950s CBS television news/documentary program See it Now, and the 1954 episodes of the program which Mr. Murrow and producer Fred Friendly (played by Glenn Fleshler) aired about Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy.

Good Night, and Good Luck originally appeared as a 2005 film--directed by Mr. Clooney, and co-written by Mr. Clooney and Grant Heslov.  The film starred David Strathairn, as Edward R. Murrow; Mr. Clooney portrayed Fred Friendly.

The play was written by Mr. Clooney and Mr. Heslov. Its director is David Cromer.

During television's live era, many Broadway performers appeared on dramatic programs on TV.  According to CNN, however, this is the first time a Broadway performance has been aired on live television.

Mr. Clooney has had prior experience with live television. During the time he was a star of the NBC medical drama ER (1994-2009), an episode of the show (the first episode of the 1997-1998 season) was performed live.

In 2000, as well, Mr. Clooney was an Executive Producer of the CBS live television special Fail Safe, the nuclear-oriented drama, which was a remake of the 1964 film directed by Sidney Lumet (which itself was based on the 1962 novel Fail Safe, by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler). Mr. Clooney also acted in the production.

On Saturday, from 6:30-7 p.m., CNN will air a pre-show special about the 7-9 p.m. telecast.