Lalo Schifrin, composer behind 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Dirty Harry', is no more

Lalo Schifrin, known for the original Mission: Impossible title theme from the 1966 TV show, the variations of which were employed later in Tom Cruise's bestselling movie franchise, breathed his last on Thursday in Los Angeles. He was 93.

But it was not just the spy franchise's iconic score — for which he won two Grammys — that the Argentine native was known for. In his seven-decade career, the five-time Grammy Award-winning maestro wrote scores for other celebrated films as actor Steve McQueen's Bullitt (1968), the Dirty Harry franchise starring Clint Eastwood, Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon, and the Jackie Chan-Chris Tucker buddy cop film series Rush Hour.

Born Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin in Buenos Aires in 1932 to a violinist father, Schifrin developed an inclination towards Jazz and the piano from an early age. After forming a Jazz orchestra in his mid-20s, Schifrin associated with noted musicians from the genre, such as Dizzy Gillespie and Johnny Hodges. After receiving his first Hollywood project in 1963, he moved to the United States and became a permanent citizen in 1969. 

Over a 40-year career span, Schifrin was nominated for the Grammys 19 times, aside from six Academy Award nominations and four Emmy Award nominations.

Aside from his benchmark-setting work in big action thrillers, Schifrin also demonstrated his versatility in exceptional character dramas such as Cool Hand Luke, led by Paul Newman and George Lucas' experimental sci-fi debut feature THX 1138.

Aside from his memorable work in cinema, he also wrote scores for popular television shows such as Mission: Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E (Guy Ritchie directed a film adaptation in 2015), Mannix (developed by Mission: Impossible creator Bruce Geller), and Starsky & Hutch (also adapted into a film).

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