Lalo Schifrin, Composer of Mission: Impossible and Film Score Legend, Dies at 93
From Bullitt to Enter the Dragon, Schifrin’s cool, jazz-fused scores helped define an era of cinema—and gave spy thrillers their swagger.
Los Angeles, June 26 EST: Lalo Schifrin, the Argentine-born maestro whose music could make a fuse burn in slow motion and a car chase feel like ballet, died Tuesday at age 93. His family confirmed he passed from complications of pneumonia.
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If you’ve ever heard the Mission: Impossible theme—and let’s be real, you absolutely have—you already know Schifrin’s work. The 5/4 groove, the ticking tension, the sneaky brilliance of Morse code woven into the rhythm (“M.I.”, because of course)—that was him, back in 1966, cooking up a TV theme that still slaps nearly six decades later.
But Mission: Impossible was just the calling card. The deep cuts? Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Enter the Dragon, Cool Hand Luke—all his. If a scene needed swagger, mystery, or pulse-racing cool in the ’60s or ’70s, there was a decent chance Schifrin was behind the score, swinging his baton like a jazz sorcerer with a PhD in noir tension.
From Buenos Aires to the Big Leagues
Born Boris Claudio Schifrin in Buenos Aires, Schifrin’s path was more jazz club than conservatory, even though he had plenty of both. He studied in Paris, jammed with Dizzy Gillespie, absorbed tango and bebop in equal measure, and eventually landed in Hollywood just in time for the New Hollywood era—when grit met groove, and film scores stopped playing nice.
Schifrin wasn’t here to play wallpaper music. His work drove the story. He didn’t just underscore tension—he made you feel like the tension had a backbeat.
A Scorecard That Reads Like IMDb Gold
You want range? The man scored Clint Eastwood flicks and Bruce Lee brawls, gave Amityville Horror its dread, and even helped shape Rush Hour decades later. He could do swing, he could do strings, and somehow, he made avant-garde time signatures feel like pop hooks.
And then there were the accolades: six Oscar nominations, five Grammys, and in 2018, finally, an Honorary Academy Award—a late but well-earned nod to a career that basically soundtracked half your dad’s VHS shelf.
Still Composing at 90, Because Why Not?
Schifrin didn’t slow down. In April 2025, months before his death, he premiered a new symphony (¡Viva la Libertad!) at Buenos Aires’ iconic Teatro Colón—a full-circle moment for the kid who once practiced piano while his father played violin in the same hall’s orchestra.
A Style You Could Hear in a Silhouette
Lalo Schifrin’s passing is a loss, sure—but it’s also a reminder of what great film music can do. His themes didn’t just support stories—they expanded them. They gave spy shows a pulse, action films a signature, and entire generations a sound to associate with adrenaline.
He’s survived by his wife Donna and their three children. But more than that, he’s survived by a generation of composers he influenced, a zillion needle drops in everything from The Simpsons to Top Gun: Maverick, and by the fact that your heartbeat still speeds up when you hear a certain bassline and think: should I try pulling off this heist?
Cue the theme. Fade to black.
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A bi-coastal pop culture critic and former indie screenwriter, Gia covers Hollywood, streaming wars, and subculture shifts with razor wit and Gen Z intuition. If it’s going viral, she already knew about it.
