Bernard Herrmann at 100
Born in New York City in 1911, Herrmann studied at New York University and Juilliard, acquiring a reputation as an accomplished conductor and musicologist. His career at CBS Radio took off quickly in 1934 - programming, arranging and conducting music for countless radio programs, including "Music in the Modern Manner" and the dramatic series, "Columbia Workshop." He joined forces with Orson Welles for the "Mercury Theatre on the Air" (later renamed "Campbell Playhouse," after Campbell Soup became its sponsor), and composed scores for its classic radio dramas, including the infamous Halloween 1938 broadcast of "War of the Worlds," and adaptations of "Heart of Darkness," "Sherlock Holmes," and "Rebecca," as well as the original story "The Hitch-hiker," written by Lucille Fletcher (Herrmann's first wife).
"Campbell Playhouse: Rebecca" (Excerpt) Broadcast Dec. 9, 1938
Pictured: Orson Welles (seated, left rear) partakes of an impromptu lunch while reviewing notes with Herrmann for a "Campbell Playhouse" production of "The Hurricane," at the Max Reinhardt Theater Studios in Hollywood, Calif., November 5, 1939.
Credit: CBS Photo Archive
