Critic/Composer Joel Hirschhorn dies

Legit Critic and Television Composer

September 19, 2005

By PAT SAPERSTEIN

Composer, author and Variety theater critic Joel Hirschhorn died Saturday of a heart attack at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He had been suffering from a broken shoulder at the time of the attack.

With his frequent collaborator Al Kasha, Hirschhorn won Oscars for the songs "The Morning After" from "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) and "We May Never Love Like This Again" from "The Towering Inferno" (1974). Hirschhorn and Kasha also received noms for song and song score for the 1977 Disney film "Pete's Dragon."

Hirschhorn was twice nominated for Tony awards for score, both music and lyrics, with Kasha in 1981 for "Copperfield" and in 1983, including music credit to Gene de Paul and lyrics credit to Johnny Mercer, for "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers."

He had been writing for Daily Variety for the past six years.

He wrote hundreds of legit reviews for the paper, including several this month. He scrupulously pored over his work to make sure he was accurate and fair.

Born in New York, Hirschhorn attended the High School of Performing Arts, where he developed a friendship with alum Leonard Bernstein.

After graduating from Juilliard, he moved to Hollywood, where he composed scores for films including "The Fat Spy" and "The Cheyenne Social Club" before being hired to write the theme song for "The Poseidon Adventure." The film was on a tight deadline, and he and Kasha were given just one night to write the song, which was sung by the then-unknown Maureen McGovern.

He went on to write music for TV shows including "Knots Landing," animated musical "Charles Dickens' David Copperfield," "Magic Paintbrush" and "Trapped Beneath the Sea."

Artists who recorded his compositions include Elvis Presley, Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin, Charles Aznavour and Roy Orbison. He also wrote six songs for David Hasselhoff's platinum album "Everybody Sunshine."

More recently, he composed scores for features "China Cry" and "Cheyenne" as well as an original orchestral piece, "The Titanic Concerto."

His books include "If They Ask You, You Can Write a Song"; "Rating the Movie Stars"; "Titanic Adventure"; and "Notes on Broadway," which included an interview with mentor Bernstein. He had recently completed a novel, as well as theater piece "The Musical Chairs."

Hirschhorn received a Sterling Circle award from BMI in 1993 for 25 years of distinguished achievement.

He is survived by his wife, Jennifer; two sons; a grandson; his mother; and a sister.