Mission: Impossible theme composer Lalo Schifrin dies aged 93

Independent

26-06-2025

Lalo Schifrin, the composer best known for giving the Mission: Impossible series its dramatic theme tune, has died. He was 93.
The Buenos Aires-born musician was a prolific soundtrack composer, writing indelible scores for such classic films as Enter The Dragon and Cool Hand Luke as well as the Dirty Harry and Rush Hour franchises.
His son Ryan Schifrin told Deadline that his father died 'peacefully' on Thursday morning. Variety reports the cause of death was complications from pneumonia.
Boris Claudio "Lalo" Schifrin was born on June 21, 1932. His father was a violinist for the orchestra at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, and the young Schifrin began studying piano from the age of six.
At 20, he won a scholarship to the Conservatoire de Paris, where he also began playing in jazz clubs. He later returned to Buenos Aires and formed his own orchestra, but continued to work with noted jazz musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie.
Schifrin was asked by MGM to score their 1963 adventure movie, Rhino!. He moved to Los Angeles the same year, and began his extensive work in film. In 1965 he wrote the score for the Steve McQueen movie The Cincinnati Kid, and the following year was approached by producer Bruce Geller and Desilu Studios to compose the theme for a new spy television show they were developing.
In 2018 Schifrin spoke to The Independent at length about the writing of his signature theme for Mission: Impossible, recalling that Tom Cruise had hugged him at the premiere of the 1996 film adaptation. 'He said he grew up with the television series and the music was one of the biggest elements that convinced him to get involved in the movie project, not only as an actor but as the co-producer,' recalled Schifrin. 'So he made my day.'
He said the music itself came to him quickly. 'I had a very short time to write it. I had to do it right away,' he remembered.
'I sat at my desk and wrote that theme in exactly one-and-a-half minutes. It was not inspiration; it was a need to do it. It was my own little mission impossible! The whole thing – including the chorus, the bongos, everything you hear – took me maybe three minutes. I was creating sound of impossible missions and making them swing. I didn't know it was going to be so successful.'
The theme was well received by the public, and bolstered Schifrin's reputation. In the 60s he composed the music for the Paul Newman film Cool Hand Luke and Steve McQueen's Bullitt. The following decade his scores included several Dirty Harry films and the Bruce Lee classic Enter The Dragon.
He continued to work consistently throughout the 80s and 90s, finding further success with Rush Hour in 1998. He returned for the sequels, with Rush Hour 3 providing his final film credit in 2007.
In November 2018, Schifrin received an honorary Academy Award.
He is survived by his wife Donna, his three children William Schifrin, Frances Schifrin and Ryan Schifrin and four grandchildren.