Marilyn Bergman


Lyricist, Songwriter

About

Also Known As
Marilyn Keith, M Bergman
Birth Place
New York City, New York, USA
Born
November 10, 1929

Biography

With her husband Alan, Marilyn Bergman has written lyrics to some of the most memorable movie songs of the past four decades. Specializing in dreamy love songs and searching ballads, and working with such composers as John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Michel Legrand and Henry Mancini, the Bergmans have been nominated for countless awards and have won three Oscars, three Emmy Awards and a G...

Family & Companions

Alan Bergman
Husband
Songwriter, lyricist. Married February 9, 1958; one child together; work as team.

Notes

Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1979

In 1996, Bergman was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters Medal from the government of France.

Biography

With her husband Alan, Marilyn Bergman has written lyrics to some of the most memorable movie songs of the past four decades. Specializing in dreamy love songs and searching ballads, and working with such composers as John Williams, Marvin Hamlisch, Michel Legrand and Henry Mancini, the Bergmans have been nominated for countless awards and have won three Oscars, three Emmy Awards and a Grammy.

A Brooklynite, Bergman attended the High School of Music and Art, then studied psychology and English at NYU. She teamed up with lyricist Alan Bergman, whom she wed in 1958, and the pair began writing songs for stage shows, television productions, movies and for such popular singers as Frank Sinatra, Barbara Streisand, Neil Diamond and Maureen McGovern.

The Bergmans wrote the lyrics for such stage shows as "Something More" (1964), "Ballroom" (1978), adapted from their Emmy-winning work on the TV-movie "Queen of the Stardust Ballroom" (CBS, 1975), and "The Lady and the Clarinet" (1980). Their TV credits have included lyrics for the theme songs of "Bracken's World" (NBC), the memorable "Maude" (CBS), "Good Times" (CBS), "Alice" (CBS) and the short-lived "Brooklyn Bridge" (CBS).

Their lasting fame, however, has come from the memorable film songs. The Bergmans first gained popular attention with and won their first Oscar for the verbally complex words to "The Windmills of Your Mind" (composed by Michel Legrand for the 1968 film "The Thomas Crown Affair"). Over the next three decades, they have have garnered praise for such songs as "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?" from "The Happy Ending" (1969) and "Theme from 'Summer of '42'/The Summer Knows" (1971), both written with Legrand. They received their second Oscar for the poignant lyrics to Marvin Hamlisch's lilting theme "The Way We Were" (1973). A third statuette was awarded the lyric writers for their work on "Yentl" (1983), with music by Legrand.

Filmography

 

Writer (Feature Film)

Stop the World--I Want To Get Off (1966)
Aditional material

Music (Feature Film)

Deadpool 2 (2018)
Song
Focus (2015)
Song
Love is Strange (2014)
Song
The Pretty One (2013)
Song
The Informant (2009)
Song
Confetti (2006)
Music Lyrics
Connie and Carla (2004)
Song
School of Rock (2003)
Song
The In-Laws (2003)
Song
Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
Song
Next Friday (2000)
Song
Dancing in September (2000)
Song
At First Sight (1999)
Song
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)
Song
AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (1998)
Theme Lyrics
Sabrina (1995)
Song
The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom (1993)
Theme Lyrics
The Naked Gun 2 1/2: The Smell of Fear (1991)
Song
For the Boys (1991)
Song
Switch (1991)
Theme Lyrics
Welcome Home (1989)
Theme Song
Major League (1989)
Theme Lyrics
The January Man (1989)
Theme Lyrics
Shirley Valentine (1989)
Lyrics ("The Girl Who Used To Be")
Troop Beverly Hills (1989)
Song
Big (1988)
Song
Shy People (1987)
Song
Micki & Maude (1984)
Song ("Something In My Life")
Yentl (1983)
Lyrics
Never Say Never Again (1983)
Theme Lyrics
The Man who Loved Women (1983)
Theme Lyrics
Yes, Giorgio (1982)
Lyrics ("If We Were In Love")
Author! Author! (1982)
Theme Lyrics
Best Friends (1982)
Lyrics ("How Do You Keep The Music Playing?" "Think About Love")
Tootsie (1982)
Theme Lyrics
Back Roads (1981)
Theme Lyrics
A Change of Seasons (1980)
Theme Lyrics
...And Justice For All (1979)
Theme Lyrics
The Promise (1979)
Theme Lyrics
Hollow Image (1979)
Song
Same Time, Next Year (1978)
Theme Lyrics
The One And Only (1978)
Theme Lyrics
Having Babies III (1978)
Theme Lyrics
Ode To Billy Joe (1976)
Lyrics ("There'Ll Be Time")
Harry And Walter Go To New York (1976)
Theme Lyrics
From Noon Till Three (1976)
Theme Lyrics
A Star Is Born (1976)
Theme Lyrics
Queen of the Stardust Ballroom (1975)
Song
99 and 44/100% Dead (1974)
Theme Lyrics
40 Carats (1973)
Theme Lyrics
The Way We Were (1973)
Song
Breezy (1973)
Lyrics
The African Elephant (1972)
Composer
The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
Composer
Molly and Lawless John (1972)
Lyrics
Doctors' Wives (1971)
Composer
Sometimes a Great Notion (1971)
Composer
Pieces of Dreams (1970)
Composer
The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart (1970)
Composer
Move (1970)
Composer
The Happy Ending (1969)
Lyrics
Stiletto (1969)
Composer
A Man Called Gannon (1969)
Composer
Gaily, Gaily (1969)
Composer
John and Mary (1969)
Composer
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
Composer
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Composer
Fitzwilly (1967)
Composer
Any Wednesday (1966)
Lyrics

Cast (Special)

The Score (2002)

Writer (Special)

The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002)
Writer
America's Millennium (1999)
Writer
Barbra: The Concert (1994)
Writer
An American Reunion: New Beginnings, Renewed Hope (1993)
Writer
Barbra Streisand: One Voice (1986)
Writer

Producer (Special)

The Music Makers: An ASCAP Celebration of American Music at Wolf Trap (1987)
Executive Producer

Music (Special)

AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Barbra Streisand (2001)
Theme Lyrics
The AFI's 100 Years... 100 Stars (1999)
Music
The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996)
Theme Lyrics
Barbra: The Concert (1994)
Song
Abbey Lincoln, You Gotta Pay the Band (1993)
Theme Lyrics
Night of 100 Stars III (1990)
Song
Time Warner Presents the Earth Day Special (1990)
Song
Night of 100 Stars III (1990)
Song Performer
The 62nd Annual Academy Awards Presentation (1990)
Theme Lyrics
Tony Bennett (1988)
Theme Lyrics
P.O.P. (1984)
Theme Song
I Love Liberty (1982)
Song
Co-Ed Fever (1979)
Theme Song Lyrics ("Dear Mom And Dad")
Alice (1976)
Theme Music

Special Thanks (Special)

The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002)
Writer
America's Millennium (1999)
Writer
Barbra: The Concert (1994)
Writer
An American Reunion: New Beginnings, Renewed Hope (1993)
Writer
Barbra Streisand: One Voice (1986)
Writer

Music (TV Mini-Series)

Sybil (1976)
Theme Lyrics

Life Events

1960

First film credit, lyrics for "The Marriage-Go-Round"

1964

First stage credit, lyrics for "Something More"

1969

First TV series credit, lyrics for theme of "Bracken's World"

1971

First TV movie, lyrics for "The Hands of Time" from "Brian's Song"

Videos

Movie Clip

Trailer

Family

Albert A Katz
Father
Edith Katz
Mother
Julie Rachel Bergman
Daughter
Born 1960.

Companions

Alan Bergman
Husband
Songwriter, lyricist. Married February 9, 1958; one child together; work as team.

Bibliography

Notes

Inducted into Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1979

In 1996, Bergman was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters Medal from the government of France.

With her husband Alan, she received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts

Received honorary doctorate from Trinity College in 1998