Victor Young had been hired to write the score for the dances of The Ten Commandments but he became very ill. You were then hired to write the score. But at the same time you’d written The Man with the Golden Arm score.

I’m generally pessimistic about the dumbing down of America – especially with summer movies.

One of the things that happens in the business is that success is a very strange thing in that if you are involved in something very successful the next person wants you to repeat it.

I made my way on to a grey list, a black list even. That’s something I’m very proud of, actually.

I thought in terms of the enthusiasm of doing it. I didn’t think about whether I was ready.

I did 10 years of comedies and 10 years of Westerns. I really like to stay away from car chases. I prefer the more intimate film. You have a much more direct association with the emotions.

Today you have something like A Film by Joe Harry. That is patently asinine and ridiculous.

Victor Young had been hired to write the score for the dances of The Ten Commandments but he became very ill. You were then hired to write the score. But at the same time you’d written The Man with the Golden Arm score.

You wouldn’t think it would but my parents were really balanced about that. When it came time for me to be out of the house and out on my own they were very supportive.

I would do the occasional score. I thought it was the most thrilling thing. It was instant. You made the music and they played it right away to millions of people. I found it thrilling.

It was a great way to work. In those days, you had to be there. It was your world. It was your club. Your friends were there, your associates were there, your security was there.

When you stop to think about it, so many films today where we don’t have that kind of contact are films about alienation. About alienated feelings. We are much more alienated from our colleagues nowadays.

There’s no way I can compete with someone who can write rap or rock and roll. Nor do I wish to. But I’ve always kept up to date with music changes. I worked very hard not to type myself.