---
name: "Ira Newborn"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/ira-newborn"
fi1m_id: "ira-newborn"
imdb_id: "nm0627673"
tmdb_id: 12939
wikidata_id: "Q725454"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "26 December 1949"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 6
average_fi1m_score: 68
average_over: 5
updated: "2026-10-04T23:42:38.352489+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Ira Newborn

## Identity

Ira Newborn

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/ira-newborn
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** ira-newborn
- **IMDb ID:** nm0627673
- **TMDB ID:** 12939
- **Wikidata ID:** Q725454
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Newborn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q725454, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627673/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12939

Composer. Born 26 December 1949 in New York City, New York.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 26 December 1949, New York City, New York
- **Active:** 1980–1994
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 6: 1 acting, 5 crew
- **Frequently works with:** [Robert K. Weiss](https://film.one/person/robert-k-weiss.md), [David Zucker](https://film.one/person/david-zucker.md), [George Kennedy](https://film.one/person/george-kennedy.md), [Leslie Nielsen](https://film.one/person/leslie-nielsen.md), [O. J. Simpson](https://film.one/person/o-j-simpson.md), [Pat Proft](https://film.one/person/pat-proft.md), [Priscilla Presley](https://film.one/person/priscilla-presley.md)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 66 (4), 1990s 58 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 68 to 59 across 5 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 2 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 5, Crime 4, Action 1, Mystery 1
- **Screen time:** 8 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $588m across 5 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ira_Newborn, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q725454, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0627673/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12939

## Streaming the US now

- **Hulu:** [*The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!*](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad.md) (88), [*The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear*](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-212-the-smell-of-fear.md) (72)
- **AMC+:** [*Ferris Bueller's Day Off*](https://film.one/film/ferris-buellers-day-off.md) (81)
- **Netflix:** [*Dragnet*](https://film.one/film/dragnet.md) (55)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Ira Newborn is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor. Born on 26 December 1949 in New York City, he graduated from New York University in 1972 and began his career as a performer and arranger before moving into film and television scoring.

Newborn is known for his work on 1980s and 1990s comedy films, including several directed by John Hughes. His credits include the scores for *Sixteen Candles* (1984), *Weird Science* (1985), *Ferris Bueller's Day Off* (1986), *Planes, Trains and Automobiles* (1987), *Uncle Buck* (1989), *The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!* (1988) and its sequels, *Ace Ventura: Pet Detective* (1994) and *Mallrats* (1995). He also composed the theme for the television series *Police Squad!* (1982), which formed the basis of the *Naked Gun* scores.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (6)

### Performed in (1)

- *Xanadu* (1980), Fi1m 38, as 40's Band Leader — [page](https://film.one/film/xanadu.md)

### Crew (5) — the average rests on these

- *Ace Ventura: Pet Detective* (1994), Fi1m 44, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/ace-ventura-pet-detective.md)
- *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991), Fi1m 72, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-212-the-smell-of-fear.md)
- *The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!* (1988), Fi1m 88, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad.md)
- *Dragnet* (1987), Fi1m 55, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/dragnet.md)
- *Ferris Bueller's Day Off* (1986), Fi1m 81, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/ferris-buellers-day-off.md)

## Complete filmography (38)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *America's Blues* (2015), Actor
- *ivans xtc.* (2000), as Rabbi No. 2
- *Angels in the Infield* (2000), Original Music Composer
- *Autopsy: Through the Eyes of Death's Detectives* (1999), Music
- *Bad Manners* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *BASEketball* (1998), Original Music Composer
- *The Pest* (1997), Music Consultant
- *High School High* (1996), Original Music Composer
- *The Late Shift* (1996), Original Music Composer
- *Mallrats* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *The Jerky Boys* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *Junior* (1994), as Lyndon Executive
- *Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult* (1994), Original Music Composer, Conductor
- *Ace Ventura: Pet Detective* (1994), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 44, [page](https://film.one/film/ace-ventura-pet-detective.md)
- *The Opposite Sex and How to Live with Them* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Innocent Blood* (1992), Original Music Composer
- *Brain Donors* (1992), Music
- *The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear* (1991), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-212-the-smell-of-fear.md)
- *My Blue Heaven* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *Short Time* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *Cast the First Stone* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Uncle Buck* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *Tales from the Crypt* (1989), series, Music
- *Collision Course* (1989), Original Music Composer
- *The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!* (1988), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-naked-gun-from-the-files-of-police-squad.md)
- *Caddyshack II* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *Planes, Trains and Automobiles* (1987), Original Music Composer
- *Amazon Women on the Moon* (1987), as Fred (segment "Silly Paté")
- *Dragnet* (1987), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 55, [page](https://film.one/film/dragnet.md)
- *Guilty of Innocence: The Lenell Geter Story* (1987), Music
- *Ferris Bueller's Day Off* (1986), Music, Original Music Composer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/ferris-buellers-day-off.md)
- *Wise Guys* (1986), Original Music Composer
- *Weird Science* (1985), Original Music Composer
- *Into the Night* (1985), Original Music Composer
- *Sixteen Candles* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *Police Squad!* (1982), series, Original Music Composer
- *All Night Long* (1981), Music
- *Xanadu* (1980), as 40's Band Leader — Fi1m 38, [page](https://film.one/film/xanadu.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/ira-newborn