---
name: "Jack Nitzsche"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jack-nitzsche"
fi1m_id: "jack-nitzsche"
imdb_id: "nm0006217"
tmdb_id: 7066
wikidata_id: "Q709857"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "22 April 1937"
died: "25 August 2000"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 8
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_over: 8
updated: "2026-10-05T04:28:08.492745+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."
---

# Jack Nitzsche

## Identity

Jack Nitzsche

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jack-nitzsche
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jack-nitzsche
- **IMDb ID:** nm0006217
- **TMDB ID:** 7066
- **Wikidata ID:** Q709857
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Nitzsche, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q709857, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006217/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7066

Composer. Born 22 April 1937 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Died 25 August 2000.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 22 April 1937, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Died:** 25 August 2000
- **Active:** 1970–1986
- **Also known as:** ​Bernard Alfred "Jack" Nitzsche
- **Frequently works with:** [Bruce A. Evans](https://film.one/person/bruce-a-evans.md), [Danny DeVito](https://film.one/person/danny-devito.md), [Jeff Bridges](https://film.one/person/jeff-bridges.md), [Michael Douglas](https://film.one/person/michael-douglas.md), [Raynold Gideon](https://film.one/person/raynold-gideon.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 2 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 85 (3), 1980s 74 (5)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 77 across 6 titles
- **Score spread:** 5 at 80+, 2 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Romance 3, Adventure 2, Crime 2, Action 1, Comedy 1
- **Screen time:** 15 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $847m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Nitzsche, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q709857, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006217/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/7066

## Streaming the US now

- **HBO Max:** [*Stand by Me*](https://film.one/film/stand-by-me.md) (88)
- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Cutter's Way*](https://film.one/film/cutters-way.md) (82)
- **Disney+:** [*Starman*](https://film.one/film/starman.md) (77)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*An Officer and a Gentleman*](https://film.one/film/an-officer-and-a-gentleman.md) (70)

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

## Biography

Jack Nitzsche was an American composer, arranger, songwriter and record producer. He first gained prominence in the early 1960s as an associate of producer Phil Spector and later worked with artists including the Rolling Stones and Neil Young.

Nitzsche composed scores for numerous films. His credits include *The Exorcist* (1973), *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* (1975) and *Stand by Me* (1986). In 1983 he shared the Academy Award for Best Original Song for co-writing 'Up Where We Belong' from *An Officer and a Gentleman* (1982) with Buffy Sainte-Marie and Will Jennings.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, filmreference.com, pbs.org.*

## On Fi1m (8)

- *Stand by Me* (1986), Fi1m 88, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/stand-by-me.md)
- *The Jewel of the Nile* (1985), Fi1m 53, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-jewel-of-the-nile.md)
- *Starman* (1984), Fi1m 77, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/starman.md)
- *An Officer and a Gentleman* (1982), Fi1m 70, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/an-officer-and-a-gentleman.md)
- *Cutter's Way* (1981), Fi1m 82, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/cutters-way.md)
- *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* (1975), Fi1m 86, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest.md)
- *The Exorcist* (1973), Fi1m 89, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/the-exorcist.md)
- *Performance.* (1970), Fi1m 81, Original Music Composer, Music — [page](https://film.one/film/performance.md)

## Complete filmography (37)

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

- *The Crossing Guard* (1995), Original Music Composer
- *Blue Sky* (1994), Original Music Composer
- *The Indian Runner* (1991), Original Music Composer
- *Mermaids* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *The Hot Spot* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *The Last of the Finest* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *Revenge* (1990), Original Music Composer
- *Next of Kin* (1989), Music
- *The Seventh Sign* (1988), Original Music Composer
- *Streets of Gold* (1986), Original Music Composer
- *The Whoopee Boys* (1986), as Motel Manager · Original Music Composer
- *Stand by Me* (1986), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/stand-by-me.md)
- *Nine 1/2 Weeks* (1986), Original Music Composer
- *Stripper* (1985), Music
- *The Jewel of the Nile* (1985), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 53, [page](https://film.one/film/the-jewel-of-the-nile.md)
- *Starman* (1984), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/starman.md)
- *The Razor's Edge* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *Windy City* (1984), Original Music Composer
- *Breathless* (1983), Original Music Composer
- *Without a Trace* (1983), Original Music Composer
- *An Officer and a Gentleman* (1982), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/an-officer-and-a-gentleman.md)
- *Cannery Row* (1982), Original Music Composer
- *Personal Best* (1982), Original Music Composer
- *Cutter's Way* (1981), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/cutters-way.md)
- *Heart Beat* (1980), Original Music Composer
- *Cruising* (1980), Original Music Composer
- *Hardcore* (1979), Original Music Composer
- *When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?* (1979), Music
- *Blue Collar* (1978), Original Music Composer
- *Heroes* (1977), Original Music Composer
- *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* (1975), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest.md)
- *Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight* (1975), Original Music Composer
- *The Exorcist* (1973), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 89, [page](https://film.one/film/the-exorcist.md)
- *Sticks and Bones* (1973), Music
- *Greaser's Palace* (1972), Original Music Composer
- *Performance.* (1970), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/film/performance.md)
- *Village of the Giants* (1965), Original Music Composer

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 2 nominated

- 1983: Best Original Song (won), for *Up Where We Belong*
- 1983: Best Original Score (nominated), for *An Officer and a Gentleman*
- 1976: Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated), for *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/jack-nitzsche