---
name: "Pete Rugolo"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/pete-rugolo"
roles: ["Composer"]
born: "25 December 1915"
died: "16 October 2011"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
updated: "2026-09-16T16:27:39.035899+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."
---

# Pete Rugolo

Composer. Born 25 December 1915 in San Piero Patti. Died 16 October 2011.

## Details

- **Work:** Composer
- **Born:** 25 December 1915, San Piero Patti
- **Died:** 16 October 2011

## Biography

Pete Rugolo was an American jazz composer, arranger and record producer. Born Pietro Rugolo on 25 December 1915 in San Piero Patti, Sicily, he moved with his family to Santa Rosa, California, as a child. He studied at San Francisco State College and composition with Darius Milhaud at Mills College.

After military service in the Second World War, Rugolo joined Stan Kenton’s orchestra as an arranger and composer, contributing to its progressive sound. He later worked as a music director for Capitol and Mercury Records before moving into film and television scoring in the 1950s and 1960s. His television work included themes and scores for series such as *The Fugitive*, *Run for Your Life*, *The Thin Man* and *M*A*S*H* (1972).

Rugolo also composed for films including *Jack the Ripper* (1959) and *The Sweet Ride* (1968). He received three Primetime Emmy Awards from six nominations and was honoured with the Golden Score Award in 1993. He died on 16 October 2011 in Sherman Oaks, California.

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

## On Fi1m (1)

- *M*A*S*H* (1972), Fi1m 85, Music — [page](https://film.one/tv/m-a-s-h-1972.md)

## Also known for

- *The Killers* (1964), Music
- *Private Property* (1960), Original Music Composer

---
© 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/pete-rugolo