On the first day of summer (winter in his native Argentina), Lalo Schifrin turns 89. Schifrin is the composer of over 100 film and television scores, including those for “Cool Hand Luke,” “Bullitt,” “Dirty Harry,” “Enter the Dragon,” “Mannix,” “Starsky and Hutch,” “Rush Hour,” and of course “Mission: Impossible.” (Not everyone was a fan. His music for “The Exorcist” was demonstrably rejected by director William Friedkin when he hurled the master tape out into the parking lot.)

A highly respected jazz pianist, Schifrin was discovered by Dizzy Gillespie, who hired him on the spot. Schifrin has lived in the United States since 1958, making a very healthy living arranging and composing across genres, including bossa nova, jazz, bebop, rock, and classical, all the while cashing those lucrative Hollywood paychecks – and collecting royalties for the continued use of his indelible theme in the “Mission: Impossible” film franchise.

Happy birthday, Lalo Schifrin!

“Concierto Caribeño” for flute and orchestra

Lalo Schifrin and Dizzy Gillespie

“Cool Hand Luke”

Lalo receives an honorary Academy Award from Clint Eastwood in 2018. He was nominated for a competitive Oscar six times.

Schifrin’s greatest hit

PHOTO: Lalo and Dizzy