Oscar-winning film composer Jerry Goldsmith would have turned 80 this month. In commemoration, \"L.A. Confidential: A Tribute to Jerry Goldsmith\" will air on classical radio station KUSC 91.5 FM in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. Pacific time, the afternoon of this year\'s Academy Awards ceremony. It will also air online at www.kusc.org.

Goldsmith, one of the most respected figures in the history of American film music, composed more than 170 original scores for film and hundreds more for television. He died of cancer in 2004.

Noted film historian and writer Jon Burlingame hosts this two-hour presentation that will examine his career with excerpts from 23 of his film scores, five from television, two written for the concert hall and a rarely heard example of his music for radio in the 1950s. In addition, excerpts from various interviews with the composer over the years will lend insight into the composer\'s process.

\"Jon Burlingame has a dazzling knowledge of this repertoire, and an utterly charming and engaging on-air presence,\" says KUSC Program Director Gail Eichenthal. \"It\'s a joy for KUSC to present another of his brilliant film music specials. They are always filled with surprising musical treasures that our listeners won\'t want to miss.\"

Film music selections will include many of his Oscar-nominated scores including A Patch of Blue, The Sand Pebbles, Chinatown, The Omen (which won the 1976 Oscar), Alien, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Poltergeist, Under Fire, Rudy, L.A. Confidential and The Sum of All Fears. Television works to be heard include Goldsmith\'s classic Dr. Kildare theme and his Emmy-winning scores for QB VII and Masada.

A special segment of the program will feature music written for the films of director Franklin Schaffner, including Planet of the Apes, Patton, Papillon, Islands in the Stream and The Boys From Brazil.

Burlingame, a faculty member of USC and journalist for Variety, is the writer, producer and host of the special; Gail Eichenthal is executive producer.