'Forbidden' scorer Barron dead at 82

LOS ANGELES, April 27 (UPI) -- Composer Bebe Barron, whose earned notoriety for her score of the movie "Forbidden Planet," has died at the age of 82 at a Los Angeles hospital.

The Los Angeles Times said Sunday that Barron worked with her then-husband Louis on the soundtrack to the 1956 classic, creating ground-breaking electronic beats to match the science-fiction film.

Film music historian Jon Burlingame said the couple's use of electronic circuits to create unusual tones helped make "Forbidden" memorable.

"The score was an extraordinary achievement," Burlingame said. "It showed the way for music and sound design to more or less merge. When you listen to that movie, you don't know when you are listening to sound effects or music. The whole line is blurred."

The couple collaborated on a number of projects even after their divorce in 1970 and Barron composed a piece titled "Mixed Emotions" in 2000, which reportedly emulated her earlier works.

The Times said Barron, who died last Sunday of complications from old age, is survived by her husband, screenwriter Leonard Neubauer.