American composer filmography
Maximilian Raoul "Max" Steiner (May 10, 1888 – December 28, 1971) was an Austrian -born American composer of music for theatre and films . He was a child prodigy who conducted his first operetta when he was twelve and became a full-time professional, either composing, arranging or conducting, when he was fifteen.
Steiner composed over 300 film scores with RKO and Warner Brothers , and was nominated for 24 Academy Awards , winning three: The Informer (1935), Now, Voyager (1942), and Since You Went Away (1944). Besides his Oscar-winning scores, Steiner's other works include King Kong (1933), Little Women (1933), Jezebel (1938), Casablanca (1942), The Searchers (1956), A Summer Place (1959), and the film score for which he is possibly best remembered, Gone with the Wind (1939).
He was also the first recipient of the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score , which he won for his score to Life with Father . Steiner was a frequent collaborator with some of the best known film directors active in the United States, including Michael Curtiz , John Ford , Howard Hawks , William Dieterle , William Wyler , Raoul Walsh , John Huston , Irving Pichel , King Vidor , and Frank Capra .
(as per AFI's database, unless otherwise noted)[ 1]
All orchestration notes, additional composition, stock music, and main/end title notes come from the Max Steiner filmography in Film Composers in America .[ 2]
The following list only comprises those films for which Steiner composed the score, or was credited as providing orchestration for. In addition to the films included in this list, Steiner also contributed to hundreds of other films for which his writing provided the stock music.
1929 through 1939 Year Film Director Role Production Company Awards Notes Orchestrator 1929 Rio Rita Luther Reed Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 3] 1930 The Delightful Rogue Lynn Shores Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 3] score for a foreign version of the 1929 film; co-written with Roy Webb [ 2] 1930 Side Street Malcolm St. Clair Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 3] score for a foreign version of the 1929 film; co-written with Roy Webb[ 2] 1930 The Case of Sergeant Grischa Herbert Brenon Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 3] Steiner composed only the main title 1930 Dixiana Luther Reed Orchestration RKO Radio Pictures First screen credit 1931 Are These Our Children? Wesley Ruggles Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1931 Bachelor Apartment Lowell Sherman Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 3] stock music also used 1931 Beau Ideal Herbert Brenon Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 3] [ 4] composed new main and end titles only (other music was stock) 1931 Cimarron Wesley Ruggles Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 3] 1931 Consolation Marriage Paul Sloane Film score RKO Radio Pictures Gerstenberger 1931 Cracked Nuts Edward F. Cline Film score RKO Radio Pictures [ 5] Marquardt 1931 Fanny Foley Herself Melville W. Brown Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] 1931 Friends and Lovers Victor Schertzinger Film score (co-written) RKO Radio Pictures screen credit states the score was co-written with Victor Schertzinger, but score and cue sheet show no signs of Steiner's work.[ 7] 1931 The Gay Diplomat Richard Boleslawski Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1931 High Stakes Lowell Sherman Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 6] stock music also used 1931 Kept Husbands Lloyd Bacon Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 3] composed new main and end titles only 1931 Peach O'Reno William A. Seiter Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] R. Heindorf 1931 The Public Defender J. Walter Ruben Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] E. Ross 1931 The Runaround William James Craft Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] 1931 Secret Service J. Walter Ruben Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] 1931 Transgression Herbert Brenon Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 3] 1931 Young Donovan's Kid Fred Niblo Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 3] composed new main title only 1931 Way Back Home William A. Seiter Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] Gerstenberger 1932 The Animal Kingdom Edward H. Griffith Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1932 A Bill of Divorcement George Cukor Film score RKO Radio Pictures Main title by Harling Kaun 1932 Bird of Paradise King Vidor Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun and R. Bassett 1932 The Conquerors William Wellman Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1932 Girl Crazy William A. Seiter Film score RKO Radio Pictures additional composition 1932 Girl of the Rio Herbert Brenon Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] Gerstenberger 1932 The Half-Naked Truth Gregory LaCava Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1932 Is My Face Red? William A. Seiter Film score RKO Radio Pictures R. Heindorf and Kaun 1932 Ladies of the Jury Lowell Sherman Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited;[ 6] composed main title and stock music R. Heindorf 1932 The Lost Squadron George Archainbaud Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] 1932 Men of Chance George Archainbaud Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] Gerstenberger 1932 The Most Dangerous Game Richard Connell Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun and Gerstenberger 1932 The Penguin Pool Murder George Archainbaud Film score RKO Radio Pictures composed main title 1932 Roar of the Dragon Wesley Ruggles Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun and Gerstenberger 1932 State's Attorney George Archainbaud Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] R. Heindorf 1932 Symphony of Six Million Gregory La Cava Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1932 Thirteen Women George Archainbaud Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun and Gerstenberger 1932 What Price Hollywood? George Cukor Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1933 The Cheyenne Kid Robert F. Hill Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1933 Christopher Strong Dorothy Arzner Film score RKO Radio Pictures additional composition by Webb and orchestrated by Sharpe Kaun 1933 Diplomaniacs William A. Seiter Film score RKO Radio Pictures with Webb Kaune and Sharpe 1933 King Kong Merian C. Cooper Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1933 Little Women George Cukor Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1933 Lucky Devils Ralph Ince Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1933 Melody Cruise Mark Sandrich Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1933 The Monkey's Paw Ernest B. Schoedsack Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1933 Morning Glory Lowell Sherman Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1933 The Right to Romance Alfred Santell Film score RKO Radio Pictures additional composition for Webb's score[ 7] 1933 Scarlet River Otto Brower Film score RKO Radio Pictures Uncredited[ 6] 1933 The Silver Cord John Cromwell Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1933 Son of Kong Ernest B. Schoedsack Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1933 Sweepings John Cromwell Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1934 The Age of Innocence Philip Moeller Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1934 The Fountain John Cromwell Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1934 The Gay Divorcee Mark Sandrich Film score RKO Radio Pictures Nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score [ 8] 1934 The Life of Vergie Winters Alfred Santell Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1934 The Little Minister Richard Wallace Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1934 The Lost Patrol John Ford Film score RKO Radio Pictures Nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score [ 8] Kaun 1934 Murder on the Blackboard George Archainbaud Film score RKO Radio Pictures composed with Kaun 1934 Of Human Bondage John Cromwell Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1934 Stingaree William A. Seiter Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1935 Break of Hearts Philip Moeller Film score RKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1935 I Dream Too Much John Cromwell Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1935 The Informer John Ford Film score RKO Radio Pictures Won the Academy Award for Best Original Score [ 9] Kaun and de Packh 1935 Roberta William A. Seiter Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1935 She Irving Pichel Lansing C. Holden Film score RKO Radio Pictures [ 10] Kaun, de Packh, and E. Powell 1935 Star of Midnight Stephen Roberts Film score RKO Radio Pictures includes stock music 1935 The Three Musketeers Irving Pichel Lansing C. Holden Film score RKO Radio Pictures [ 10] Kaun 1935 Alice Adams George Stevens Film score RKO Radio Pictures with Webb 1936 The Charge of the Light Brigade Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. Hugo Friedhofer , Parrish, de Packh, and R. Bassett 1936 Follow the Fleet Mark Sandrich Film score RKO Radio Pictures 1936 The Garden of Allah Richard Boleslawski Film score Selznick International Pictures Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score [ 11] [ 12] Kaun, E. Powell, R. Bassett, Parrish, and Friedhofer 1936 Little Lord Fauntleroy John Cromwell Film score Selznick International Pictures Kaun 1937 First Lady Stanley Logan Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1937 God's Country and the Woman William Keighley Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1937 Green Light Frank Borzage Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1937 Kid Galahad Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. [ 12] with Heinz Roemheld [ 2] 1937 The Life of Emile Zola William Dieterle Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1937 Slim Ray Enright Film score Warner Bros. [ 12] with Roemheld Friedhofer 1937 A Star Is Born William A. Wellman Film score Selznick International Pictures Kaun, Parrish, and Friedhofer 1937 Submarine D-1 Lloyd Bacon Film score Cosmopolitan Productions Friedhofer 1937 That Certain Woman Edmund Goulding Film score Warner Bros. [ 12] Friedhofer 1937 Tovarich Anatole Litvak Film score Warner Bros. First use of Steiner's well-known fanfare for the "Warner Bros. Presents" screen[ 2] Friedhofer 1938 The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Norman Taurog Film score Selznick International Pictures [ 13] Parrish and Kaun 1938 The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse Anatole Litvak Film score Warner Bros. [ 13] Parrish 1938 Angels with Dirty Faces Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1938 Crime School Lewis Seiler Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer and Parrish 1938 The Dawn Patrol Edmund Goulding Film score Warner Bros. [ 13] Friedhofer 1938 Four Daughters Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1938 Gold Is Where You Find It Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. [ 13] Friedhofer and Kaun 1938 Jezebel William Wyler Film score Warner Bros. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score [ 14] Friedhofer 1938 The Sisters Anatole Litvak Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1938 White Banners Edmund Goulding Film score Warner Bros. 1939 Confessions of a Nazi Spy Anatole Litvak Film score Warner Bros. [ 13] uncredited at Steiner's request[ 15] 1939 Dark Victory Edmund Goulding Film score Warner Bros. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score [ 16] Friedhofer 1939 Daughters Courageous Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. R. Heindorf 1939 Dodge City Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. additional composition by A. Deutsch Friedhofer 1939 Dust Be My Destiny Lewis Seiler Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1939 Each Dawn I Die William Keighley Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1939 Four Wives Michael Curtiz Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer and R. Heindorf 1939 Gone with the Wind Victor Fleming Film score Selznick International Pictures Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score [ 16] additional composition by Friedhofer, A. Deutsch, Roemheld Friedhofer, Kaun, R. Bassett , Deutsch, and others 1939 Intermezzo: A Love Story Gregory Ratoff Film score Selznick International Pictures additional composition by R. Bennett R. Bennett, Friedhofer, Raab, de Packh, R. Bassett , and Salinger 1939 The Oklahoma Kid Lloyd Bacon Film score Warner Bros. additional composition by A. Deutsch and Friedhofer Friedhofer, A. Deutsch, Parrish, and Cutter 1939 The Old Maid Edmund Goulding Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1939 They Made Me a Criminal Busby Berkeley Film score Warner Bros. Friedhofer 1939 We Are Not Alone Edmund Goulding Film score First National Pictures [ 13] Friedhofer
Cutter orchestrated all of the movie scores that Steiner was the sole author of in the 1950s.
Cutter orchestrated all of the movie scores that Steiner wrote in the 1960s.
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Lee Library, Brigham Young University. ^ a b "The 7th Academy Awards: 1935" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on January 2, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 8th Academy Awards: 1935" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ a b "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 7. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 8, 2016 . ^ "The 8th Academy Awards: 1935" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ a b c d "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 6. Archived from the original on May 9, 2016. Retrieved April 10, 2016 . ^ a b c d e f "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 5. Archived from the original on May 31, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016 . ^ "The 11th Academy Awards: 1939" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ D'Arc, James; Gillespie, John N., eds. (1996). The Max Steiner Collection . Provo, Utah: Special Collections and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University. ^ a b "The 12h Academy Awards: 1940" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 13th Academy Awards: 1941" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 16, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 14th Academy Awards: 1942" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 16th Academy Awards: 1944" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 15th Academy Awards: 1943" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ a b "The 16th Academy Awards: 1944" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 4. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2016 . ^ "The 18th Academy Awards: 1946" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ a b "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 3. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2016 . ^ "The 19th Academy Awards: 1947" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ a b "The 20th Academy Awards: 1948" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 21st Academy Awards: 1949" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 22nd Academy Awards: 1950" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on December 19, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ a b c d "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 2. Archived from the original on June 3, 2016. Retrieved April 13, 2016 . ^ "The 23rd Academy Awards: 1951" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on April 15, 2016. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ a b "The 25th Academy Awards: 1953" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 27th Academy Awards: 1955" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "The 28th Academy Awards: 1956" . Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on November 11, 2014. Retrieved April 17, 2016 . ^ "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 1. Archived from the original on June 9, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2016 . ^ Thomas, Tony (1991). Film Score: The Art & Craft of Movie Music . Burbank, California: Riverwood Press. pp. 72–78.