Don't Know...MAX STEINER?

You really should know who MAX STEINER (1888-1971) is! Max Steiner was born in the Vienna of Johann Strauss. He was a child prodigy who studied with Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler. He moved to America in 1914, working as conductor and orchestrator on Broadway. He was music director at RKO before moving to Warner Bros. He became friends with David O. Selznick at RKO and was able to take time off from Warners to score several of Selznick's films. He has over 500 films to his credit and several Oscars. The titles below don't begin to be representative of his broad body of work. If you love good music, seek out his films.





A fine place to start is by viewing: Gone With The Wind (1939). Arguably one of the greatest film scores ever composed, Gone With the Wind remains a favorite and the score has been recorded many times on record and CD. Tara's Theme is his best known piece.


Watch this and then see these other four films.



King Kong (1933) Oscar Levant called King Kong "a Max Steiner concert with pictures." It is still a great score, ably supporting the film. This score has also been recorded numerous times.
The Informer (1935) Max was awarded his first Oscar for John Ford's brilliant study of a man who sells his soul for silver when he informs on a friend. Powerful.
Casablanca (1942) Lush, romantic, dramatic. What else could you want?
A Summer Place (1959) Another Max Steiner melody. Percy Faith's recording was on the chart for weeks and the song still shows up after 46 years.


*Contributed by: "Eric Jamborsky" Date: Fri, Oct.21, 2005 13:46:29 PST

Academy Awards®
© A.M.P.A.S.®
1934 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE LOST PATROL
1934 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE GAY DIVORCEE
1934 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE LOST PATROL — Score
1935 Won Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE INFORMER — Score
1935 Won Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE INFORMER
1936 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE GARDEN OF ALLAH — Score
1936 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE — Score
1936 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE GARDEN OF ALLAH
1937 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA — Score
1938 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score): JEZEBEL
1939 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Original Score): DARK VICTORY
1939 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Original Score): GONE WITH THE WIND
1940 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Original Score): THE LETTER
1941 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic Picture): SERGEANT YORK
1942 Won Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): NOW, VOYAGER
1943 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): CASABLANCA
1944 Won Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): SINCE YOU WENT AWAY
1944 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN
1945 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture): RHAPSODY IN BLUE
1946 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture): NIGHT AND DAY
1947 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture): MY WILD IRISH ROSE
1947 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): LIFE WITH FATHER
1948 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): JOHNNY BELINDA
1949 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): BEYOND THE FOREST
1950 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): THE FLAME AND THE ARROW
1952 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): THE MIRACLE OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA
1952 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture): THE JAZZ SINGER
1954 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): THE CAINE MUTINY
1955 Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture): BATTLE CRY