Max Steiner: Difference between revisions

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'''Maximillian Raoul Walter Steiner''' was born in Vienna on May 10, 1888. Max was the grandson of the musical impresario who discovered Strauss and brought Offenbach to Vienna. By the time he was 16 he was already conducting, composing, and continuing his studies under Gustav Mahler. With the outbreak of the World War I, Steiner emigrated to America, where he kept busy with Broadway musicals and operettas.
'''Maximillian Raoul Walter Steiner''' was born in Vienna on May 10, 1888. Max was the grandson of the musical impresario who discovered Strauss and brought Offenbach to Vienna. By the time he was 16 he was already conducting, composing, and continuing his studies under Gustav Mahler. With the outbreak of the World War I, Steiner emigrated to America, where he kept busy with Broadway musicals and operettas.


One of his most beneficial American jobs was to compose the music to be conducted during screenings of the silent film ''The Bondman'' (1915); he became a friend of William Fox, the film's producer, giving Steiner early entree into the Hollywood that would so gainfully employ him in later years. It was at RKO Pictures that Max developed his style of writing scores for films. Adapting the concept developed by [[Richard Wagner]], Max wrote music that became a dramatic content of the film, not just a background filler. His films ''Symphony of Six Million'', ''[[King Kong]]'', and ''[[The Informer]]'' were examples of the [[Leitmotif]] style of music he became so very famous for. While his critics referred to this style of music as "[[Mickey Mousing]]" the producers and directors loved his music. They could count on the fact that Steiner would make a good film better and great film superb. Shortly after being let go by RKO he was hired by [[David O Selznick|David O. Selznick]] to begin work on the classic ''[[Gone With the Wind]]''. From there he was hired by Warner Bros. where he remained for the majority of his working days. One of his first assignments was a film ''Tovarich'' part of which became the famous [[Warner Bros]] fanfare introduction to their films.
One of his most beneficial American jobs was to compose the music to be conducted during screenings of the silent film ''The Bondman'' (1915); he became a friend of William Fox, the film's producer, giving Steiner early entree into the Hollywood that would so gainfully employ him in later years. It was at RKO Pictures that Max developed his style of writing scores for films. Adapting the concept developed by [[Richard Wagner]], Max wrote music that became a dramatic content of the film, not just a background filler. His films ''Symphony of Six Million'', ''[[King Kong]]'', and ''[[The Informer]]'' were examples of the [[Leitmotif]] style of music he became so very famous for. While his critics referred to this style of music as "[[Mickey Mousing]]" the producers and directors loved his music. They could count on the fact that Steiner would make a good film better and great film superb. Shortly after being let go by RKO he was hired by [[David O Selznick|David O. Selznick]] to begin work on the classic ''[[Gone with the Wind]]''. From there he was hired by Warner Bros. where he remained for the majority of his working days. One of his first assignments was a film ''Tovarich'' part of which became the famous [[Warner Bros]] fanfare introduction to their films.


Max in his career produced scores for over 250 films! He received 26 nominations from the Academy and took home three Oscars.
Max in his career produced scores for over 250 films! He received 26 nominations from the Academy and took home three Oscars.
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* ''The Informer'' (1935) -- A powerful [[John Ford]] film about "the Troubles" in [[Oireland]]
* ''The Informer'' (1935) -- A powerful [[John Ford]] film about "the Troubles" in [[Oireland]]
* ''She'' (1935)
* ''She'' (1935)
* ''[[The Three Musketeers (Film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' (1935)
* ''[[The Three Musketeers]]'' (1935)
* ''Follow the Fleet'' (1936) -- A [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Ginger Rogers]] musical
* ''Follow the Fleet'' (1936) -- A [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Ginger Rogers]] musical
* ''[[Little Lord Fauntleroy]]'' (1936)
* ''[[Little Lord Fauntleroy]]'' (1936)
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* ''The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937) -- A Paul Muni [[Biopic]]
* ''The Life of Emile Zola'' (1937) -- A Paul Muni [[Biopic]]
* ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1938)
* ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (1938)
* ''Jezebel'' (1938) -- [[Bette Davis]]'s attempt to play [[Gone With the Wind|Scarlett O'Hara]]
* ''Jezebel'' (1938) -- [[Bette Davis]]'s attempt to play [[Gone with the Wind|Scarlett O'Hara]]
* ''Four Daughters'' (1938) -- A wildly popular [[Warner Bros]]. [[Chick Flick]]
* ''Four Daughters'' (1938) -- A wildly popular [[Warner Bros]]. [[Chick Flick]]
* ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938) -- The return of the "Dead End Kids"'' (aka "the Bowery Boys); famous as the film in which [[Jimmy Cagney]] "dies yellow"
* ''Angels with Dirty Faces'' (1938) -- The return of the "Dead End Kids"'' (aka "the Bowery Boys); famous as the film in which [[Jimmy Cagney]] "dies yellow"
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* ''Dodge City'' (1939) -- An [[Errol Flynn]] [[Western]]
* ''Dodge City'' (1939) -- An [[Errol Flynn]] [[Western]]
* ''Dark Victory'' (1939) -- A [[Bette Davis]] [[Chick Flick|weepie]]
* ''Dark Victory'' (1939) -- A [[Bette Davis]] [[Chick Flick|weepie]]
* ''[[Gone With the Wind]]'' (1939)
* ''[[Gone with the Wind]]'' (1939)
* ''Four Wives'' (1939) -- Sequel to ''Four Daughters''
* ''Four Wives'' (1939) -- Sequel to ''Four Daughters''
* ''Virginia City'' (1940) -- An [[Errol Flynn]] [[Western]]
* ''Virginia City'' (1940) -- An [[Errol Flynn]] [[Western]]
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* ''Sergeant York'' (1941) -- [[Gary Cooper]] wins [[World War I]]
* ''Sergeant York'' (1941) -- [[Gary Cooper]] wins [[World War I]]
* ''They Died with Their Boots On'' (1941) -- [[Errol Flynn]]'s turn to play Custer
* ''They Died with Their Boots On'' (1941) -- [[Errol Flynn]]'s turn to play Custer
* ''[[Now Voyager|Now, Voyager]]'' (1942)
* ''[[Now Voyager]]'' (1942)
* ''[[Casablanca]]'' (1942)
* ''[[Casablanca]]'' (1942)
* ''Mission to Moscow'' (1943) -- Probably the most blatant pro-Soviet propaganda ever to be produced by [[Warner Bros|a major American studio]]
* ''Mission to Moscow'' (1943) -- Probably the most blatant pro-Soviet propaganda ever to be produced by [[Warner Bros|a major American studio]]
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* ''The Beast with Five Fingers'' (1946)
* ''The Beast with Five Fingers'' (1946)
* ''Life with Father'' (1947) -- A hilariously nostalgic look back at a New York family in the 1880's
* ''Life with Father'' (1947) -- A hilariously nostalgic look back at a New York family in the 1880's
* ''[[The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Film)|The Treasure of the Sierra Madre]]'' (1948)
* ''[[The Treasure of the Sierra Madre]]'' (1948)
* ''[[Key Largo]]'' (1948)
* ''[[Key Largo]]'' (1948)
* ''Adventures of Don Juan'' (1948) -- [[Errol Flynn]] [[Sarcasm Mode|cast against type]] as the legendary romantic adventurer
* ''Adventures of Don Juan'' (1948) -- [[Errol Flynn]] [[Sarcasm Mode|cast against type]] as the legendary romantic adventurer
* ''[[The Fountainhead]]'' (1949) -- [[Gary Cooper]] plays [[Ayn Rand (Creator)|Ayn Rand]]'s hero
* ''[[The Fountainhead]]'' (1949) -- [[Gary Cooper]] plays [[Ayn Rand]]'s hero
* ''[[White Heat]]'' (1949) -- "[[Signature Line|Made it, Ma! Top of the world!]]"
* ''[[White Heat]]'' (1949) -- "[[Signature Line|Made it, Ma! Top of the world!]]"
* ''The Caine Mutiny'' (1954)
* ''The Caine Mutiny'' (1954)
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* ''The Glass Menagerie'' (1950)
* ''The Glass Menagerie'' (1950)
* ''Young Man with a Horn'' (1950) -- Kirk Douglas plays the trumpet. No, really.
* ''Young Man with a Horn'' (1950) -- Kirk Douglas plays the trumpet. No, really.
* ''King Richard and the Crusaders'' (1954) -- In which [[Richard the Lion Heart]] becomes a major [[Deadpan Snarker]] and Saladin becomes [[WTH Casting Agency|Rex Harrison]]; based loosely on Sir [[Walter Scott]]'s ''The Talisman''
* ''King Richard and the Crusaders'' (1954) -- In which [[Richard the Lion Heart]] becomes a major [[Deadpan Snarker]] and Saladin becomes [[WTH? Casting Agency|Rex Harrison]]; based loosely on Sir [[Walter Scott]]'s ''The Talisman''
* ''[[The Searchers]]'' (1956) [[John Ford]]'s masterpiece, and perhaps the greatest [[Western]] ever made
* ''[[The Searchers]]'' (1956) [[John Ford]]'s masterpiece, and perhaps the greatest [[Western]] ever made
* ''John Paul Jones'' (1959)
* ''John Paul Jones'' (1959)

Revision as of 21:41, 8 April 2014

/wiki/Max Steinercreator

Maximillian Raoul Walter Steiner was born in Vienna on May 10, 1888. Max was the grandson of the musical impresario who discovered Strauss and brought Offenbach to Vienna. By the time he was 16 he was already conducting, composing, and continuing his studies under Gustav Mahler. With the outbreak of the World War I, Steiner emigrated to America, where he kept busy with Broadway musicals and operettas.

One of his most beneficial American jobs was to compose the music to be conducted during screenings of the silent film The Bondman (1915); he became a friend of William Fox, the film's producer, giving Steiner early entree into the Hollywood that would so gainfully employ him in later years. It was at RKO Pictures that Max developed his style of writing scores for films. Adapting the concept developed by Richard Wagner, Max wrote music that became a dramatic content of the film, not just a background filler. His films Symphony of Six Million, King Kong, and The Informer were examples of the Leitmotif style of music he became so very famous for. While his critics referred to this style of music as "Mickey Mousing" the producers and directors loved his music. They could count on the fact that Steiner would make a good film better and great film superb. Shortly after being let go by RKO he was hired by David O. Selznick to begin work on the classic Gone with the Wind. From there he was hired by Warner Bros. where he remained for the majority of his working days. One of his first assignments was a film Tovarich part of which became the famous Warner Bros fanfare introduction to their films.

Max in his career produced scores for over 250 films! He received 26 nominations from the Academy and took home three Oscars.

After many years of suffering from cancer and failing eyesight Max Steiner passed away in Hollywood on December 28, 1971.

Notable Scores By Max Steiner Include

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