American composer filmography
Maximilian Raoul "Max" Steiner 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 Now, Voyager Since You Went Away King Kong Little Women Jezebel Casablanca The Searchers A Summer Place Gone with the Wind
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 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] Roy Webb [ 2]
1930
Side Street Malcolm St. Clair
Film score
RKO Radio Pictures
Uncredited;[ 3] [ 2]
1930
The Case of Sergeant Grischa Herbert Brenon
Film score
RKO Radio Pictures
Uncredited;[ 3]
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]
1931
Beau Ideal Herbert Brenon
Film score
RKO Radio Pictures
Uncredited;[ 3] [ 4]
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]
1931
Kept Husbands Lloyd Bacon
Film score
RKO Radio Pictures
Uncredited;[ 3]
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]
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]
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] 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] 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] [ 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.
^ "Max Steiner" . American Film Institute. Retrieved April 1, 2016 .^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n McCarty, Clifford (2000). Film composers in America: a filmography, 1911-1970 (2nd ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 310–313. ISBN 0195114736 ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 10. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016 .^ "A Little from "Lots" . The Film Daily . December 22, 1930. p. 6. Retrieved April 1, 2016 .^ "Cracked Nuts: Article" . Turner Classic Movies. Archived from the original on April 11, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016 .^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Max Steiner: Film Scores" . Songwriter Hall of Fame. p. 9. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved April 1, 2016 .^ a b c McCarty, Clifford (1996). "A Max Steiner Filmography". In D'Arc, James; Gillespie, John N. (eds.). The Max Steiner Collection ^ 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 ^ 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.
