David Raksin
Encyclopedia
David Raksin was an American composer born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. With over 100 film scores and 300 television scores to his credit, he became known as the "Grandfather of Film Music." One of his earliest film assignments was as assistant to Charlie Chaplin
in the composition of the score to Modern Times
(1936). He is perhaps best remembered for the haunting theme to the 1944 movie Laura
, which became the 1945 song "Laura
". Johnny Mercer
put lyrics to this theme, and during Raksin's lifetime this was said to be the second most-recorded song in history following only Stardust
by Hoagy Carmichael
and Mitchell Parish
. He also wrote the theme song for (and scored the pilot of) Ben Casey
.
Raksin's father was an orchestra conductor. Raksin played professionally in dance bands while attending Central High School of Philadelphia. He went on to study composition with Harl McDonald
at the University of Pennsylvania and later with Isadore Freed
in New York and Arnold Schoenberg
in Los Angeles. In New York Raksin worked as an arranger for Harms/Chappell.
Later in life, Raksin taught at the University of Southern California
and the University of California, Los Angeles
.
At the time of his death, it was announced that Raksin had completed his autobiography, titled If I Say So Myself.
His son Alex is a Pulitzer Prize
winning editorial
writer for the Los Angeles Times
.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
. With over 100 film scores and 300 television scores to his credit, he became known as the "Grandfather of Film Music." One of his earliest film assignments was as assistant to Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
in the composition of the score to Modern Times
Modern Times (film)
Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film by Charlie Chaplin that has his iconic Little Tramp character struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a comment on the desperate employment and fiscal conditions many people faced during the Great Depression, conditions created, in...
(1936). He is perhaps best remembered for the haunting theme to the 1944 movie Laura
Laura (1944 film)
Laura is a 1944 American film noir directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews and Clifton Webb. The screenplay by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Elizabeth Reinhardt is based on the 1943 novel of the same title by Vera Caspary....
, which became the 1945 song "Laura
Laura (1945 song)
"Laura" is a 1945 popular song composed by David Raksin, with lyrics written by Johnny Mercer from the 1944 movie starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews. It has since become a jazz standard with over four hundred known recordings.Some of the best known versions are by Billy Eckstine, Charlie...
". Johnny Mercer
Johnny Mercer
John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer was an American lyricist, songwriter and singer. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others...
put lyrics to this theme, and during Raksin's lifetime this was said to be the second most-recorded song in history following only Stardust
Stardust (song)
"Stardust" is an American popular song composed in 1927 by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics added in 1929 by Mitchell Parish. Originally titled "Star Dust", Carmichael first recorded the song at the Gennett Records studio in Richmond, Indiana...
by Hoagy Carmichael
Hoagy Carmichael
Howard Hoagland "Hoagy" Carmichael was an American composer, pianist, singer, actor, and bandleader. He is best known for writing "Stardust", "Georgia On My Mind", "The Nearness of You", and "Heart and Soul", four of the most-recorded American songs of all time.Alec Wilder, in his study of the...
and Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish
Mitchell Parish was an American lyricist.-Early life:Parish was born Michael Hyman Pashelinsky to a Jewish family in Lithuania. His family emigrated to the United States, arriving on February 3, 1901 on the SS Dresden when he was less than a year old...
. He also wrote the theme song for (and scored the pilot of) Ben Casey
Ben Casey
Ben Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
.
Raksin's father was an orchestra conductor. Raksin played professionally in dance bands while attending Central High School of Philadelphia. He went on to study composition with Harl McDonald
Harl McDonald
Harl McDonald was an American composer, conductor, pianist and teacher. McDonald studied at the University of California, the University of Redlands, and the Leipzig Conservatory...
at the University of Pennsylvania and later with Isadore Freed
Isadore Freed
Isadore Freed was a Jewish composer of Belarusian birth.-Biography:Born in Brest-Litovsk, now Brest, Belarus, Freed's family emigrated to the United States when Freed was three years old and settled in Philadelphia, where his father owned a music store...
in New York and Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian composer, associated with the expressionist movement in German poetry and art, and leader of the Second Viennese School...
in Los Angeles. In New York Raksin worked as an arranger for Harms/Chappell.
Later in life, Raksin taught at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
and the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
At the time of his death, it was announced that Raksin had completed his autobiography, titled If I Say So Myself.
His son Alex is a Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning editorial
Editorial
An opinion piece is an article, published in a newspaper or magazine, that mainly reflects the author's opinion about the subject. Opinion pieces are featured in many periodicals.-Editorials:...
writer for the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
.
Film/TV scores - selected list
- The Day AfterThe Day AfterThe Day After is a 1983 American television movie which aired on November 20, 1983, on the ABC television network. It was seen by more than 100 million people during its initial broadcast....
(1983) - Glass HousesGlass HousesGlass Houses is the seventh album by American singer-songwriter Billy Joel, released in 1980 . It features Joel's first song to peak at #1 on Billboard's Pop Singles chart, "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." The album itself topped the Pop Albums chart for six weeks and was ranked number 4 on...
(1972) - Will PennyWill PennyWill Penny is a 1968 western film directed by Tom Gries starring Charlton Heston and Donald Pleasence. It was based upon an episode of the 1960 Sam Peckinpah television series The Westerner called "Line Camp," which was also written and directed by Tom Gries...
(1968) - A Big Hand for the Little LadyA Big Hand for the Little LadyA Big Hand for the Little Lady is a 1966 western film, made by Eden Productions Inc. and released by Warner Bros...
(1966) - Invitation to a GunfighterInvitation to a GunfighterInvitation to a Gunfighter is a 1964 drama directed by Richard Wilson, starring Yul Brynner and George Segal.-Plot:Confederate veteran Matt Weaver returning home after the Civil War discovers his farm was sold by a banker named Brewster .-Cast:* Yul Brynner as Jules Gaspard d'Estaing* Janice Rule...
(1964) - The Patsy (1964)
- Two Weeks in Another Town (1962)
- Too Late BluesToo Late BluesToo Late Blues is a 1962 John Cassavetes film that stars Bobby Darin, Stella Stevens, Vince Edwards, Seymour Cassel, and Everette Chambers. It is the story of jazz musician "Ghost" Wakefield , and his relationship between both his fellow band members and his love interest, Jess, a beautiful...
(1961 or 1962) - Ben CaseyBen CaseyBen Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
(1961) TV Series - Two Faces West (1960) TV Series
- Al Capone (1959)
- Separate TablesSeparate Tables (film)Separate Tables is a 1958 American drama film based on two one-act plays by Terence Rattigan that were collectively known by this name. It was directed by Delbert Mann, and adapted by Rattigan, John Gay and an uncredited John Michael Hayes. Mary Grant designed the film's costumes.The film took the...
(1958) - Until They SailUntil They SailUntil They Sail is a 1957 American black and white CinemaScope drama film directed by Robert Wise. The screenplay by Robert Anderson, based on a story by James A. Michener included in his 1951 anthology Return to Paradise, focuses on four New Zealand sisters and their relationships with U.S...
(1957) - Man on Fire (1957)
- 20 Million Miles to Earth20 Million Miles to Earth20 Million Miles to Earth is a 1957 American science fiction film written by Bob Williams and Christopher Knopf from an original treatment by Charlott Knight. The film was produced by Charles H. Schneer's Morningside Productions for Columbia Pictures and directed by Nathan H. Juran...
(1957) - Hellcats of the NavyHellcats of the NavyHellcats of the Navy is a World War II submarine movie starring Ronald Reagan and his wife, billed as Nancy Davis, her then professional name...
(1957) - Hilda CraneHilda CraneHilda Crane, also known as The Many Loves of Hilda Crane, is a 1956 drama film made by 20th Century Fox. It was directed by Philip Dunne and produced by Herbert B. Swope Jr. from a screenplay adapted by Dunne from the play by Samson Raphaelson. The music score was by David Raksin and the...
(1956) - Jubal (1956)
- Seven Wonders of the World (1955) (with Sol KaplanSol KaplanSol Kaplan was a prolific film and television music composer.Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Kaplan worked as a successful concert pianist, including performing at Carnegie Hall in 1941. That same year, Kaplan composed his first film score. He went on to write music for dozens of films...
, Jerome MorossJerome MorossJerome Moross was an American-born composer for the stage, and a composer, conductor and orchestrator for motion pictures.-Biography:...
, Emil NewmanEmil NewmanEmil Newman was an American composer and conductor who worked on over 200 films and TV shows. He was nominated for an Oscar for musical direction on the classic Sun Valley Serenade ....
) - The Big ComboThe Big ComboThe Big Combo is an American film noir directed by Joseph H. Lewis and stylistically photographed by cinematographer and noir icon John Alton with music by David Raksin....
(1955) - SuddenlySuddenly (1954 film)Suddenly is an American film noir directed by Lewis Allen with a screenplay written by Richard Sale. The drama features Frank Sinatra, Sterling Hayden, James Gleason and Nancy Gates, among others....
(1954) - Apache (1954)
- The Bad and the BeautifulThe Bad and the BeautifulThe Bad and the Beautiful is a 1952 MGM melodramatic film that tells the story of a film producer who alienates all around him. It was directed by Vincente Minelli and stars Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell, Barry Sullivan, Gloria Grahame and Gilbert Roland. The film was...
(1952) - Madeline (cartoon) (1952)
- CarrieCarrie (1952 film)Carrie is a 1952 feature film based on the novel Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser.Directed by William Wyler, the film stars Jennifer Jones in the title role and Laurence Olivier as Hurstwood. Carrie received two Academy Award Nominations: Costume Design, and Best Art Direction...
(1952) - Pat and MikePat and MikePat and Mike is a 1952 comedy starring Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. The movie was directed by George Cukor, who also directed The Philadelphia Story and Adam's Rib.- Plot :...
(1952) - It's a Big Country (1951)
- Across the Wide MissouriAcross the Wide Missouri (film)Across the Wide Missouri is a 1951 American film based on historian Bernard DeVoto's book, Across the Wide Missouri. The film dramatizes an account of several fur traders and their interaction with the Native Americans....
(1951) - The Next Voice You Hear... (1950)
- The Magnificent Yankee (1950)
- WhirlpoolWhirlpool (1949 film)Whirlpool is a thriller film noir directed by Otto Preminger and written by Ben Hecht and Andrew Solt, adapted from Guy Endore's novel Methinks the Lady. The film Stars Gene Tierney, Richard Conte, José Ferrer, Charles Bickford and Constance Collier in her final film role.The drama combines...
(1949) - Force of EvilForce of EvilForce of Evil is a 1948 film noir directed by Abraham Polonsky who had already achieved a name for himself as a scriptwriter, most notably for the gritty boxing film Body and Soul . Like Body and Soul, the film starred John Garfield...
(1948) - Superman (1948)
- Daisy KenyonDaisy KenyonDaisy Kenyon is a 20th Century Fox feature film starring Joan Crawford, Henry Fonda, and Dana Andrews in a story about a post-World War II romantic triangle. The screenplay by David Hertz was based upon a 1945 novel by Elizabeth Janeway. The film was directed and produced by Otto Preminger. Daisy...
(1947) - Forever AmberForever Amber (film)Forever Amber is a 1947 film directed by Otto Preminger and starring Linda Darnell and Cornel Wilde. It was based on the book of the same name. It also starred Richard Greene, George Sanders, Glenn Langan, Richard Haydn, Dolores Hart, and Jessica Tandy...
(1947) - The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947)
- Fallen AngelFallen Angel (1945 film)Fallen Angel is a 1945 black-and-white film noir directed by Otto Preminger, with cinematography by Joseph LaShelle, who had also worked with Preminger on Laura a year before. The film features Alice Faye, Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, and Charles Bickford. It was the last film Faye made as a major...
(1945) - LauraLaura (1944 film)Laura is a 1944 American film noir directed by Otto Preminger. It stars Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews and Clifton Webb. The screenplay by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Elizabeth Reinhardt is based on the 1943 novel of the same title by Vera Caspary....
(1944) - Tampico (1944)
- Something to Shout About (1943)
- City Without Men (1943)
- The Men in Her LifeThe Men in Her LifeThe Men in Her Life was a 1941 film adaptation of the novel Ballerina by Eleanor Smith. It was nominated for the 1941 Academy Award for Sound , but lost to That Hamilton Woman.-Cast:* Loretta Young as Lina Varsavina...
(1941) - The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesThe Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (film)The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a 1939 film featuring the characters of the Sherlock Holmes series of books as created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was the second film to feature Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Doctor Watson, the final one they would make for 20th Century Fox, and...
(1939) - Stanley and LivingstoneStanley and LivingstoneStanley and Livingstone is a movie about reporter Sir Henry M. Stanley's quest for Dr. David Livingstone, a missionary presumed lost in Africa. Spencer Tracy played Stanley, Sir Cedric Hardwicke portrayed Livingstone, and other cast members included Nancy Kelly, Walter Brennan, Charles Coburn,...
(1939) - The Hound of the BaskervillesThe Hound of the Baskervilles (1939 film)The Hound of the Baskervilles 1939 mystery film based on the novel The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and is directed by Sidney Lanfield and produced by 20th Century Fox....
(1939) - Suez (1938)
- Modern TimesModern Times (film)Modern Times is a 1936 comedy film by Charlie Chaplin that has his iconic Little Tramp character struggling to survive in the modern, industrialized world. The film is a comment on the desperate employment and fiscal conditions many people faced during the Great Depression, conditions created, in...
(arranger)(1936)
Work on Broadway
- Parade (1935) - revueRevueA revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
- co-orchestrator - At Home Abroad (1935) - revueRevueA revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
- co-orchestrator - New Faces of 1936 (1936) - revueRevueA revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
- co-orchestrator - If the Shoe Fits (1946) - musical - composerComposerA composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
- Dream (1997) - revueRevueA revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
- featured songwriterSongwriterA songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
for "Laura"
External links
- Brief biography from Otherminds.org
- Film Composers Tributes - David Raksin
- Obituary The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
(August 11, 2004)
Interviews
- Streaming audio interview with Raksin, by Charles Amirkhanian, January 28, 1988
- David Raksin interview by Bruce Duffie, May 1988