Maximilian Raoul "Max" Steiner (May 10, 1888December 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.
Filmography (as per AFI's database, unless otherwise noted)
All orchestration notes, additional composition, stock music, and main/end title notes come from the Max Steiner filmography in Film Composers in America.
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.
1920s and 1930s + 1929 through 1939 Year FilmDirectorRole Production company AwardsNotes Orchestrator 1929Rio RitaLuther ReedFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1930Lynn ShoresFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; score for a foreign version of the 1929 film; co-written with Roy Webb 1930Side StreetMalcolm St. ClairFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; score for a foreign version of the 1929 film; co-written with Roy Webb 1930Herbert BrenonFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; Steiner composed only the main title 1930DixianaLuther ReedOrchestrationRKO Radio PicturesFirst screen credit 1931Are These Our Children?Wesley RugglesFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1931Bachelor ApartmentLowell ShermanFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; stock music also used 1931Beau IdealHerbert BrenonFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; composed new main and end titles only (other music was stock) 1931CimarronWesley RugglesFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1931Consolation MarriagePaul SloaneFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures Gerstenberger 1931Cracked NutsEdward F. ClineFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesMarquardt 1931Fanny Foley HerselfMelville W. BrownFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1931Friends and LoversVictor SchertzingerFilm score (co-written)RKO Radio Picturesscreen credit states the score was co-written with Victor Schertzinger, but score and cue sheet show no signs of Steiner's work. 1931Richard BoleslawskiFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1931High StakesLowell ShermanFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; stock music also used 1931Kept HusbandsLloyd BaconFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; composed new main and end titles only 1931Peach O'RenoWilliam A. SeiterFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited R. Heindorf 1931J. Walter RubenFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncreditedE. Ross 1931William James CraftFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1931Secret ServiceJ. Walter RubenFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1931TransgressionHerbert BrenonFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1931Young Donovan's KidFred NibloFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; composed new main title only 1931Way Back HomeWilliam A. SeiterFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncreditedGerstenberger 1932Edward H. GriffithFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1932George CukorFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesMain title by HarlingKaun 1932Bird of ParadiseKing VidorFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun and R. Bassett 1932William WellmanFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures Kaun 1932Girl CrazyWilliam A. SeiterFilm scoreRKO Radio Picturesadditional composition 1932Girl of the RioHerbert BrenonFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncreditedGerstenberger 1932Gregory LaCavaFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1932Is My Face Red?William A. SeiterFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesR. Heindorf and Kaun 1932Ladies of the JuryLowell ShermanFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited; composed main title and stock musicR. Heindorf 1932George ArchainbaudFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1932Men of ChanceGeorge ArchainbaudFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncreditedGerstenberger 1932Richard ConnellFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun and Gerstenberger 1932George ArchainbaudFilm scoreRKO Radio Picturescomposed main title 1932Roar of the DragonWesley RugglesFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun and Gerstenberger 1932State's AttorneyGeorge ArchainbaudFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncreditedR. Heindorf 1932Symphony of Six MillionGregory La CavaFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1932Thirteen WomenGeorge ArchainbaudFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun and Gerstenberger 1932What Price Hollywood?George CukorFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1933Robert F. HillFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1933Christopher StrongDorothy ArznerFilm scoreRKO Radio Picturesadditional composition by Webb and orchestrated by SharpeKaun 1933DiplomaniacsWilliam A. SeiterFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictureswith Webb Kaune and Sharpe 1933King KongMerian C. CooperFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1933Little WomenGeorge CukorFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1933Lucky DevilsRalph InceFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1933Melody CruiseMark SandrichFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1933Ernest B. SchoedsackFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1933Morning GloryLowell ShermanFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1933Alfred SantellFilm scoreRKO Radio Picturesadditional composition for Webb's score 1933Scarlet RiverOtto BrowerFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesUncredited 1933John CromwellFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1933Son of KongErnest B. SchoedsackFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1933SweepingsJohn CromwellFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1934Philip MoellerFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1934John CromwellFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1934Mark SandrichFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesNominated for Academy Award for Best Original Score 1934Alfred SantellFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1934Richard WallaceFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1934John FordFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesNominated for Academy Award for Best Original ScoreKaun 1934Murder on the BlackboardGeorge ArchainbaudFilm scoreRKO Radio Picturescomposed with Kaun 1934Of Human BondageJohn CromwellFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1934StingareeWilliam A. SeiterFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1935Break of HeartsPhilip MoellerFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1935I Dream Too MuchJohn CromwellFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1935John FordFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesWon the Academy Award for Best Original ScoreKaun and de Packh 1935RobertaWilliam A. SeiterFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1935SheIrving PichelLansing C. HoldenFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures Kaun, de Packh, and E. Powell 1935Star of MidnightStephen RobertsFilm scoreRKO Radio Picturesincludes stock music 1935Irving PichelLansing C. HoldenFilm scoreRKO Radio PicturesKaun 1935Alice AdamsGeorge StevensFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictureswith Webb 1936Michael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros.Hugo Friedhofer, Parrish, de Packh, and R. Bassett 1936Follow the FleetMark SandrichFilm scoreRKO Radio Pictures 1936Richard BoleslawskiFilm scoreSelznick International PicturesNominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score Kaun, E. Powell, R. Bassett, Parrish, and Friedhofer 1936Little Lord FauntleroyJohn CromwellFilm scoreSelznick International PicturesKaun 1937First LadyStanley LoganFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1937God's Country and the WomanWilliam KeighleyFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1937Green LightFrank BorzageFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1937Kid GalahadMichael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros. with Heinz Roemheld 1937William DieterleFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1937SlimRay EnrightFilm scoreWarner Bros. with RoemheldFriedhofer 1937William A. WellmanFilm scoreSelznick International PicturesKaun, Parrish, and Friedhofer 1937Submarine D-1Lloyd BaconFilm scoreCosmopolitan ProductionsFriedhofer 1937That Certain WomanEdmund GouldingFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1937TovarichAnatole LitvakFilm scoreWarner Bros.First use of Steiner's well-known fanfare for the "Warner Bros. Presents" screenFriedhofer 1938Norman TaurogFilm scoreSelznick International PicturesParrish and Kaun 1938Anatole LitvakFilm scoreWarner Bros.Parrish 1938Angels with Dirty FacesMichael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1938Crime SchoolLewis SeilerFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer and Parrish 1938Edmund GouldingFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1938Four DaughtersMichael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1938Gold Is Where You Find ItMichael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer and Kaun 1938JezebelWilliam WylerFilm scoreWarner Bros.Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original ScoreFriedhofer 1938Anatole LitvakFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1938White BannersEdmund GouldingFilm scoreWarner Bros. 1939Confessions of a Nazi SpyAnatole LitvakFilm scoreWarner Bros. uncredited at Steiner's request 1939Dark VictoryEdmund GouldingFilm scoreWarner Bros.Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original ScoreFriedhofer 1939Daughters CourageousMichael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros.R. Heindorf 1939Dodge CityMichael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros.additional composition by A. DeutschFriedhofer 1939Dust Be My DestinyLewis SeilerFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1939Each Dawn I DieWilliam KeighleyFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1939Four WivesMichael CurtizFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer and R. Heindorf 1939Gone with the WindVictor FlemingFilm scoreSelznick International PicturesMetro-Goldwyn-MayerNominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Scoreadditional composition by Friedhofer, A. Deutsch, RoemheldFriedhofer, Kaun, R. Bassett, Deutsch, and others 1939Intermezzo: A Love StoryGregory RatoffFilm scoreSelznick International Picturesadditional composition by R. Bennett R. Bennett, Friedhofer, Raab, de Packh, R. Bassett, and Salinger 1939Lloyd BaconFilm scoreWarner Bros.additional composition by A. Deutsch and FriedhoferFriedhofer, A. Deutsch, Parrish, and Cutter 1939Edmund GouldingFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1939They Made Me a CriminalBusby BerkeleyFilm scoreWarner Bros.Friedhofer 1939We Are Not AloneEdmund GouldingFilm scoreFirst National PicturesFriedhofer
1940s