Friedrich Hollaender
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Hollaender was a German
film composer
.
He was born in London, where his father, operetta
composer Victor Hollaender, worked at the Barnum & Bailey Circus
. Young Friedrich had a solid music and theatre family background: his uncle Gustav was director of the Stern Conservatory
in Berlin
, his uncle Felix Hollaender was a well-known novelist and drama critic, who later worked with Max Reinhardt
at the Deutsches Theater
.
In 1899 Friedrich's family returned to Germany
, his father began teaching at the Stern Conservatory, where his son became a student in Engelbert Humperdinck
's master class. In the evening he played the piano at silent film
performances in local cinemas, developing the art of musical improvisation
. By the age of 18 he was employed as a répétiteur
at the New German Theatre
in Prague
and also was put in charge of troop entertainment at the Western Front
of World War I.
Having finished his studies, he composed music for productions by Max Reinhardt and became involved in cabaret
and wrote music for the film, The Blue Angel
(1930). He left Nazi Germany
and emigrated to the United States of America where he wrote the music for over a hundred films, including Destry Rides Again
(1939), A Foreign Affair
(1948), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
(1953 Academy Award nomination) and Sabrina
(1954). Many of his songs were made famous by Marlene Dietrich
. He can be seen as the piano accompanist in A Foreign Affair (where he speaks a few words of dialog). He received four Academy Award
nominations for composition. In 1956 he returned to Germany, and died in Munich
in 1976.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
film composer
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
.
He was born in London, where his father, operetta
Operetta
Operetta is a genre of light opera, light in terms both of music and subject matter. It is also closely related, in English-language works, to forms of musical theatre.-Origins:...
composer Victor Hollaender, worked at the Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is an American circus company. The company was started when the circus created by James Anthony Bailey and P. T. Barnum was merged with the Ringling Brothers Circus. The Ringling brothers purchased the Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907, but ran the circuses...
. Young Friedrich had a solid music and theatre family background: his uncle Gustav was director of the Stern Conservatory
Stern conservatory
The Stern Conservatory was a private music school in Berlin with many notable tutors and alumni.-History:It was originally founded in 1850 as the Berliner Musikschule by Julius Stern, Theodor Kullak and Adolf Bernhard Marx. Kullak withdrew from the conservatory in 1855 in order to create a new...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, his uncle Felix Hollaender was a well-known novelist and drama critic, who later worked with Max Reinhardt
Max Reinhardt
----Max Reinhardt was an Austrian theater and film director and actor.-Biography:...
at the Deutsches Theater
Deutsches Theater
The Deutsches Theater in Berlin is a well-known German theatre. It was built in 1850 as Friedrich-Wilhelm-Städtisches Theater, after Frederick William IV of Prussia. Located on Schumann Street , the Deutsches Theater consists of two adjoining stages that share a common, classical facade...
.
In 1899 Friedrich's family returned to Germany
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
, his father began teaching at the Stern Conservatory, where his son became a student in Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck was a German composer, best known for his opera, Hänsel und Gretel. Humperdinck was born at Siegburg in the Rhine Province; at the age of 67 he died in Neustrelitz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.-Life:After receiving piano lessons, Humperdinck produced his first composition...
's master class. In the evening he played the piano at silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
performances in local cinemas, developing the art of musical improvisation
Musical improvisation
Musical improvisation is the creative activity of immediate musical composition, which combines performance with communication of emotions and instrumental technique as well as spontaneous response to other musicians...
. By the age of 18 he was employed as a répétiteur
Répétiteur
Répétiteur , repetitore , or Korrepetitor / Repetitor , originally from the French verb répéter meaning "to repeat, to go over, to learn, to rehearse"....
at the New German Theatre
Prague State Opera
The Prague State Opera , is an opera and ballet company in Prague, Czech Republic. The theatre was originally founded in 1888 as the New German Theatre and from 1949 to 1989 it was known as the Smetana Theatre....
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and also was put in charge of troop entertainment at the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
of World War I.
Having finished his studies, he composed music for productions by Max Reinhardt and became involved in cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
and wrote music for the film, The Blue Angel
Der blaue Engel
The Blue Angel is a film directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1930, based on Heinrich Mann's novel Professor Unrat. The film is considered to be the first major German sound film and it brought world fame to actress Marlene Dietrich...
(1930). He left Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and emigrated to the United States of America where he wrote the music for over a hundred films, including Destry Rides Again
Destry Rides Again
Destry Rides Again is a western starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Hervey, Billy Gilbert, Bill Cody, Jr., and Una Merkel. The original Max Brand novel was translated into an "oater" with the...
(1939), A Foreign Affair
A Foreign Affair
A Foreign Affair is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by David Shaw adapted by Robert Harari...
(1948), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. is a musical fantasy film, the only feature film ever written by Theodor Seuss Geisel , who was responsible for the story, screenplay and lyrics...
(1953 Academy Award nomination) and Sabrina
Sabrina (1954 film)
Sabrina is a 1954 comedy-romance film directed by Billy Wilder, adapted for the screen by Wilder, Samuel A. Taylor, and Ernest Lehman from Taylor's play Sabrina Fair...
(1954). Many of his songs were made famous by Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
. He can be seen as the piano accompanist in A Foreign Affair (where he speaks a few words of dialog). He received four Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
nominations for composition. In 1956 he returned to Germany, and died in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
in 1976.
Selected Songs
- 1926 "Raus mit den Männern", famous feminist song performed by Claire WaldoffClaire WaldoffClaire Waldoff was a German singer. She was a famous cabaret singer and entertainer in Berlin during the 1910s and 1920s.- Biography :...
. - 1930 "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt" w.m. (words and music) Hollander (with English words by Sammy LernerSammy LernerSamuel "Sammy" Lerner was a Romanian-born songwriter for American and British musical theatre and film.-Career:...
became known as "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)"Falling in Love Again " is the English language name for a 1930 German song composed by Friedrich Hollaender as Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt...
"). Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Der Blaue EngelDer blaue EngelThe Blue Angel is a film directed by Josef von Sternberg in 1930, based on Heinrich Mann's novel Professor Unrat. The film is considered to be the first major German sound film and it brought world fame to actress Marlene Dietrich...
. - 1931 "Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte" in film Der Mann, der seinen Mörder sucht and in the 1974 film The Night PorterThe Night PorterThe Night Porter is a controversial 1974 film by Italian director Liliana Cavani, starring Dirk Bogarde and Charlotte Rampling.- Synopsis :...
(Italian: Il Portiere di notte) by Liliana CavaniLiliana CavaniLiliana Cavani is an Italian film director and screenwriter. She belongs to a generation of Italian filmmakers that came into prominence in the 1970s and includes Bernardo Bertolucci, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Marco Bellochio. Cavani became internationally known after the success of her 1974 feature...
. - 1935 "My Heart and I" w. Leo RobinLeo RobinLeo Robin was an American composer, lyricist and songwriter. He is probably best known for collaborating with Ralph Rainger on the 1938 Oscar-winning song "Thanks for the Memory," sung by Bob Hope in the film The Big Broadcast of 1938.-Biography:Robin was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and...
. Introduced by Bing CrosbyBing CrosbyHarry Lillis "Bing" Crosby was an American singer and actor. Crosby's trademark bass-baritone voice made him one of the best-selling recording artists of the 20th century, with over half a billion records in circulation....
in the 1936 film Anything Goes - 1936 "Awake in a Dream" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film DesireDesire (1936 film)Desire is an American romantic drama film released in 1936 and directed by Frank Borzage. It was produced by Borzage and Ernst Lubitsch. The picture is a remake of the 1933 German film Die Schönen Tage von Aranjuez. The screenplay was written by Samuel Hoffenstein, Edwin Justus Mayer and Waldemar...
. - 1936 "The House That Jack Built for Jill" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Bing Crosby in the film Rhythm on the RangeRhythm on the RangeRhythm on the Range is a 1936 Paramount Pictures musical film directed by Norman Taurog.-Plot:Doris Halliday is the daughter of wealthy banker Robert Halliday. She is about to marry a man she doesn't love, so the family will become richer...
. - 1936 "Moonlight and Shadows" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Dorothy LamourDorothy LamourDorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
in the film The Jungle PrincessThe Jungle PrincessThe Jungle Princess is a 1936 motion picture released by Paramount Pictures, directed by William Thiele, and starring Dorothy Lamour in her film debut, Ray Milland, and Ray Mala....
. - 1937 "Whispers in the Dark" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Connie Boswell in the film Artists and Models
- 1937 "It's Raining Sunbeams" w. Sam CoslowSam CoslowSam Coslow was an American songwriter, singer, film producer, publisher, and market analyst. Coslow was born in New York City. He began writing songs as a teenager...
. Introduced by Deanna DurbinDeanna DurbinDeanna Durbin is a Canadian-born, Southern California-raised retired singer and actress, who appeared in a number of musical films in the 1930s and 1940s singing standards as well as operatic arias....
in the film One Hundred Men and a GirlOne Hundred Men and a GirlOne Hundred Men and a Girl is a 1937 musical comedy film, written by Charles Kenyon, Bruce Manning and James Mulhauser from a story by Hanns Kräly and directed by Henry Koster...
. - 1937 "True Confession" w. Sam Coslow. Theme of the film True ConfessionTrue ConfessionTrue Confession is a 1937 screwball comedy film starring Carole Lombard, Fred MacMurray, and John Barrymore. It was directed by Wesley Ruggles and based on the play Mon Crime, written by Georges Berr and Louis Verneuil.-Plot:...
. - 1938 "You Leave Me Breathless" w. Ralph Freed. Introduced by Fred MacMurrayFred MacMurrayFrederick Martin "Fred" MacMurray was an American actor who appeared in more than 100 movies and a successful television series during a career that spanned nearly a half-century, from 1930 to the 1970s....
in the film Cocoanut Grove. - 1939 "Strange Enchantment" w. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the film Man About TownMan About Town (1939 film)Man About Town is a 1939 musical comedy film starring Jack Benny and Dorothy Lamour. A producer tries to get his leading lady take him seriously romantically by pursuing other women.-Cast:*Jack Benny as Bob Temple*Dorothy Lamour as Diana Wilson...
. - 1939 "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will HaveSee What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have"See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have" is a song written by Frank Loesser, set to music by Frederick Hollander and performed by Marlene Dietrich in the film, Destry Rides Again ....
" w. Frank LoesserFrank LoesserFrank Henry Loesser was an American songwriter who wrote the lyrics and scores to the Broadway hits Guys and Dolls and How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, among others. He won separate Tony Awards for the music and lyrics in both shows, as well as sharing the Pulitzer Prize for...
. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Destry Rides AgainDestry Rides AgainDestry Rides Again is a western starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Hervey, Billy Gilbert, Bill Cody, Jr., and Una Merkel. The original Max Brand novel was translated into an "oater" with the...
. - 1940 "I've Been in Love Before" w. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Seven Sinners.
- 1940 "Moon Over Burma" w. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the film Moon Over Burma.
- 1948 "Black Market" w.m. Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film A Foreign AffairA Foreign AffairA Foreign Affair is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by David Shaw adapted by Robert Harari...
. - 1948 "Illusions" w.m. Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film A Foreign AffairA Foreign AffairA Foreign Affair is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by David Shaw adapted by Robert Harari...
. - 1948 "The Ruins of Berlin" w.m. Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film A Foreign AffairA Foreign AffairA Foreign Affair is a 1948 American romantic comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. The screenplay by Wilder, Charles Brackett, and Richard L. Breen is based on a story by David Shaw adapted by Robert Harari...
.