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David Raksin
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
David Raksin was born in 1912 in Philadelphia. He studied composition, with Arnold Schoenberg in Los Angeles among others. His first big job was working out Chaplin's melodies for Modern Times (1936). He became known through Otto Preminger's Laura (1944). Preminger first wanted to use Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Lady, but Raksin was given one weekend to write something else. That is how the Laura theme came about. Johnny Mercer later wrote lyrics for it and it became a jazz standard with hundreds of recordings. Raksin wrote more than a hundred film scores, including Forever Amber (1947) and The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Later he taught at USC and UCLA.
Listening
Laura · David Raksin, 1944
Amber (Main Title) · David Raksin & Philharmonia Orchestra, 1947- Love Is for the Very Young (Main Title Theme) · David Raksin & Philharmonia Orchestra, 1952
Main Title · David Raksin, 1944
Discography
Studio albums
- 1965Sylvia (soundtrack)
- 1968Will Penny (soundtrack)
- 1989Forever Amber / The Bad and the Beautiful (soundtrack)
- 2004Forever Amber (soundtrack)
- 2005Two Weeks in Another Town (soundtrack)
- 2006The Revolt of Mamie Stover / Hilda Crane (soundtrack)
- 2009David Raksin at M‐G‐M (soundtrack)
- 2010Invitation to a Gunfighter (soundtrack)
- 2012What's the Matter with Helen? (soundtrack)
- 2013Laura (soundtrack)
- 2013Too Late Blues (soundtrack)
- 2014Seven Wonders of the World (soundtrack)
Other work
- 1948Force of Evil
- 1952The Bad and the Beautiful
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- Film Music MapNL Map
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 1NL Reader
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 2NL Reader
Mentioned in other articles
- Film noir Genre
For Laura (1944), David Raksin wrote a single melancholy theme that he coloured differently each time.