Polyphemus
person poster

Personal Info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1896-04-25 (129 years old)

Place of Birth

Moscow, Russia

C. Bakaleinikoff

Biography:

Constantin Romanovich Bakaleinikov (also spelled “Bakaleynikov” and “Bakaleinikoff”) was a Russian-born composer. Bakaleinikoff was from a large musical family. His brothers were Nikolai Bakaleinikov (flautist, composer and conductor), Vladimir Bakaleinikov (violist, composer and conductor), and Mikhail (Mischa) Bakaleinikoff (composer). He studied at the Moscow Conservatory. Following the Russian revolution he migrated to the United States with his brother Mischa. He worked as a conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic before beginning his Hollywood career as a freelance composer. At the 1927 premiere of director Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings at Hollywood's famed Grauman's Chinese Theater, the audience was treated to a concert of film music classics conducted by him. With the arrival of sound, the Bakaleinikoff brothers became studio maestros. Mischa joined Columbia Pictures, while Constantin became a musical director at Paramount Pictures, followed by MGM. Constantin also worked briefly at Columbia, and later for independent Grand National Pictures. In 1935, Bakaleinikoff participated in making the earliest dance film, Spring Night. He conducted Joseph Achron's score for this first experimental ballet film, which featured the choreography and dancing of David Lichine, who had danced with Colonel de Basil's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Nana Gollner, the Texas-born ballerina, was his partner. This pioneering film, which emerged from the Diaghilev sphere of influence, was produced by Adolf Zuckor. Bakaleinikoff received his first Academy Award nomination for scoring the James Cagney feature Something to Sing About (1937). Later, he became the senior music director at RKO Radio Pictures, where he spent most of his motion picture career. He earned Academy Award nominations for his work on The Fallen Sparrow (1943), Higher and Higher (1943), and None But the Lonely Heart (1944). For Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious (1946), starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, he conducted the original score by composer Roy Webb, one that complements the director's elements of suspense and danger throughout the film. Bakaleinikoff, who was always billed as “C. Bakaleinikoff”, appeared on camera as himself in RKO's backstage musical Ding Dong Williams (filmed 1945, released in April 1946). He remained at RKO until the studio folded in 1956. He donated his time and talent in the late 1950s in mentoring and conducting the Burbank Youth Symphony. Constantin Bakaleinikoff was married to silent film actress Fritzi Ridgeway. He died in 1966 and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California.

Known For

Acting

1949

A Woman's Secret as Studio Recording Session Conductor (Uncredited)

1939

Fast and Furious as Orchestra Leader (uncredited)

Sound

1957

Jet Pilot as Conductor
The Bachelor Party as Conductor

1956

The Conqueror as Music Supervisor
Great Day in the Morning as Music Director

1955

Underwater! as Music Director

1954

Susan Slept Here as Music Director
The French Line as Music Supervisor

1953

The Hitch-Hiker as Music Director
Angel Face as Music Coordinator

1952

Trail Guide as Music Director
Target as Music Director
The Lusty Men as Music Director
Macao as Music Director
Beware, My Lovely as Music Director
Blackbeard, the Pirate as Music Director

1951

Law of the Badlands as Music Director
Double Dynamite as Music Director
Saddle Legion as Music Director
His Kind of Woman as Music Director
Flying Leathernecks as Music Director
Pistol Harvest as Music Director
Best of the Badmen as Music Director
Overland Telegraph as Music Director
Roadblock as Music Director
On Dangerous Ground as Music Director
The Blue Veil as Music Director

1950

Border Treasure as Music Director
Riders of the Range as Music Director
Dynamite Pass as Music Director
Storm Over Wyoming as Music Director
Rider from Tucson as Music Director
Rio Grande Patrol as Music Director
Vendetta as Music Director
Armored Car Robbery as Music Director
Born to Be Bad as Music Director
The Secret Fury as Music Director
Bunco Squad as Music Director
Never a Dull Moment as Music Director

1949

The Clay Pigeon as Music Director
The Big Steal as Music Director
The Window as Music Director
Holiday Affair as Music Director
Rustlers as Music Director
Caught as Conductor
Stagecoach Kid as Music Director
Follow Me Quietly as Music Director
Savage Splendor as Music Director
The Threat as Music Director
Bride for Sale as Music Director
Strange Bargain as Music Director
Roughshod as Music Director
A Woman's Secret as Music Director
Easy Living as Music Director
Mighty Joe Young as Music Director

1948

The Velvet Touch as Music Director
The Boy with Green Hair as Music Director
Indian Agent as Music Director
The Arizona Ranger as Music Director
Rachel and the Stranger as Music Director
Blood on the Moon as Music Director
Gun Smugglers as Music Director
Mystery in Mexico as Music Director
The Miracle of the Bells as Music Director
Station West as Music Director
Return of the Bad Men as Music Director

1947

They Won't Believe Me as Music Director
A Likely Story as Music Director
Desperate as Music Director
The Farmer's Daughter as Music Director
Crossfire as Music Director
Banjo as Music Director
Out of the Past as Music Director
The Woman on the Beach as Music Director
Mourning Becomes Electra as Music Director
Trail Street as Music Director

1946

Criminal Court as Music Director
The Falcon's Adventure as Music Director
The Spiral Staircase as Music Director
Badman's Territory as Music Director
Notorious as Music Director
Heartbeat as Music Director
The Falcon's Alibi as Music Director
San Quentin as Music Director
The Truth About Murder as Music Director
Vacation in Reno as Music Director
From This Day Forward as Music Director
Bedlam as Music Director
Deadline at Dawn as Music Director
The Locket as Music Director
Nocturne as Music Director

1945

Man Alive as Music Director
Having Wonderful Crime as Music Director
China Sky as Music Director
The Body Snatcher as Music Director
The Spanish Main as Music Director
The Falcon in San Francisco as Music Director
George White's Scandals as Music Director
The Brighton Strangler as Music Director
What a Blonde as Music Director
Johnny Angel as Music Director
Zombies on Broadway as Music Director

1944

Youth Runs Wild as Music Director
The Falcon Out West as Music Director
None But the Lonely Heart as Music Director
My Pal, Wolf as Music Director
Tender Comrade as Music Director
A Night of Adventure as Music Director
Mademoiselle Fifi as Music Director
The Falcon in Hollywood as Music Director
The Falcon in Mexico as Music Director
Days of Glory as Music Director
Experiment Perilous as Music Director
Murder, My Sweet as Music Director
The Curse of the Cat People as Music Director
Bride by Mistake as Music Director

1943

Stage Door Canteen as Music Director
The Falcon Strikes Back as Music Director
The Falcon in Danger as Music Director
The Falcon and the Co-Eds as Music Director
Petticoat Larceny as Music Director
Tarzan Triumphs as Music Director
Tarzan's Desert Mystery as Music Director
Gangway for Tomorrow as Music Director
This Land Is Mine as Music Director
Mr. Lucky as Music Director
I Walked with a Zombie as Music Director
Higher and Higher as Original Music Composer
The Fallen Sparrow as Music Director
The Seventh Victim as Music Director
The Ghost Ship as Music Director
The Leopard Man as Music Director
Flight for Freedom as Music Director
Hitler's Children as Music Director

1942

The Falcon's Brother as Music Director
A Date with the Falcon as Music Director
The Big Street as Music Director
Cat People as Music Director
The Falcon Takes Over as Music Director
The Great Gildersleeve as Music Director

1941

Look Who's Laughing as Music Director
Weekend for Three as Music Director
Adam Had Four Sons as Music Director

1940

Night Descends on Treasure Island as Music Score Producer
A Failure at Fifty as Original Music Composer
Sitka and Juneau: 'A Tale of Two Cities' as Original Music Composer
Suva: 'Pride of Fiji' as Original Music Composer

1939

Let's Talk Turkey as Original Music Composer
Mendelssohn's Wedding March as Music Arranger
One Against the World as Original Music Composer
Rural Hungary as Music

1938

1937

Swing It Professor as Music Director

1936

Flash Gordon as Conductor

1935

East of Java as Conductor

1933

Man's Castle as Music Director
My Woman as Music Director

1931

Ten Cents a Dance as Music Director

1930

Rain or Shine as Music Director
Ladies of Leisure as Music Director

1929

Welcome Danger as Music Arranger
Father and Son as Original Music Composer