Polyphemus

Personal Info

Gender

Male

Birthday

1892-10-16 (132 years old)

Place of Birth

St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Leo F. Forbstein

Biography:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Leo Frank Forbstein (October 16, 1892 – March 16, 1948) was an American film musical director and orchestra conductor who worked on more than 550 projects during a twenty-year period.

Forbstein was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was attracted to music as a child, learning the violin at the age of four. As a conductor at the Royal Theater in St. Joseph, he synchronized the orchestra with the action in silent films; he then became principal conductor at the Newman Theatre in Kansas City, where the organist was future Warner Bros. colleague Carl W. Stalling. In the mid-1920s, Forbstein relocated to Hollywood to head the symphony orchestra at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre.

He signed with Warner Bros. as one of the directors of its Vitaphone Orchestra, alongside Erno Rapee (then Warners' general music director), Louis Silvers, and David Mendoza; Forbstein's first screen credit was The Squall in 1929. In 1931, Warners dismissed Rapee and Mendoza in a consolidation and economy move and Forbstein became the company's general music director.

In 1936, Forbstein and composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold were write-in candidates for the Oscar for Best Music, Score for their work on Captain Blood. The following year, he was nominated officially for The Charge of the Light Brigade and Anthony Adverse, winning for the latter. He was nominated again for The Life of Emile Zola in 1938.

Forbstein was married to the former Bess Gallas from October 16, 1914 until his death from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California. They had one daughter, Harriett (born 1915), who married assistant director Melvin Dellar. Leo Forbstein was entombed in the Corridor of Immortality at Home of Peace Cemetery.

Known For

Acting

1935

Broadway Gondolier as Rehearsal Orchestra Leader

Sound

1948

The Big Punch as Music Director
Rope as Music Director
Two Guys from Texas as Original Music Composer
Winter Meeting as Music Director
Romance on the High Seas as Music Director
Silver River as Music Director

1947

Humoresque as Music Director
Possessed as Music Director
Love and Learn as Music Director
Cry Wolf as Music Director
The Two Mrs. Carrolls as Music Director
Dark Passage as Music Director
Stallion Road as Music Director
The Unsuspected as Music Director
Escape Me Never as Music Director
Deep Valley as Music Director
The Unfaithful as Music Director
Nora Prentiss as Music Director
Pursued as Music Director

1946

Never Say Goodbye as Music Director
The Big Sleep as Music Director
A Stolen Life as Music Director
Cinderella Jones as Music Director
Three Strangers as Music Director
Shadow of a Woman as Music Director
Devotion as Music Director
The Man I Love as Music Director

1945

Conflict as Music Director
Hotel Berlin as Music Director
Mildred Pierce as Music Director
To Have and Have Not as Music Director
Danger Signal as Music Director
The Corn Is Green as Music Director
Pride of the Marines as Music Director
Christmas in Connecticut as Music Director

1944

Uncertain Glory as Music Director
The Mask of Dimitrios as Music Director
The Doughgirls as Music Director
Arsenic and Old Lace as Original Music Composer
Mr. Skeffington as Music Director
Make Your Own Bed as Music Director

1943

Thank Your Lucky Stars as Music Director
Northern Pursuit as Music Director
Princess O'Rourke as Music Director
Edge of Darkness as Music Director
Casablanca as Music Director
Destination Tokyo as Music Director
Air Force as Music Director
Oklahoma Outlaws as Music Director
The Constant Nymph as Music Director
The Hard Way as Music Director

1942

The Male Animal as Music Director
Captains of the Clouds as Music Director
Now, Voyager as Music Director
Always in My Heart as Music Director
Spy Ship as Music Director
The Big Shot as Music Director
Wings for the Eagle as Music Director
Gentleman Jim as Music Director

1941

The Sea Wolf as Music Director
Dive Bomber as Music Director
Kisses for Breakfast as Music Director
The Strawberry Blonde as Music Director
The Great Lie as Music Director
The Maltese Falcon as Music Director
Meet John Doe as Music Director
Underground as Music Director
Manpower as Music Director
Sergeant York as Music Director
Honeymoon for Three as Music Director
Nine Lives Are Not Enough as Music Director
Steel Against the Sky as Music Director
The Great Mr. Nobody as Music Director
Four Mothers as Music Director
Flight from Destiny as Music Director
The Man Who Came to Dinner as Music Director
The Wagons Roll at Night as Music Director
Footsteps in the Dark as Music Director
Affectionately Yours as Music Director

1940

The Letter as Music Director
Virginia City as Music Director
It All Came True as Music Director
She Couldn't Say No as Music Director
A Fugitive from Justice as Music Director
They Drive by Night as Music Director
Castle on the Hudson as Music Director
Knute Rockne All American as Music Director
Santa Fe Trail as Music Director

1939

Indianapolis Speedway as Music Director
Dodge City as Music Director
Angels Wash Their Faces as Music Director
Dark Victory as Music Director
Espionage Agent as Music Director
Women in the Wind as Music Director
King of the Underworld as Music Director
Off the Record as Music Director
Wings of the Navy as Music Director
Four Wives as Music Director
The Old Maid as Music Director
Dust Be My Destiny as Music Director
Daughters Courageous as Music Director
Juarez as Music Director
Invisible Stripes as Music Director
Each Dawn I Die as Music Director

1938

A Slight Case of Murder as Music Director
The Sisters as Music Director
My Bill as Music Director
Heart of the North as Music Director
Going Places as Music Director
Racket Busters as Music Director
Secrets of an Actress as Music Director
Comet Over Broadway as Music Director
Men Are Such Fools as Music Director
Hollywood Hotel as Music Director
Angels with Dirty Faces as Music Director
Torchy Gets Her Man as Music Director
The Dawn Patrol as Music Director
Four's a Crowd as Music Director
Jezebel as Music Director
Crime School as Music Director
Valley of the Giants as Music Director
Four Daughters as Music Director

1937

The Great Garrick as Music Director
The Life of Emile Zola as Music Director
Green Light as Music Director
The Prince and the Pauper as Music Director
Another Dawn as Music Director
Confession as Music Director
God's Country and the Woman as Music Director
Back in Circulation as Music Director
It's Love I'm After as Music Director
Stolen Holiday as Music Director
First Lady as Music Director
Call It a Day as Music Director
Ready, Willing and Able as Music Director
The Go-Getter as Music Director
Tovarich as Music Director
Marked Woman as Music Director
Ever Since Eve as Music Director

1936

Sing Me a Love Song as Music Director
Give Me Your Heart as Music Director
Freshman Love as Music Director
Gold Diggers of 1937 as Music Director
Earthworm Tractors as Original Music Composer
Road Gang as Music Director
Stage Struck as Music Director
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan as Music Director
The White Angel as Music Director
The Petrified Forest as Music Director
The Story of Louis Pasteur as Music Director
Colleen as Conductor
King of the Islands as Music Director
Satan Met a Lady as Music Director
The Singing Kid as Conductor
Snowed Under as Conductor

1935

Frisco Kid as Music Director
A Night at the Ritz as Music Director
Traveling Saleslady as Music Director
A Midsummer Night's Dream as Music Director
Stranded as Music Director
I Found Stella Parish as Music Director
The Case of the Lucky Legs as Music Director
Going Highbrow as Music Director
We're in the Money as Music Director
Living on Velvet as Conductor
Miss Pacific Fleet as Music Director
Keystone Hotel as Music Director
The Irish in Us as Music Director
Alibi Ike as Music Director
Don't Bet on Blondes as Music Director
'G' Men as Music Director
The Florentine Dagger as Music Director
Shipmates Forever as Music Director
Sweet Music as Conductor
Broadway Gondolier as Music Director
Go Into Your Dance as Music Director
The Goose and the Gander as Music Director
Maybe It's Love as Conductor

1934

Mandalay as Conductor
Here Comes the Navy as Conductor
Massacre as Conductor
Gambling Lady as Conductor
Babbitt as Conductor
Journal of a Crime as Conductor
Midnight Alibi as Conductor
British Agent as Conductor
Dr. Monica as Conductor
The Firebird as Music
The Man with Two Faces as Music Director
Fashions of 1934 as Conductor
Big Hearted Herbert as Conductor
He Was Her Man as Conductor
Happiness Ahead as Conductor
Upperworld as Conductor
Housewife as Conductor
The Secret Bride as Conductor
Dames as Conductor
Fog Over Frisco as Conductor

1933

She Had to Say Yes as Conductor
Employees' Entrance as Conductor
Baby Face as Conductor
I Loved a Woman as Conductor
Blondie Johnson as Conductor
The King's Vacation as Conductor
The Silk Express as Conductor
The Mind Reader as Conductor
Goodbye Again as Conductor
The Narrow Corner as Conductor
College Coach as Conductor
Lilly Turner as Conductor
Girl Missing as Conductor
Footlight Parade as Conductor
42nd Street as Conductor

1932

Jewel Robbery as Conductor
Street of Women as Conductor
The Man Who Played God as Original Music Composer
One Way Passage as Conductor
Haunted Gold as Original Music Composer
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang as Original Music Composer
Tiger Shark as Conductor
The Tenderfoot as Conductor
You Said a Mouthful as Conductor
Silver Dollar as Conductor
Winner Take All as Conductor
They Call It Sin as Conductor
Life Begins as Conductor
The Match King as Conductor
Beauty and the Boss as Conductor
The Purchase Price as Conductor
Miss Pinkerton as Conductor
The Crash as Conductor
Man Wanted as Conductor
Scarlet Dawn as Conductor
Three on a Match as Conductor
Central Park as Conductor
Big City Blues as Conductor
Doctor X as Conductor
The Mouthpiece as Conductor

1931

Gold Dust Gertie as Conductor
Smart Money as Music Director
The Star Witness as Music Director
Side Show as Music Director
Night Nurse as Conductor
Too Young to Marry as Music Director
Kiss Me Again as Conductor
Big Business Girl as Conductor
The Last Flight as Conductor
Stranger in Town as Conductor
Safe in Hell as Conductor

1930

Spring Is Here as Conductor
Sweet Mama as Conductor
The Flirting Widow as Conductor
Loose Ankles as Conductor
The Doorway to Hell as Music Director
The Dawn Patrol as Conductor
Playing Around as Conductor
Numbered Men as Conductor
Road to Paradise as Conductor

1929

The Squall as Conductor