Leo F. Forbstein

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

Casablanca
Rope
The Maltese Falcon
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
The Big Sleep
Arsenic and Old Lace
Birth Location St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Born 1892-10-16
Died 1948-02-12

Movies

Broadway Gondolier as Rehearsal Orchestra Leader
1935

Movies

The Big Punch Music Director
1948
Romance on the High Seas Music Director
1948
Silver River Music Director
1948
Winter Meeting Music Director
1948
Rope Music Director
1948
1948
Escape Me Never Music Director
1947
The Unsuspected Music Director
1947
Dark Passage Music Director
1947
Cry Wolf Music Director
1947
Deep Valley Music Director
1947
The Unfaithful Music Director
1947
Possessed Music Director
1947
Love and Learn Music Director
1947
Stallion Road Music Director
1947
The Two Mrs. Carrolls Music Director
1947
Humoresque Music Director
1947
Never Say Goodbye Music Director
1946
Shadow of a Woman Music Director
1946
The Big Sleep Music Director
1946
A Stolen Life Music Director
1946
Devotion Music Director
1946
Cinderella Jones Music Director
1946
Three Strangers Music Director
1946
Danger Signal Music Director
1945
Mildred Pierce Music Director
1945
Pride of the Marines Music Director
1945
Conflict Music Director
1945
The Corn Is Green Music Director
1945
Hotel Berlin Music Director
1945
To Have and Have Not Music Director
1945
The Doughgirls Music Director
1944
Arsenic and Old Lace Original Music Composer
1944
The Mask of Dimitrios Music Director
1944
Make Your Own Bed Music Director
1944
Mr. Skeffington Music Director
1944
Uncertain Glory Music Director
1944
Destination Tokyo Music Director
1943
Northern Pursuit Music Director
1943
Princess O'Rourke Music Director
1943
Thank Your Lucky Stars Music Director
1943
Oklahoma Outlaws Music Director
1943
The Constant Nymph Music Director
1943
Edge of Darkness Music Director
1943
Air Force Music Director
1943
Casablanca Music Director
1943
The Hard Way Music Director
1943
Gentleman Jim Music Director
1942
1942
Now, Voyager Music Director
1942
Wings for the Eagle Music Director
1942
The Big Shot Music Director
1942
Spy Ship Music Director
1942
Always in My Heart Music Director
1942
The Male Animal Music Director
1942
Captains of the Clouds Music Director
1942
1941
Steel Against the Sky Music Director
1941
The Maltese Falcon Music Director
1941
Sergeant York Music Director
1941
Nine Lives Are Not Enough Music Director
1941
Dive Bomber Music Director
1941
Manpower Music Director
1941
Kisses for Breakfast Music Director
1941
Underground Music Director
1941
Affectionately Yours Music Director
1941
The Wagons Roll at Night Music Director
1941
The Great Lie Music Director
1941
The Sea Wolf Music Director
1941
Meet John Doe Music Director
1941
Footsteps in the Dark Music Director
1941
The Strawberry Blonde Music Director
1941
The Great Mr. Nobody Music Director
1941
Flight from Destiny Music Director
1941
Honeymoon for Three Music Director
1941
Four Mothers Music Director
1941
She Couldn't Say No Music Director
1940
The Letter Music Director
1940
Knute Rockne All American Music Director
1940
They Drive by Night Music Director
1940
A Fugitive from Justice Music Director
1940
It All Came True Music Director
1940
Virginia City Music Director
1940
Castle on the Hudson Music Director
1940
Four Wives Music Director
1939
Espionage Agent Music Director
1939
Dust Be My Destiny Music Director
1939
Angels Wash Their Faces Music Director
1939
The Old Maid Music Director
1939
Indianapolis Speedway Music Director
1939
Daughters Courageous Music Director
1939
Juarez Music Director
1939
Dark Victory Music Director
1939
Women in the Wind Music Director
1939
Dodge City Music Director
1939
1939
Wings of the Navy Music Director
1939
Off the Record Music Director
1939
King of the Underworld Music Director
1939
Going Places Music Director
1938
The Dawn Patrol Music Director
1938
Heart of the North Music Director
1938
Comet Over Broadway Music Director
1938
Angels with Dirty Faces Music Director
1938
Torchy Gets Her Man Music Director
1938
The Sisters Music Director
1938
Valley of the Giants Music Director
1938
Secrets of an Actress Music Director
1938
Four Daughters Music Director
1938
Four's a Crowd Music Director
1938
Racket Busters Music Director
1938
My Bill Music Director
1938
Men Are Such Fools Music Director
1938
1938
Jezebel Music Director
1938
A Slight Case of Murder Music Director
1938
Hollywood Hotel Music Director
1938
Tovarich Music Director
1937
First Lady Music Director
1937
The Great Garrick Music Director
1937
It's Love I'm After Music Director
1937
The Life of Emile Zola Music Director
1937
Back in Circulation Music Director
1937
Confession Music Director
1937
Ever Since Eve Music Director
1937
Another Dawn Music Director
1937
The Go-Getter Music Director
1937
The Prince and the Pauper Music Director
1937
Call It a Day Music Director
1937
Marked Woman Music Director
1937
Ready, Willing and Able Music Director
1937
Green Light Music Director
1937
Stolen Holiday Music Director
1937
1937
Gold Diggers of 1937 Music Director
1936
Sing Me a Love Song Music Director
1936
1936
Give Me Your Heart Music Director
1936
Stage Struck Music Director
1936
Earthworm Tractors Original Music Composer
1936
Satan Met a Lady Music Director
1936
The White Angel Music Director
1936
The Singing Kid Conductor
1936
Snowed Under Conductor
1936
Road Gang Music Director
1936
Colleen Conductor
1936
King of the Islands Music Director
1936
1936
The Petrified Forest Music Director
1936
Freshman Love Music Director
1936
1936
Miss Pacific Fleet Music Director
1935
Frisco Kid Music Director
1935
I Found Stella Parish Music Director
1935
Shipmates Forever Music Director
1935
A Midsummer Night's Dream Music Director
1935
1935
The Goose and the Gander Music Director
1935
Keystone Hotel Music Director
1935
We're in the Money Music Director
1935
The Irish in Us Music Director
1935
Broadway Gondolier Music Director
1935
Don't Bet on Blondes Music Director
1935
Going Highbrow Music Director
1935
Stranded Music Director
1935
Alibi Ike Music Director
1935
'G' Men Music Director
1935
Go Into Your Dance Music Director
1935
1935
The Florentine Dagger Music Director
1935
Traveling Saleslady Music Director
1935
A Night at the Ritz Music Director
1935
1935
Living on Velvet Conductor
1935
Sweet Music Conductor
1935
Maybe It's Love Conductor
1935
The Secret Bride Conductor
1934
1934
Babbitt Conductor
1934
The Firebird Music
1934
Happiness Ahead Conductor
1934
1934
British Agent Conductor
1934
1934
Dames Conductor
1934
1934
Housewife Conductor
1934
The Man with Two Faces Music Director
1934
1934
Midnight Alibi Conductor
1934
Dr. Monica Conductor
1934
He Was Her Man Conductor
1934
Fog Over Frisco Conductor
1934
Journal of a Crime Conductor
1934
Gambling Lady Conductor
1934
Fashions of 1934 Conductor
1934
Mandalay Conductor
1934
Massacre Conductor
1934
1933
College Coach Conductor
1933
1933
Footlight Parade Conductor
1933
I Loved a Woman Conductor
1933
Goodbye Again Conductor
1933
She Had to Say Yes Conductor
1933
Baby Face Conductor
1933
The Narrow Corner Conductor
1933
1933
The Silk Express Conductor
1933
1933
Lilly Turner Conductor
1933
The Mind Reader Conductor
1933
42nd Street Conductor
1933
Girl Missing Conductor
1933
1933
Blondie Johnson Conductor
1933
1933
1933
The Match King Conductor
1932
Silver Dollar Conductor
1932
Haunted Gold Original Music Composer
1932
Central Park Conductor
1932
Scarlet Dawn Conductor
1932
I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang Original Music Composer
1932
They Call It Sin Conductor
1932
Three on a Match Conductor
1932
The Crash Conductor
1932
One Way Passage Conductor
1932
Tiger Shark Conductor
1932
Big City Blues Conductor
1932
Doctor X Conductor
1932
The Purchase Price Conductor
1932
Winner Take All Conductor
1932
Jewel Robbery Conductor
1932
1932
Street of Women Conductor
1932
Miss Pinkerton Conductor
1932
Man Wanted Conductor
1932
1932
The Mouthpiece Conductor
1932
The Man Who Played God Original Music Composer
1932
Safe in Hell Conductor
1931
Side Show Music Director
1931
The Last Flight Conductor
1931
The Star Witness Music Director
1931
Stranger in Town Conductor
1931
Night Nurse Conductor
1931
Gold Dust Gertie Conductor
1931
Big Business Girl Conductor
1931
Smart Money Music Director
1931
Too Young to Marry Music Director
1931
Kiss Me Again Conductor
1931
1930
The Doorway to Hell Music Director
1930
The Dawn Patrol Conductor
1930
Sweet Mama Conductor
1930
Numbered Men Conductor
1930
The Flirting Widow Conductor
1930
Spring Is Here Conductor
1930
Loose Ankles Conductor
1930
Playing Around Conductor
1930
1929
The Squall Conductor
1929