David Raksin
David Raksin was born on August 4, 1912, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Jewish parents of Russian heritage. His father, Isidore, was an orchestra conductor and music store owner who taught David to play piano and woodwind instruments at an early age. Raksin attended Central High School of Philadelphia, where he led his own dance band and taught himself orchestration. He pursued further studies in composition at the University of Pennsylvania and later under renowned teachers like Arnold Schoenberg.
Raksin's career in Hollywood began in 1935 when he assisted Charlie Chaplin in composing the score for "Modern Times." His breakthrough came with the 1944 film "Laura," for which he composed a theme that became one of the most recorded pieces in history. This success established him as a significant film composer, leading to scores for films like "The Bad and the Beautiful" and "Separate Tables," the latter earning him an Academy Award nomination.
Throughout his career, Raksin composed music for over 100 films and 300 television scores, including the theme for the TV series "Ben Casey." He also worked on Broadway and taught at the University of Southern California and UCLA. His autobiography, "The Bad and the Beautiful: My Life in a Golden Age of Film Music," was published posthumously.
David Raksin passed away on August 9, 2004, in Los Angeles, California, leaving behind a legacy as a pioneering figure in film music, often referred to as the "Grandfather of Film Music." His son, Alex Raksin, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer.
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