Ralph Benatzky, born Rudolph Franz Josef Benatzky on June 5, 1884, in Mährisch Budwitz (now Moravské Budějovice, Czech Republic), was an Austrian composer of Moravian origin. He studied German, literature, philosophy, and music in Prague and Vienna, earning a doctorate in philosophy in 1910. Benatzky initially pursued a military career but resigned due to injury. He expanded his musical education under the tutelage of Dvorak and began his career as a composer and conductor, working in Munich and Vienna.

Benatzky was renowned for his operettas and light music, composing over 5,000 songs and 92 operettas. His most famous work, "Im weißen Rössl" (The White Horse Inn), achieved international acclaim. He skillfully blended traditional musical techniques with the jazz and dance rhythms of the 1920s, leading to worldwide recognition with productions staged in cities like London, Paris, and New York.

In addition to operettas, Benatzky composed music for films, radio, and stage productions, contributing scores for approximately 250 films. He married twice, both times to Jewish women, which led to a mistaken belief that he was Jewish.

Benatzky moved to the United States in 1938, signing a contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in Hollywood, although the collaboration was short-lived. He eventually returned to Europe and settled in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1948. In 1953, he published an autobiographical novel, "In Dur and Minor." Ralph Benatzky passed away on October 16, 1957, in Zurich. His legacy is preserved by the Academy of Fine Arts Chancery in Berlin, and a street in Vienna was named in his honor in 1962.