Franz Waxman

1906–1967

Back-to-back Oscars for Sunset Boulevard and A Place in the Sun

Franz Waxman was born Franz Wachsmann in 1906 in Königshütte, then part of Germany and now Chorzów, Poland. He studied music in Dresden and Berlin, paying for lessons by playing piano in nightclubs and dance bands. That work led to orchestrating Friedrich Hollaender's music for The Blue Angel (1930). When the Nazis came to power he fled to Paris, where he scored Fritz Lang's Liliom, and in 1934 he moved on to Hollywood.

His breakthrough came almost at once with Bride of Frankenstein (1935), a score of wit and eerie beauty that is still studied today. Waxman then moved to MGM, where he scored Captains Courageous, Lady of the Tropics and On Borrowed Time, and later to Warner Bros. He worked with Alfred Hitchcock on Rebecca, Suspicion and Rear Window, bringing a modern, often jazz-tinged sensibility to the Hollywood orchestra.

Waxman became the first composer to win back-to-back Academy Awards for scoring, for Sunset Boulevard (1950) and A Place in the Sun (1951). The first is a dark portrait of Hollywood's own illusions; the second uses a brooding saxophone line to capture doomed romance. Later highlights include Peyton Place, The Nun's Story and the thrilling Taras Bulba.

Beyond the studios, Waxman was a passionate advocate for concert music. In 1947 he founded the Los Angeles Music Festival, where he conducted premieres of many works by contemporary composers. He died in Los Angeles in 1967, leaving behind more than 140 film scores.

THE ART

Music by Franz Waxman

Art celebrating his film scores. Click any piece to view it larger.

THE FILMS

The Story and the Score

Captains Courageous (1937)

The Story

Spoiled rich boy Harvey Cheyne falls overboard from an ocean liner and is rescued by Manuel, a Portuguese fisherman aboard a Gloucester fishing schooner. Forced to work through the fishing season, Harvey learns humility and friendship. Spencer Tracy won an Oscar as Manuel, with Freddie Bartholomew, in this adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's novel.

The Music

Waxman's score captures the moods of the sea and the rhythms of fishing life, while the simple songs Manuel sings to Harvey become the emotional heart of the story. The music deepens the bond between man and boy, so that the film's final scenes of loss and remembrance carry great emotional weight.

Lady of the Tropics (1939)

The Story

A wealthy American playboy traveling in French Indochina falls in love with Manon, a beautiful woman of mixed French and Vietnamese heritage who longs to escape her narrow life. Their marriage is threatened by prejudice and by a jealous, powerful local man who controls her fate. Robert Taylor and Hedy Lamarr star.

The Music

Waxman's score evokes Saigon with Asian colors and lush romantic themes, giving the setting atmosphere. The music captures Manon's longing and the doomed lovers' passion, bringing emotional intensity to the melodrama. It shows Waxman's early skill at blending local color with the sweeping romance Hollywood audiences loved.

On Borrowed Time (1939)

The Story

An elderly grandfather raising his orphaned grandson, Pud, traps Death, a polite visitor called Mr. Brink, in an apple tree to avoid leaving the boy behind. While Death is stuck, nothing can die, and the grandfather must eventually make his peace. Lionel Barrymore and Cedric Hardwicke star in this gentle fantasy.

The Music

Waxman's score balances whimsy and tenderness, with warm themes for grandfather and boy and eerie, otherworldly colors for Mr. Brink. The music keeps the fantasy grounded in feeling, making the final scenes deeply affecting, and shows his gift for blending the supernatural with the sentimental.

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

The Story

Struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis hides from creditors in the decaying mansion of Norma Desmond, a forgotten silent-film star who dreams of a triumphant comeback. Drawn into her fantasy world as a kept man, Joe finds himself trapped until it all ends in murder. Gloria Swanson and William Holden star in Billy Wilder's dark classic.

The Music

Waxman won the Oscar for a score that captures Hollywood's decay. A tango evokes Norma's faded glamour, distorted, eerie music suggests her slipping grip on reality, and edgy, modern writing reflects Joe's cynicism. It all culminates as Norma descends her grand staircase, convinced she is ready for her close-up.

A Place in the Sun (1951)

The Story

Ambitious George Eastman, a poor relation working in his rich uncle's factory, falls in love with beautiful socialite Angela Vickers. But his pregnant girlfriend, Alice, stands in the way of his dreams, and when she drowns, George is charged with murder. Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor star in George Stevens's drama.

The Music

Waxman won his second consecutive Oscar for this score. A brooding saxophone theme captures George's desire and guilt, while a lush romantic theme conveys his longing for Angela. The music builds dread during the fateful boat ride on the lake, and its haunting quality lingers as George faces his fate.

Rear Window (1954)

The Story

Confined to his apartment with a broken leg, photographer L. B. Jefferies passes the time watching his neighbors through his rear window. He becomes convinced that one of them has murdered his wife, and with his elegant girlfriend, Lisa, he sets out to prove it. James Stewart and Grace Kelly star in Hitchcock's thriller.

The Music

Much of the music seems to come from the courtyard itself: radios, parties and a struggling songwriter's piano. Waxman's jazzy main title sets a casual summer mood, while the songwriter's developing song, "Lisa," echoes the romance. The ever-present sounds of the neighborhood make the courtyard feel alive, heightening the suspense.