Herman Stein (August 19, 1915 – March 15, 2007) was an Americancomposer who wrote music for many of the1950sscience-fiction andhorror films fromUniversal Studios. "Herman Stein was one of the architects of the sound of 1950s science-fiction movies."[1] Stein retired in the 1970s and died of congestive heart failure in his home in Los Angeles at the age of 91.
Born inPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania, Stein was a child prodigy, playing the piano by the age of three[2] and making his professional concert debut at the age of six.[3] He worked as a jazz composer and arranger for radio programs and big bands in the 1930s and early 1940s. He served in the army inWorld War II and moved toHollywood in 1948, studying with theItaliancomposerMario Castelnuovo-Tedesco.[4] Subsequently, in 1951, he was hired by Universal Studios, where he scored the music for about 200 films.[4] His name was seldom in the movie credits because of the studio's tendency to give solo credit to the music supervisor.[2] Nonetheless,he either wrote the main themes, from which he and his colleagues worked, or, equally important, wrote the opening music, which often sets the tone for the film itself.[1] In 1950, Stein married Anita Shervin who played aviola with theLos Angeles Philharmonic. Later he left Universal and composed music for television.
In 1932, aged just sixteen, Stein sold a jazz arrangement ofThe Song of the Volga Boatmen to bandleaderAlex Bartha, who recorded it under the name "Red Blues." He also was co-composer/arranger of 'Line-a-Jive," recorded in 1935 by theBlanche Calloway band.
Stein composed the eerie music for, among others, the sci-fi and horror moviesIt Came From Outer Space,Revenge of the Creature andThis Island Earth. Despite longstanding claims, he did not write music for the American version of Toho'sKing Kong vs. Godzilla. The suspect music heard in that film was composed by fellow Universal-International writerHans J. Salter forCreature from the Black Lagoon, and those original music tracks were re-used in the U. S. release of the Japanese picture. Some of his music, however, was used in the film's theatrical trailer. In addition to horror films, Stein wrote for westerns, dramas and comedies, including theAudie MurphywesternDrums Across the River andRoger Corman's civil rights dramaThe Intruder.[3] His television work included such shows asThe Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp,Gunsmoke,Lost in Space andDaniel Boone.[2]
Among Stein's compositions are a number that he wrote just for fun, such asThe Sour Suite a tonal, cheery, and quite tongue-in-cheek piece for woodwind quintet.[3][4]
In 2008, a classical piano piece he wrote in 1949 ("Suite for Mario") for his composition teacher, the esteemed Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, received its world-premiere recording.
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
