Franz Waxman was born in 1906. He was a German-American composer of Jewish decent, known for some of the great music scores of the golden age of Hollywood. His film scores include A Place in the Sun, Sunset Boulevard, Rebecca, and Bride of Frankenstein, among many others.
He started his early music career in Berlin by playing in cabarets, and later worked in the German film industry as an orchestrator. While living in Berlin, Waxman was beaten by Nazi sympathizers, causing he and his wife to leave Germany for Paris, and eventually, Hollywood.
Once in California, Waxman met director James Whale, who asked the composer to help him score Bride of Frankenstein. That opportunity eventually lead to Waxman being named head of music at Universal Studios.
On this week's Flicks in Five, we'll hear some of Waxman's score for Bride of Frankenstein.
Original trailer — Bride of Frankenstein
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