Raksin, David

American composer for films; b. Philadelphia, Aug. 4, 1912. Raksin studied piano in his childhood and also learned to play woodwind instruments from his father, a performer and conductor. When barely past puberty, he organized his own jazz band.

In 1931 Raksin entered the University of Pennsylvania, and in 1934-35 he also studied composition privately with Isadore Freed. In 1935 he went to Hollywood to assist Charlie Chaplin with the music for his film Modern Times (which he later orchestrated with Edward Powell). He also studied privately with ARNOLD SCHOENBERG, who was living in Los Angeles at the time.

Raksin composed more than 100 film scores, some of which attained great popularity. His greatest success was the theme song for Laura, which generated more than 300 different cover recordings. Apart from his activities as a composer and conductor, he also appeared as an actor and commentator in television programs.

Using material from his film music, Raksin composed several symphonic suites, among them Forever Amber and The Bad and the Beautiful. Other scores were Force of Evil, Carrie, The Redeemer, and Separate Tables. He also wrote incidental music, symphonic pieces, and vocal works, including Oedipus memneitai (Oedipus remembers) for bassbaritone narrator/soloist, six-part mixed chorus, and chamber ensemble in 1986. Raksin taught film and television composition at the University of California, Los Angeles, and was on the faculty of the University of Southern California School of Public Administration from 1968 to 1989.

In April 1992 Raksin received the Golden Soundtrack Award for Career Achievement from ASCAP, to whose Board of Directors he was subsequently elected. He also served as president of the Composers and Lyricists Guild of America from 1962 to 1970 and of the Society for the Preservation of Film Music from 1992 to 1995.