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Werner Richard Heymann

Werner Richard Heymann

1896 - 1961

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The film composer Werner Richard Heymann belonged to the most important composers of the German movie of the 20s and 30s. He wrote numerous evergreens.

He made first musical experiences by Max Brode and at the age of 12 he played the violin for the Königsberger philharmonic orchestra for the first time.
He attended the Königliche Hochschule for music in Berlin where he was teachec by Paul Juon.

His artistic way became interrupted with the outbreak of World War I and he served as a soldier for a short time before he was released because of illness.

Afterwards his artistic career assumed concrete shape. He worked as a composer for cabarets in Berlin, among them "Schall und Rauch" directed by Max Reinhardt. Later he took over the direction of the cabaret himself.

When Werner Richard Heymann was engaged by movie producer Erich Pommer as an assistant of the musical director of the UFA in 1925 this marked the beginning of a unique career as a film composer. Already in 1926 he became the musical director of the UFA and in the next years he wrote numerous compositions for popular silent movies like "Die Brüder Schellenberg" (26), "Michel Strogoff" (26), "Im weissen Rössl" (26), "Sein grosser Fall" (26), "Faust" (26), "Eine Dubarry von heute" (27), "Jugendrausch" (27), "Der letzte Walzer" (27) and "Spione" (28).

When the sound film heralded a new era in the cinemas the music of Werner Richard Heymann became more important than ever.
To his well-known works of those years belong "Die Drei von der Tankstelle" (30) with the big Hit "Ein Freund, ein guter Freund", "Bomben auf Monte Carlo" (31) with the hit "Das ist die Liebe der Matrosen", "Der Kongress tanzt" (31) with the hit "Das gibt's nur einmal, das kommt nicht wieder", "Der Sieger" (32) with the hit "Hoppla, jetzt komm ich", "Quick" (32), "Ich bei Tag und du bei Nacht" (32) and "Saison in Kairo" (33).

With the takeover of tha National Socialists his impressive career in Germany came to an abrupt end. Because of his Jewish ancestry his contract with the UFA was cancelled and he emigrated to Paris. Shortly afterwards he went to Hollywood but was not able to gain a foothold for the time being. Therefore he returned to Paris and he wrote some more movie compositions for productions like "Caravane" (34) and "Le grand refrain" (36).

Finally he went via London to the USA again and this time he managed to establish himself in the American film business in 1937. From now on he wrote numerous filmsoundtracks for popular movies.
To these works belong"Angel" (37), "Bluebeard's Eighth Wife" (38), "Ninotchka" (39), "The Shop Around the Corner" (40), "One Million B.C." (40), "This Thing Called Love" (40), "That Uncertain Feeling" (41), "To Be or Not to Be" (42), "They All Kissed the Bride" (42), "Three Is a Family" (44), "Always Together" (47) and "Tell It to the Judge" (49).

During this creative career Werner Richard Heymann was nominated for a total of four Oscars but never won one.

He returned to Germany in 1951 and could continue his work seamlessly. He wrote the music for movies like "Heidelberger Romanze" (51), "Alraune" (52) as well as the remakes of "Die Drei von der Tankstelle" (55), "Der Kongress tanzt" (55) and "Bomben auf Monte Carlo" (60).

Beside his numerous film compositions he also wrote a number of scores for the studios which were called Additional Music or Stock Music. This music was used in many movie productions without the mention of his name. To these movies belong "Stolen Holiday" (37), "The Phantom Submarine" (40), "Free and Easy" (41), "Paris Calling" (41), "Rio Rita" (42), "Blondie for Victory" (42), "Son of Dracula" (43, "Shadowed" (46), "Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back" (47), "Thunderhoof" (48), "Her First Romance" (51), "Conquest of Cochise" (53), "It Came from Beneath the Sea" (55) and "Gunmen from Laredo" (59).

Beside his work for movies he also left musical contributions like the so-called Serious Music (e.g. "Rhapsodische Sinfonie"), operettas (e.g. "Florestan I. Prfince de Monaco" and "Trente et Quarante"), hits and cabaret music (e.g. für "Schall und Rauch", "Cabaret Grössenwahn", "Die Rampe" and "Die Wilde Bühne").

Werner Richard Heymann was among others married with the actresses Ilse Bachmann and Elisabeth Millberg.


Other movies from Werner R. Heymann (Filmmusic):
Die Fahrt ins Abenteuer (26) Wien – Berlin (26) Wie einst im Mai (26) Der Mann im Feuer (26) Das Mädel auf der Schaukel (26) Der Sohn des Hannibal (26) Die sieben Töchter der Frau Gyurkovics (26) Vater werden ist nicht schwer... (26) Brennende Grenze (27) Meine Tante – deine Tante (27) Durchlaucht Radieschen (27) Die Bräutigame der Babette Bomberling (27) Valencia (27) Regine, die Tragödie einer Frau (27) Die heilige Lüge (27) Der grosse Sprung (27) Paganini in Venedig (29) Melodie des Herzens (29) Des Haares und der Liebe Wellen (29) Liebeswalzer (30) Le chemin du paradis (30) Ihre Hoheit befiehlt (31) Der Ball (31) Le capitaine Craddock (31) Happy Ever After (32) Ein blonder Traum (32) Adorable (33) Early to Bed (33) The King and the Chorus Girl (37) The Earl of Chicago (40) Primrose Path (40) Escape to Glory (40) He Stayed for Breakfast (40) Topper Returns (41) She Knew All the Answers (41) My Life with Caroline (41) Bedtime Story (41) The Wife Takes a Flyer (42) Flight Lieutenant (42) A Night to Remember (42) Appointment in Berlin (43) Caribbean Romance (43) Henry Aldrich, Boy Scout (44) You Can't Ration Love (44) Knickerbocker Holiday (44) Henry Aldrich Plays Cupid (44) Hail the Conquering Hero (44) Our Hearts Were Young and Gay (44) My Pal Wolf (44) Together Again (44) Mademoiselle Fifi (44) It's in the Bag! (45) Kiss and Tell (45) Hold That Blonde! (45) The Sin of Harold Diddlebock (47) Lost Honeymoon (47) The Mating of Millie (48) Let's Live a Little (48) A Kiss for Corliss (49) A Woman of Distinction (50) The Petty Girl (50) Emergency Wedding (50) Durch dick und dünn (51) Ein Haus voll Liebe (54) Neue Welt (54) Geliebtes Fräulein Doktor (54) Le chemin du paradis (56) 

Additional Music:
Gambling Ship (33) Miracles for Sale (37) Christmas in July (40) The Devil Commands (41) The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (41) They Dare Not Love (41) Ringside Maisie (41) Whistling in the Dark (41) Mystery Ship (41) Harmon of Michigan (41) Secrets of the Lone Wolf (41) Cadets on Parade (42) The Man Who Returned to Life (42) The Adventures of Martin Eden (42) Two Yanks in Trnidad (42) Submarine Raider (42) Sabotage Squad (42) Boston Blackie Goes Hollywood (42) Junior Army (42) The Great Impersonation (42) After Midnight with Boston Blackie (43) Murder in Times Square (43) Gildersleeve's Bad Day (43) Passporft to Suez (43) The Chance of a Lifetime (43) My Kingdom fo a Cook (43) The Falcon and the Co-eds (43) The Ghost That Walks Alone (44) Nine Girls (44) Girl in the Case (44) U-Boat Prisoner (44) Shadows in the Night (44) One Mysterious Night (44) The Unwritten Code (44) Sergeant Mike (44) The Missing Juror (44) Dancing in Manhattan (44) The Crime Doctor's Courage (45) Rough, Tough and Ready (45) Boston Blackie's Rendezvous (45) Prison Ship (45) Life with Blondie (45) Out of the Depths (45) A Close Call for Boson Blackie (46) The Gentleman Misbehaves (46) The Secret of the Whistler (46) Boston Blackie and the Law (46) Blondie's Big Moment (47) The Lone Wolf in Mexico (47) The Devil Thumbs a Ride (47) The Millerson Case (47) Little Miss Broadway (47) Adventures in Silverado (48) Who Killed Doc Robbin (48) Best Man Wins (48) Trapped by Boston Blackie (48) Blondie's Reward (48) I Surrender Dear (48) Rading Luck (48) Blondie's Secret (48) Rusty Saves a Life (49) Blondie's Big Deal (49) Barbary Pirate (49) Holiday in Havana (49) Mule Train (50) Beware of Blondie (50) He's a Cockeyed Wonder (50) A Yank in Korea (51) Smuggler's Gold (51) Silver Canyon (51) Barbed Wire (52) Last Train from Bombay (52) The Golden Hawk (52) A Slight Case of Larceny (53) Sky Commando (53) China Venture (53) Bad for Each Other (53) Wyoming Renegades (54) Drums of Tahiti (54) Pirates of Tripoli (55) Inside Detroit (56) The Houston Story (56) Fury at Gunsight Pass (56) Over-Exposed (56) The Leather Saint (56) 7th Cavalry (56) The Guns for Fort Petticoat (57) 20 Million Miles to Earth (57) The 27th Day (57)


 
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