Charles Previn (January 11, 1888 – September 21, 1973) was an American film composer who was active at

Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of NBCUniversal ** Universal TV, a ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

during the 1940s and 1950s. Before being based in Hollywood, Previn arranged music for over 100 Broadway productions. Previn was born in

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

to Henrietta Giballe and the rabbi Morris Previn, who a year earlier had immigrated from Graudenz via

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

to the United States. He graduated from Brooklyn High School and obtained a bachelor's degree from

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

in 1910. He obtained a master's degree from

New York College of Music The New York College of Music was an American conservatory of music located in Manhattan that flourished from 1878 to 1968. The college was incorporated under the laws of New York and was empowered to confer diplomas and degrees ranging from a Bac ...

. From 1936 to 1944, Previn was musical director at

, overseeing everything from horror pictures to

Arabian Nights ''One Thousand and One Nights'' ( ar, أَلْفُ لَيْلَةٍ وَلَيْلَةٌ, italic=yes, ) is a collection of Middle Eastern folk tales compiled in Arabic during the Islamic Golden Age. It is often known in English as the ''Arabian ...

fantasies. He was a cousin of the father of German-born composer, pianist, and conductor

André Previn André George Previn (; born Andreas Ludwig Priwin; April 6, 1929 – February 28, 2019) was a German-American pianist, composer, and conductor. His career had three major genres: Hollywood films, jazz, and classical music. In each he achieved ...

and TV and film director

Steve Previn Stephen Wolf Previn (born Wolf Stefan Priwin; 21 October 1925 – 9 July 1993) was a German-born American director of television episodes and feature films and film production executive. Previn began his film career in 1943 as an editor for MGM an ...

(brothers).Hal Erickson, ''All Movie Guide'' He died in Los Angeles, aged 85.

Professional career

* Musician and conductor of

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...

and musical comedy * Conductor of the

St. Louis Municipal Opera The St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre (commonly known as The Muny) is an amphitheater located in St. Louis, Missouri. The theatre seats 11,000 people with about 1,500 free seats in the last nine rows that are available on a first come, first se ...

* Conductor of NBC's ''Camel Pleasure Hour'' in 1930, featuring cornetist

Bix Beiderbecke Leon Bismark "Bix" Beiderbecke (March 10, 1903 – August 6, 1931) was an American jazz cornetist, pianist and composer. Beiderbecke was one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical app ...

* Conductor on the NBC radio series ''Silken Strings'' from 1934 through 1936 * 1936–1944 — Musical director, arranger, composer and conductor at

. While there, Previn accumulated over 225 films to his credit, including most of

Deanna Durbin Edna Mae Durbin (December 4, 1921 – April 17, 2013), known professionally as Deanna Durbin, was a Canadian-born actress and singer, who moved to the USA with her family in infancy. She appeared in musical films in the 1930s and 1940s. With t ...

's films. * 1944 — Previn began working at other studios * 1945–1947 — Previn succeeded

Ernö Rapée Ernö Rapée (or Erno Rapee) (4 June 1891 – 26 June 1945) was a Hungarian-born American symphonic conductor in the first half of the 20th century whose prolific career spanned both classical and popular music. His most famous tenure was as the h ...

as music director/conductor of the

Radio City Music Hall Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue and Theater (structure), theater at 1260 Sixth Avenue (Manhattan), Avenue of the Americas, within Rockefeller Center, in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Nicknamed "The Showplac ...

Symphony * 1947 — Previn returned to Hollywood and worked at

Eagle-Lion Eagle-Lion Films was a British-American film production company owned by J. Arthur Rank intended to distribute British productions in the United States. In 1947, it acquired Robert R. Young's PRC Pictures, a small American production company, ...

and

MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...

* 1947 — Ithaca Conservatory of Music awarded Previn an honorary doctorate * 1953 — Previn retired While at Universal, Previn composed uncredited stock music for several of the studio's releases.

Partial filmography

* ''

The White Monkey ''The White Monkey'' is a 1925 American silent drama film, directed by Phil Rosen and starring Barbara La Marr, Thomas Holding, and Henry Victor. It was released by First National Pictures on June 7, 1925. Plot As described in a film magazine r ...

'' (1925) * ''

Prescription for Romance ''Prescription for Romance'' is a 1937 American romantic comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon for Universal Pictures. It stars Wendy Barrie, Kent Taylor, and Frank Jenks. Plot Cast * Wendy Barrie as Valarie Barry * Kent Taylor as Steve Ma ...

'' (1937) * ''

The Missing Guest ''The Missing Guest'' is a 1938 American mystery-comedy film directed by John Rawlins. It is a remake of the 1933 film ''Secret of the Blue Room''. Synopsis A newspaper reporter is sent by his editor to spend a night in a country house where a ...

'' (1938) * ''

The Witness Vanishes ''The Witness Vanishes'' is a 1939 American mystery film directed by Otis Garrett and starring Edmund Lowe, Wendy Barrie, and Bruce Lester. Cast list Production In 1937, Universal Pictures made a deal with Crime Club, who were published of w ...

'' (1939) * ''

Destry Rides Again ''Destry Rides Again'' is a 1939 American Western comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Marlene Dietrich and James Stewart. The supporting cast includes Mischa Auer, Charles Winninger, Brian Donlevy, Allen Jenkins, Irene Hervey ...

'' (1939; musical director) * ''

Inside Information Insider trading is the trading of a public company's stock or other securities (such as bonds or stock options) based on material, nonpublic information about the company. In various countries, some kinds of trading based on insider information ...

'' (1939) * ''

Missing Evidence ''Missing Evidence'' is a 1939 American drama film, directed by Phil Rosen. It stars Preston Foster, Irene Hervey, and Inez Courtney, and was released on December 15, 1939. Cast list * Preston Foster as Bill Collins * Irene Hervey as Linda Pa ...

'' (1939) * '' Ex-Champ'' (1939) * '' Who Done It?'' (1942) * ''

'' (1942) * ''

He's My Guy "He's My Guy" is the twenty-third single by Dutch girl group Luv', released in 1991 by RCA Records/ BMG. It appears on their 1991 album ''Sincerely Yours''. Song history Luv' experienced difficult career moves in the early 1990s. Its line-up had ...

'' (1943)

Awards

Oscar Award

* Best Score (1937) — ''

One Hundred Men and a Girl ''One Hundred Men and a Girl'' (styled 100 Men and a Girl in advertising) is a 1937 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin and the maestro Leopold Stokowski. Written by Charles Kenyon, Bruce Manning, and ...

'' - Musical Director

Academy Award nominations

* Best Score (1938) — ''

Mad About Music ''Mad About Music'' is a 1938 American musical film directed by Norman Taurog and starring Deanna Durbin, Herbert Marshall, and Gail Patrick. Based on a story by Marcella Burke and Frederick Kohner, the film is about a girl at an exclusive boardin ...

'' (w.

Frank Skinner Christopher Graham Collins (born 28 January 1957), professionally known as Frank Skinner, is an English comedian, actor, presenter and writer. At the 2001 British Comedy Awards, he was named Best Comedy Entertainment Personality. His televisio ...

) * Best Score (1939) — ''

First Love First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

'' * Best Score (1940) — ''

Spring Parade ''Spring Parade'' is a 1940 American musical comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin. It is a remake of the 1934 film. Plot Based on a story by Ernst Marischka, the film is about a Hungarian woman who attends a Viennese ...

'' * Scoring of a Musical Picture (1941) — ''

Buck Privates ''Buck Privates'' is a 1941 musical military comedy film that turned Bud Abbott and Lou Costello into bona fide movie stars. It was the first service comedy based on the peacetime draft of 1940. The comedy team made two more service comedies ...

'' * Scoring of a Musical Picture (1942) — ''

It Started With Eve ''It Started with Eve'' is a 1941 American musical romantic comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring Deanna Durbin, Robert Cummings, and Charles Laughton. The film received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Music Score (Charles Previ ...

'' (w. Hans J. Salter) * Scoring of a Musical Picture (1944) — ''

Song of the Open Road ''Song of the Open Road'' is a 1944 Musical film, musical comedy film directed by S. Sylvan Simon, from a screenplay by Irving Phillips and Edward Verdier. It was the debut film of teenage singer Jane Powell. Powell's real name was Suzanne Burce ...

Family

Parents

* Father: Rabbi Morris Previn (December 1860,

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

– 16 August 1929,

) * Mother: Henrietta Previn (September 1859,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

– September 1948,

New York, NY New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

) ::Morris and Henrietta were married in about 1880. Morris Previn was a rabbi at Ascha-Shorem on 78 Ten Eyck Street in Brooklyn.

Siblings

* Rosie (December 1882,

– May 1948, New York, NY) :: MARRIED NAMES :: Rose Meyer (married Dr. Joseph H. Meyer) * Leo Previn (3 August 1884, Graudenz, Germany – February 1954, New York, NY) * Arthur Gerald Previn (14 February 1886, Germany – July 1969,

Falls Church, Virginia Falls Church is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 14,658. Falls Church is included in the Wash ...

) * Bess (born October 1892, New York City – April 30, 1983, New York City) :: MARRIED NAMES :: Bess Landau (married Saul Albert Landau 19 November 1914

Manhattan, NY Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

) :: Bess Nathanson :: Bess Kurtzman * Jules Previn (23 July 1894,

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

– January 1976,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

) * William Oliver Previn (19 June 1896, New York City – 16 August 1978,

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

) * Stanley S. Previn (3 August 1899 – November 1973, Los Angeles)

References

General references * ''Biography Index, A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines'', Volume 1: January 1946 – July 1949,

H. W. Wilson Company The H. W. Wilson Company, Inc. is a publisher and indexing company that was founded in 1898 and is located in The Bronx, New York. It provides print and digital content aimed at patrons of public school, college, and professional libraries in bot ...

, New York (1949) * ''Biography Index, A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines'', Volume 10: September 1973 – August 1976, H. W. Wilson Company, New York (1977) * ''Who Was Who on Screen, Third edition'', by Evelyn Mack Truitt,

R.R. Bowker R. R. Bowker LLC (trading as Bowker) is an American limited liability company domiciled under Delaware Limited Liability Company Law and based in Chatham, New Jersey. Among other things, Bowker provides bibliographic information on publishe ...

, New York (1983) * ''The ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, Third edition'',

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...

, New York (1966) * ''ASCAP Biographical Dictionary, Fourth edition'', compiled for the

, by Jaques Cattell Press, R.R. Bowker, New York (1980) * ''Who's Who in Hollywood'', the largest cast of international film personalities ever assembled, two volumes, by David Ragan, New York: Facts on File, New York (1992) Inline citations

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Previn, Charles 1888 births 1973 deaths American male conductors (music) American film score composers American male film score composers American music arrangers Jewish American film score composers Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners New York College of Music alumni Cornell University alumni Musicians from Brooklyn Classical musicians from New York (state) 20th-century American conductors (music) 20th-century American male musicians Previn family