Friedrich Hollaender

Friedrich Hollaender (born Friedrich Holländer, 18 October 1896  – 18 January 1976) was a German film composer.

He was born in London, where his father, operetta composer Victor Hollaender, worked at the Barnum & Bailey Circus. Young Friedrich had a solid music and theatre family background: his uncle Gustav was director of the Stern Conservatory in Berlin, his uncle Felix Hollaender was a well-known novelist and drama critic, who later worked with Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater.

In 1899 Friedrich's family returned to Germany, his father began teaching at the Stern Conservatory, where his son became a student in Engelbert Humperdinck's master class. In the evening he played the piano at silent film performances in local cinemas, developing the art of musical improvisation. By the age of 18 he was employed as a répétiteur at the New German Theatre in Prague and also was put in charge of troop entertainment at the Western Front of World War I.

Having finished his studies, he composed music for productions by Max Reinhardt and became involved in cabaret and wrote music for the film, The Blue Angel (1930). He left Nazi Germany and emigrated to the United States of America where he wrote the music for over a hundred films, including Destry Rides Again (1939), A Foreign Affair (1948), The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953 Academy Award nomination) and Sabrina (1954). Many of his songs were made famous by Marlene Dietrich. He can be seen as the piano accompanist in A Foreign Affair (where he speaks a few words of dialog). He received four Academy Award nominations for composition. In 1956 he returned to Germany, and died in Munich in 1976.

Selected Songs

• 1926 "Raus mit den Männern", famous feminist song performed by Claire Waldoff.
• 1930 "Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuß auf Liebe eingestellt" w.m. (words and music) Hollander (with English words by Sammy Lerner became known as "Falling in Love Again (Can't Help It)"). Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Der Blaue Engel.
• 1931 "Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte" in film Der Mann, der seinen Mörder sucht and in the 1974 film The Night Porter (Italian: Il Portiere di notte) by Liliana Cavani.
• 1935 "My Heart and I" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Bing Crosby in the 1936 film Anything Goes
• 1936 "Awake in a Dream" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Desire.
• 1936 "The House That Jack Built for Jill" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Bing Crosby in the film Rhythm on the Range.
• 1936 "Moonlight and Shadows" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the film The Jungle Princess.
• 1937 "Whispers in the Dark" w. Leo Robin. Introduced by Connie Boswell in the film Artists and Models
• 1937 "It's Raining Sunbeams" w. Sam Coslow. Introduced by Deanna Durbin in the film One Hundred Men and a Girl.
• 1937 "True Confession" w. Sam Coslow. Theme of the film True Confession.
• 1938 "You Leave Me Breathless" w. Ralph Freed. Introduced by Fred MacMurray in the film Cocoanut Grove.
• 1939 "Strange Enchantment" w. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the film Man About Town.
• 1939 "See What the Boys in the Back Room Will Have" w. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Destry Rides Again.
• 1940 "I've Been in Love Before" w. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film Seven Sinners.
• 1940 "Moon Over Burma" w. Frank Loesser. Introduced by Dorothy Lamour in the film Moon Over Burma.
• 1948 "Black Market" w.m. Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film A Foreign Affair.
• 1948 "Illusions" w.m. Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film A Foreign Affair.
• 1948 "The Ruins of Berlin" w.m. Hollander. Introduced by Marlene Dietrich in the film A Foreign Affair.

External links

• Friedrich Hollander at the Internet Movie Database