Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Leo Frank Forbstein (October 16, 1892 – March 16, 1948) was an American film musical director and orchestra conductor who worked on more than 550 projects during a twenty-year period. Forbstein was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He was attracted to music as a child, learning the violin at the age of four. As a conductor at the Royal Theater in St. Joseph, he synchronized the orchestra with the action in silent films; he then became principal conductor at the Newman Theatre in Kansas City, where the organist was future Warner Bros. colleague Carl W. Stalling. In the mid-1920s, Forbstein relocated to Hollywood to head the symphony orchestra at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre. He signed with Warner Bros. as one of the directors of its Vitaphone Orchestra, alongside Erno Rapee (then Warners' general music director), Louis Silvers, and David Mendoza; Forbstein's first screen credit was The Squall in 1929. In 1931, Warners dismissed Rapee and Mendoza in a consolidation and economy move and Forbstein became the company's general music director. In 1936, Forbstein and composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold were write-in candidates for the Oscar for Best Music, Score for their work on Captain Blood. The following year, he was nominated officially for The Charge of the Light Brigade and Anthony Adverse, winning for the latter. He was nominated again for The Life of Emile Zola in 1938. Forbstein was married to the former Bess Gallas from October 16, 1914 until his death from a heart attack in Los Angeles, California. They had one daughter, Harriett (born 1915), who married assistant director Melvin Dellar. Leo Forbstein was entombed in the Corridor of Immortality at Home of Peace Cemetery.
Sound 310
1940s
- 1948
Two Guys from Texas
Original Music Composer
The Big Punch
Music Director
Winter Meeting
Music Director
- 1947
Escape Me Never
Music Director
Cry Wolf
Music Director
Deep Valley
Music Director
The Unfaithful
Music Director
Love and Learn
Music Director
Stallion Road
Music Director
The Beast with Five Fingers
Music
Humoresque
Music Director
- 1946
Never Say Goodbye
Music Director
A Stolen Life
Music Director
Devotion
Music Director
Cinderella Jones
Music Director
- 1945
Danger Signal
Music Director
Pride of the Marines
Music Director
Hotel Berlin
Music Director
- 1944
The Doughgirls
Music Director
The Conspirators
Music Director
Make Your Own Bed
Music Director
Uncertain Glory
Music Director
- 1943
Princess O'Rourke
Music Director
Oklahoma Outlaws
Music Director
Background to Danger
Music Director
The Constant Nymph
Music Director
Edge of Darkness
Music Director
Air Force
Music Director
The Hard Way
Music Director
- 1942
George Washington Slept Here
Music Director
Wings for the Eagle
Music Director
The Big Shot
Music Director
Spy Ship
Music Director
Always in My Heart
Music Director
The Male Animal
Music Director
Captains of the Clouds
Music Director
- 1941
Steel Against the Sky
Music Director
Blues in the Night
Music Director
Nine Lives Are Not Enough
Music Director
Dive Bomber
Music Director
Manpower
Music Director
Kisses for Breakfast
Music Director
Underground
Music Director
Affectionately Yours
Music Director
The Great Lie
Music Director
The Great Mr. Nobody
Music Director
Flight from Destiny
Music Director
Honeymoon for Three
Music Director
Four Mothers
Music Director
- 1940
She Couldn't Say No
Music Director
South of Suez
Music Director
The Man Who Talked Too Much
Music Director
A Fugitive from Justice
Music Director
Castle on the Hudson
Music Director
1930s
- 1939
Four Wives
Music Director
We Are Not Alone
Music
Espionage Agent
Music Director
Dust Be My Destiny
Music Director
Angels Wash Their Faces
Music Director
Indianapolis Speedway
Music Director
Daughters Courageous
Music Director
Women in the Wind
Music Director
Wings of the Navy
Music Director
Off the Record
Music Director
- 1938
Going Places
Music Director
The Dawn Patrol
Music Director
Heart of the North
Music Director
Comet Over Broadway
Music Director
Angels with Dirty Faces
Music Director
Torchy Gets Her Man
Music Director
The Sisters
Music Director
Valley of the Giants
Music Director
Secrets of an Actress
Music Director
Four Daughters
Music Director
Four's a Crowd
Music Director
My Bill
Music Director
Men Are Such Fools
Music Director
Crime School
Music Director
Hollywood Hotel
Music Director
- 1937
Tovarich
Music Director
First Lady
Music Director
The Great Garrick
Music Director
Back in Circulation
Music Director
Confession
Music Director
Ever Since Eve
Music Director
Another Dawn
Music Director
Kid Galahad
Music Director
The Go-Getter
Music Director
The Prince and the Pauper
Music Director
Call It a Day
Music Director
Ready, Willing and Able
Music Director
Green Light
Music Director
Stolen Holiday
Music Director
God's Country and the Woman
Music Director
- 1936
Gold Diggers of 1937
Music Director
Sing Me a Love Song
Music Director
Give Me Your Heart
Music Director
Stage Struck
Music Director
The White Angel
Music Director
The Singing Kid
Conductor
Snowed Under
Conductor
Road Gang
Music Director
Colleen
Conductor
King of the Islands
Music Director
Freshman Love
Music Director
The Murder of Dr. Harrigan
Music Director
- 1935
Miss Pacific Fleet
Music Director
I Found Stella Parish
Music Director
Shipmates Forever
Music Director
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Music Director
Keystone Hotel
Music Director
The Goose and the Gander
Music Director
We're in the Money
Music Director
The Irish in Us
Music Director
Broadway Gondolier
Music Director
Don't Bet on Blondes
Music Director
Going Highbrow
Music Director
Stranded
Music Director
Alibi Ike
Music Director
'G' Men
Music Director
Go Into Your Dance
Music Director
The Case of the Curious Bride
Music Director
The Florentine Dagger
Music Director
Traveling Saleslady
Music Director
A Night at the Ritz
Music Director
While the Patient Slept
Conductor
Living on Velvet
Conductor
Sweet Music
Conductor
The White Cockatoo
Conductor
Maybe It's Love
Conductor
- 1934
Murder in the Clouds
Conductor
Babbitt
Conductor
The Firebird
Music
Happiness Ahead
Conductor
Big Hearted Herbert
Conductor
The Case of the Howling Dog
Conductor
Kansas City Princess
Conductor
The Dragon Murder Case
Conductor
The Man with Two Faces
Music Director
Here Comes the Navy
Conductor
Midnight Alibi
Conductor
Dr. Monica
Conductor
He Was Her Man
Conductor
Fog Over Frisco
Conductor
Twenty Million Sweethearts
Conductor
Upperworld
Conductor
Journal of a Crime
Conductor
Jimmy the Gent
Conductor
Gambling Lady
Conductor
Heat Lightning
Conductor
Fashions of 1934
Conductor
Mandalay
Conductor
Massacre
Conductor
Hi, Nellie!
Conductor
- 1933
The House on 56th Street
Conductor
College Coach
Conductor
I Loved a Woman
Conductor
Goodbye Again
Conductor
She Had to Say Yes
Conductor
The Man from Monterey
Music
The Narrow Corner
Conductor
The Silk Express
Conductor
Lilly Turner
Conductor
Picture Snatcher
Conductor
The Mind Reader
Conductor
Girl Missing
Conductor
Blondie Johnson
Conductor
The King's Vacation
Conductor
Employees' Entrance
Conductor
- 1932
The Match King
Conductor
Silver Dollar
Conductor
Central Park
Conductor
You Said a Mouthful
Conductor
Scarlet Dawn
Conductor
They Call It Sin
Conductor
Three on a Match
Conductor
The Crash
Conductor
One Way Passage
Conductor
Big City Blues
Conductor
Life Begins
Conductor
Stranger in Town
Conductor
Winner Take All
Conductor
Jewel Robbery
Conductor
Love is a Racket
Music
Street of Women
Conductor
The Strange Love of Molly Louvain
Orchestrator
The Tenderfoot
Conductor
The Rich Are Always with Us
Conductor
Man Wanted
Conductor
Beauty and the Boss
Conductor
The Mouthpiece
Conductor
The Man Who Played God
Original Music Composer
Union Depot
Conductor
The Woman from Monte Carlo
Conductor
- 1931
Side Show
Music Director
The Road to Singapore
Conductor
The Last Flight
Conductor
The Star Witness
Music Director
Night Nurse
Conductor
Gold Dust Gertie
Conductor
Big Business Girl
Conductor
Too Young to Marry
Music Director
Kiss Me Again
Conductor
- 1930
One Night at Susie's
Conductor
The Dawn Patrol
Conductor
Sweet Mama
Conductor
Numbered Men
Conductor
The Flirting Widow
Conductor
Spring Is Here
Conductor
Loose Ankles
Conductor
Playing Around
Conductor
1920s
- 1929
Broadway Babies
Music
The Squall
Conductor
Acted in 1
1930s
- 1935
Broadway Gondolier
Rehearsal Orchestra Leader