Biography
Roy Webb (né Royden Denslow Webb; October 3, 1888 – December 10, 1982) was an American film music composer. Webb has hundreds of film music credits to his name, mainly with RKO Pictures. He is best known for film noir and horror film scores, in particular for the films of Val Lewton. Born in Manhattan, New York, Webb orchestrated and conducted for the Broadway stage, before moving to Hollywood in the late 1920s to work as music director for Radio Pictures, later RKO Pictures. He remained at RKO until 1955, then worked freelance for several years, including scoring several episodes of Wagon Train. Webb is credited as composer or arranger on more than 200 films, and received Academy Award nominations for Quality Street (1937), My Favorite Wife (1940), I Married a Witch (1942), Joan of Paris (1942), The Fallen Sparrow (1943), The Fighting Seabees (1944), and The Enchanted Cottage (1945). His piano concerto from The Enchanted Cottage was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Constantin Bakaleinikoff, in concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1945. In 1961, a house fire destroyed Webb's manuscripts including film scores and unpublished concert music, after which Webb ceased composing. Webb died in 1982 from a heart attack at the age of 94. An alumnus of Columbia University, Webb wrote the fight song “Roar, Lion, Roar” for his alma mater in 1925. Several cues composed by Webb were used in the newsreel montage of Kane's life in Citizen Kane. Several cues composed by Webb replaced those by Bernard Herrmann in The Magnificent Ambersons after the film was re-edited. Webb also composed several cues (uncredited) for This is Cinerama, the first Cinerama production in 1952. The Christopher Palmer Collection of Roy Webb Scores is held at Syracuse University, New York.
Sound 227
1970s
- 1972
The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here!
Sound
1950s
- 1958
Teacher's Pet
Original Music Composer
- 1957
Top Secret Affair
Original Music Composer
- 1956
The Girl He Left Behind
Original Music Composer
The Search for Bridey Murphy
Original Music Composer
The First Texan
Original Music Composer
Our Miss Brooks
Original Music Composer
- 1955
Blood Alley
Original Music Composer
Bengazi
Original Music Composer
Underwater!
Original Music Composer
The Americano
Original Music Composer
- 1954
The Raid
Original Music Composer
Dangerous Mission
Original Music Composer
She Couldn't Say No
Original Music Composer
Alaska Seas
Original Music Composer
- 1953
Second Chance
Original Music Composer
Affair with a Stranger
Original Music Composer
Split Second
Original Music Composer
- 1952
The Lusty Men
Original Music Composer
At Sword's Point
Original Music Composer
- 1951
Hard, Fast and Beautiful!
Original Music Composer
- 1950
Gambling House
Original Music Composer
Vendetta
Original Music Composer
The White Tower
Original Music Composer
The Secret Fury
Original Music Composer
1940s
- 1949
A Dangerous Profession
Music
My Friend Irma
Original Music Composer
Easy Living
Original Music Composer
Make Mine Laughs
Original Music Composer
Mighty Joe Young
Original Music Composer
Bad Men of Tombstone
Original Music Composer
- 1948
Race Street
Original Music Composer
- 1947
Cass Timberlane
Original Music Composer
Magic Town
Original Music Composer
Easy Come, Easy Go
Original Music Composer
The Devil Thumbs a Ride
Original Music Composer
The Perfect Marriage
Original Music Composer
Sinbad the Sailor
Original Music Composer
- 1946
The Well Groomed Bride
Original Music Composer
Bedlam
Original Music Composer
- 1945
Sing Your Way Home
Original Music Composer
Love, Honor and Goodbye
Original Music Composer
Those Endearing Young Charms
Original Music Composer
The Body Snatcher
Original Music Composer
Zombies on Broadway
Music
The Enchanted Cottage
Original Music Composer
Betrayal from the East
Original Music Composer
Two O'Clock Courage
Original Music Composer
- 1944
Experiment Perilous
Original Music Composer
Rainbow Island
Original Music Composer
The Master Race
Original Music Composer
Bride by Mistake
Original Music Composer
The Seventh Cross
Original Music Composer
The Falcon Out West
Original Music Composer
The Curse of the Cat People
Original Music Composer
Action in Arabia
Original Music Composer
Passport to Destiny
Music
- 1943
The Ghost Ship
Original Music Composer
Gangway for Tomorrow
Original Music Composer
The Fallen Sparrow
Original Music Composer
Behind the Rising Sun
Music
The Falcon in Danger
Original Music Composer
Petticoat Larceny
Original Music Composer
Bombardier
Original Music Composer
Flight for Freedom
Original Music Composer
Ladies' Day
Original Music Composer
The Falcon Strikes Back
Original Music Composer
Journey into Fear
Original Music Composer
Hitler's Children
Original Music Composer
- 1942
Seven Miles from Alcatraz
Original Music Composer
The Navy Comes Through
Original Music Composer
Here We Go Again
Original Music Composer
The Falcon's Brother
Original Music Composer
The Big Street
Original Music Composer
The Falcon Takes Over
Original Music Composer
Obliging Young Lady
Original Music Composer
Joan of Paris
Original Music Composer
- 1941
Weekend for Three
Original Music Composer
Look Who's Laughing
Original Music Composer
The Bandit Trail
Original Music Composer
Father Takes a Wife
Music Director
Parachute Battalion
Original Music Composer
Tom, Dick and Harry
Original Music Composer
The Saint's Vacation
Original Music Composer
The Devil and Miss Jones
Music Director
A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob
Original Music Composer
The Saint In Palm Springs
Original Music Composer
- 1940
Kitty Foyle
Original Music Composer
Mexican Spitfire Out West
Original Music Composer
I'm Still Alive
Original Music Composer
Wildcat Bus
Original Music Composer
Stage to Chino
Original Music Composer
Millionaires in Prison
Original Music Composer
A Bill of Divorcement
Original Music Composer
You Can't Fool Your Wife
Original Music Composer
Irene
Original Music Composer
Curtain Call
Original Music Composer
Bullet Code
Original Music Composer
Abe Lincoln in Illinois
Original Music Composer
1930s
- 1939
That's Right – You're Wrong
Original Music Composer
Sued for Libel
Music Director
Bad Lands
Original Music Composer
In Name Only
Original Music Composer
The Fighting Gringo
Music
The Spellbinder
Music
Bachelor Mother
Original Music Composer
Timber Stampede
Original Music Composer, Music Director
Five Came Back
Original Music Composer
Racketeers of the Range
Music Director
Panama Lady
Music, Music Director
Sorority House
Original Music Composer
The Rookie Cop
Music Director
Trouble in Sundown
Original Music Composer, Music Director
The Saint Strikes Back
Original Music Composer
Twelve Crowded Hours
Music Director
- 1938
Next Time I Marry
Music Director
The Law West of Tombstone
Music Director
Lawless Valley
Music
The Mad Miss Manton
Original Music Composer
A Man to Remember
Original Music Composer
The Affairs of Annabel
Music Director
Having Wonderful Time
Music Director
Blond Cheat
Original Music Composer, Music Director
The Saint in New York
Original Music Composer
Go Chase Yourself
Music Director
Condemned Women
Music
- 1937
High Flyers
Original Music Composer
Stage Door
Music Director
Forty Naughty Girls
Music Director
New Faces of 1937
Music Director
You Can't Buy Luck
Original Music Composer
The Outcasts of Poker Flat
Music Supervisor
The Woman I Love
Music Director
Quality Street
Original Music Composer
Sea Devils
Music Director
We're on the Jury
Original Music Composer
- 1936
The Plough and the Stars
Original Music Composer
A Woman Rebels
Music
Bunker Bean
Music Director
The Ex-Mrs. Bradford
Original Music Composer, Music Director
Murder on a Bridle Path
Music Director
Silly Billies
Original Music Composer
The Lady Consents
Music Director
Chatterbox
Original Music Composer
Two in the Dark
Original Music Composer
- 1935
Sylvia Scarlett
Music Director, Original Music Composer
In Person
Music Director
The Last Days of Pompeii
Music
Alice Adams
Original Music Composer
The Arizonian
Original Music Composer
The Nitwits
Original Music Composer
- 1934
By Your Leave
Original Music Composer
Kentucky Kernels
Original Music Composer, Music Director
La Cucaracha
Music Director
Down to Their Last Yacht
Original Music Composer
Let's Try Again
Original Music Composer
Strictly Dynamite
Original Music Composer
This Man Is Mine
Original Music Composer
Hips, Hips, Hooray!
Original Music Composer
- 1933
If I Were Free
Original Music Composer
The Right To Romance
Original Music Composer
Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men
Original Music Composer
Ann Vickers
Original Music Composer
Blind Adventure
Original Music Composer
Emergency Call
Original Music Composer
Professional Sweetheart
Music Director
Diplomaniacs
Original Music Composer
Our Betters
Original Music Composer
Topaze
Original Music Composer
- 1930
The Life of the Party
Music Director
Shooting Straight
Original Music Composer
Inside the Lines
Original Music Composer
Alias French Gertie
Original Music Composer
Girl of the Port
Original Music Composer
1920s
- 1929
Seven Keys to Baldpate
Original Music Composer
The Delightful Rogue
Original Music Composer
Rio Rita
Orchestrator
Other crew 10
1950s
- 1959
Return of the Fly
Additional Music
- 1952
- 1951
The Blue Veil
Additional Music
1940s
- 1945
The Brighton Strangler
Additional Music
- 1944
The Falcon in Hollywood
Additional Music
- 1942
The Falcon Takes Over
Additional Music
1930s
- 1937
Breakfast for Two
Additional Music
The Woman I Love
Additional Music
- 1933
Bed of Roses
Additional Music
- 1932
Lady with a Past
Additional Music
Directed 1
1920s
- 1920
The Fear Market
Assistant Director
Art department 1
1920s
- 1920
The Truth About Husbands
Art Direction