Roy Webb(1888-1982)
- Music Department
- Composer
- Art Director
Trained in classical music at Columbia University, Webb worked on
Broadway by the time he was in his
mid-20's, not only composing incidental music, but co-writing original plays with his older brother, the director Kenneth S. Webb.
By 1923, he worked as conductor/arranger on hit shows like "Music Box
Revue" and "Stepping Stones". Two years later, a collaboration with his
illustrious peer Max Steiner led to
a lasting friendship, as well as (by his own admission) profoundly
influencing his own future career as a composer. At the end of the
decade, Steiner, then head of the music department at RKO, persuaded
Webb to accept an assignment in Hollywood, scoring the musical
Rio Rita (1929).
Steiner remained in charge until his departure in 1935, when Webb
effectively took his place, remaining a fixture at RKO until 1955. He
often worked in conjunction with
Bernard Herrmann and
C. Bakaleinikoff, supervising,
conducting and composing scores for literally hundreds of films. As a
composer, his style was somewhat akin to that of
Herbert Stothart, in that it was more
subtle, less overtly dramatic, yet still perfectly integrated with the
action, or imperceptibly underscoring the dialogue. A good example is
the romantic violin-laden score for the sentimental drama
The Enchanted Cottage (1945).
The piano concerto from this film was performed later that year at the
Hollywood Bowl.
Better still, were his understated, eerily effective horror themes,
setting the mood for the films of Val Lewton,
of which Cat People (1942) and
The Body Snatcher (1945) are
absolute standouts. Webb's other noteworthy contribution was in the
field of thrillers and films noir, notably
The Spiral Staircase (1946),
Notorious (1946) and
Out of the Past (1947). After RKO
wound down, Webb free-lanced for several years, working variously at
Warners, Paramount and for
John Wayne's Batjac Productions.
Though his entire collection of manuscripts was sadly lost in a house
fire, copies of his scores from the RKO vaults have been preserved at
UCLA.
Broadway by the time he was in his
mid-20's, not only composing incidental music, but co-writing original plays with his older brother, the director Kenneth S. Webb.
By 1923, he worked as conductor/arranger on hit shows like "Music Box
Revue" and "Stepping Stones". Two years later, a collaboration with his
illustrious peer Max Steiner led to
a lasting friendship, as well as (by his own admission) profoundly
influencing his own future career as a composer. At the end of the
decade, Steiner, then head of the music department at RKO, persuaded
Webb to accept an assignment in Hollywood, scoring the musical
Rio Rita (1929).
Steiner remained in charge until his departure in 1935, when Webb
effectively took his place, remaining a fixture at RKO until 1955. He
often worked in conjunction with
Bernard Herrmann and
C. Bakaleinikoff, supervising,
conducting and composing scores for literally hundreds of films. As a
composer, his style was somewhat akin to that of
Herbert Stothart, in that it was more
subtle, less overtly dramatic, yet still perfectly integrated with the
action, or imperceptibly underscoring the dialogue. A good example is
the romantic violin-laden score for the sentimental drama
The Enchanted Cottage (1945).
The piano concerto from this film was performed later that year at the
Hollywood Bowl.
Better still, were his understated, eerily effective horror themes,
setting the mood for the films of Val Lewton,
of which Cat People (1942) and
The Body Snatcher (1945) are
absolute standouts. Webb's other noteworthy contribution was in the
field of thrillers and films noir, notably
The Spiral Staircase (1946),
Notorious (1946) and
Out of the Past (1947). After RKO
wound down, Webb free-lanced for several years, working variously at
Warners, Paramount and for
John Wayne's Batjac Productions.
Though his entire collection of manuscripts was sadly lost in a house
fire, copies of his scores from the RKO vaults have been preserved at
UCLA.