Biography
Morris W. Stoloff was a musical composer. Stoloff worked with Sammy Davis Jr., Dinah Shore and Frank Sinatra. Stoloff worked as music director at Columbia Pictures from 1936 to 1962. Among space age pop fans, he is best remembered for his 1956 Top 10 hit that paired the swing era tune "Moonglow" with the love theme from the movie Picnic, the medley called "Moonglow and Theme from Picnic". It sold over one million copies, and was awarded a gold disc by the RIAA. Stoloff was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A child prodigy on the violin, Stoloff was taken under the wing of W. A. Clark. After studying with Leopold Auer for several years, Stoloff was touring the U.S. as a featured soloist at the age of 16, and joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic a year later as its youngest member ever. When sound came to motion pictures, studios came looking for musicians to provide it, and Stoloff was one of the first to cross over from classical music to movies. He was the first concertmaster on Paramount Pictures' payroll, and he worked with setting up the mechanics of a system that had to provide a steady stream of music for everything from epic dramas to serials and comedy shorts. In 1936, Stoloff moved over to Columbia Pictures, where he took the title of music director, a new position unique to the studio system. As music director, he was the chief executive responsible for providing musical production support to every film the studio released. This meant matching up composers, orchestrators, conductors, musicians and recording facilities to meet the creative scope of each project as well as its schedule and budget. Stoloff often took partial credit for a picture's score when he worked closely with a particular composer to work out a theme, motifs, and melodies. As a result, he ranks among some of the most-nominated individuals in the history of the Academy Awards. He won three Oscars for best scores, including those for Cover Girl (1944), The Jolson Story (1946), and Song Without End (1960), and was nominated 14 other times. By the late 1940s, film music was beginning to be recognized on its own, and Stoloff began recording some of the more popular numbers as singles for Decca Records. When long-play albums were perfected, the studios saw the opportunity to market more than just singles to the listening audience, and soundtrack albums became a hot commodity. Stoloff exercised his privilege as musical director to record these soundtrack albums himself, working with material from the actual scores. When Frank Sinatra founded Reprise Records in the early 1960s, he hired Stoloff as musical director; the two having worked successfully before on Pal Joey (1957). One of Stoloff's most noteworthy achievements while at Reprise was the release of a set of re-recordings of great Broadway musicals, including Kiss Me, Kate with a studio cast. Stoloff died in Los Angeles, California, aged 81.
Filmography
all 129
Movies 129
Director 99
![Lawrence of Arabia](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/5880-lawrence-of-arabia.jpg)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
![Song Without End](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/73115-song-without-end.jpg)
Song Without End (1960)
![The Last Angry Man](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/85921-the-last-angry-man.jpg)
The Last Angry Man (1959)
![Pal Joey](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/97274-pal-joey.jpg)
Pal Joey (1957)
![3:10 to Yuma](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/9651-3-10-to-yuma.jpg)
3:10 to Yuma (1957)
![Jeanne Eagels](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/83378-jeanne-eagels.jpg)
Jeanne Eagels (1957)
![The Shadow on the Window](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/109644-the-shadow-on-the-window.jpg)
The Shadow on the Window (1957)
![Not One Shall Die](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/558344-not-one-shall-die.jpg)
Not One Shall Die (1957)
![Full of Life](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/138806-full-of-life.jpg)
Full of Life (1956)
![Three Stripes in the Sun](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/138811-three-stripes-in-the-sun.jpg)
Three Stripes in the Sun (1955)
![Picnic](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/70213-picnic.jpg)
Picnic (1955)
![Queen Bee](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/22871-queen-bee.jpg)
Queen Bee (1955)
![The Man from Laramie](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/20699-the-man-from-laramie.jpg)
The Man from Laramie (1955)
![5 Against the House](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/75909-5-against-the-house.jpg)
5 Against the House (1955)
![Tight Spot](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/72474-tight-spot.jpg)
Tight Spot (1955)
![The Violent Men](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/72454-the-violent-men.jpg)
The Violent Men (1955)
![Human Desire](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77620-human-desire.jpg)
Human Desire (1954)
![It Should Happen to You](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/10001-it-should-happen-to-you.jpg)
It Should Happen to You (1954)
![From Here to Eternity](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/68942-from-here-to-eternity.jpg)
From Here to Eternity (1953)
![The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T.](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/104958-the-5-000-fingers-of-dr-t.jpg)
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953)
![Let's Do It Again](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/64719-let-s-do-it-again.jpg)
Let's Do It Again (1953)
![The Juggler](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/68758-the-juggler.jpg)
The Juggler (1953)
![Eight Iron Men](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/9206-eight-iron-men.jpg)
Eight Iron Men (1952)
![Assignment: Paris](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/58935-assignment-paris.jpg)
Assignment: Paris (1952)
![Affair in Trinidad](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77623-affair-in-trinidad.jpg)
Affair in Trinidad (1952)
![Death of a Salesman](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/98632-death-of-a-salesman.jpg)
Death of a Salesman (1951)
![Man in the Saddle](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/80674-man-in-the-saddle.jpg)
Man in the Saddle (1951)
![The Son of Dr. Jekyll](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/137866-the-son-of-dr-jekyll.jpg)
The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951)
![The Lady and the Bandit](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/71438-the-lady-and-the-bandit.jpg)
The Lady and the Bandit (1951)
![The Harlem Globetrotters](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/137790-the-harlem-globetrotters.jpg)
The Harlem Globetrotters (1951)
![Santa Fe](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/80661-santa-fe.jpg)
Santa Fe (1951)
![Born Yesterday](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/103017-born-yesterday.jpg)
Born Yesterday (1950)
![The Flying Missile](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77707-the-flying-missile.jpg)
The Flying Missile (1950)
![Stage to Tucson](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/64251-stage-to-tucson.jpg)
Stage to Tucson (1950)
![Harriet Craig](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/22874-harriet-craig.jpg)
Harriet Craig (1950)
![The Fuller Brush Girl](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/108209-the-fuller-brush-girl.jpg)
The Fuller Brush Girl (1950)
![Convicted](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77636-convicted.jpg)
Convicted (1950)
![Fortunes of Captain Blood](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/137596-fortunes-of-captain-blood.jpg)
Fortunes of Captain Blood (1950)
![In a Lonely Place](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/8936-in-a-lonely-place.jpg)
In a Lonely Place (1950)
![The Nevadan](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/44010-the-nevadan.jpg)
The Nevadan (1950)
![The Reckless Moment](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/65840-the-reckless-moment.jpg)
The Reckless Moment (1949)
![Tell It to the Judge](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/96033-tell-it-to-the-judge.jpg)
Tell It to the Judge (1949)
![All the King's Men](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/112967-all-the-king-s-men.jpg)
All the King's Men (1949)
![Tokyo Joe](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/120877-tokyo-joe.jpg)
Tokyo Joe (1949)
![Miss Grant Takes Richmond](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/103042-miss-grant-takes-richmond.jpg)
Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949)
![Mr. Soft Touch](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77676-mr-soft-touch.jpg)
Mr. Soft Touch (1949)
![Knock on Any Door](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/112889-knock-on-any-door.jpg)
Knock on Any Door (1949)
![Slightly French](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/103661-slightly-french.jpg)
Slightly French (1949)
![Shockproof](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/137485-shockproof.jpg)
Shockproof (1949)
![The Untamed Breed](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/98694-the-untamed-breed.jpg)
The Untamed Breed (1948)
![The Lady from Shanghai](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/6858-the-lady-from-shanghai.jpg)
The Lady from Shanghai (1947)
![It Had to Be You](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/119809-it-had-to-be-you.jpg)
It Had to Be You (1947)
![Framed](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77598-framed.jpg)
Framed (1947)
![Mr. District Attorney](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/84599-mr-district-attorney.jpg)
Mr. District Attorney (1947)
![Dead Reckoning](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/11175-dead-reckoning.jpg)
Dead Reckoning (1947)
![Johnny O'Clock](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/75306-johnny-o-clock.jpg)
Johnny O'Clock (1947)
![Gilda](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/8907-gilda.jpg)
Gilda (1946)
![Meet Me on Broadway](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/167303-meet-me-on-broadway.jpg)
Meet Me on Broadway (1946)
![Over 21](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/114096-over-21.jpg)
Over 21 (1945)
![Together Again](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/39483-together-again.jpg)
Together Again (1944)
![Strange Affair](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/47886-strange-affair.jpg)
Strange Affair (1944)
![Address Unknown](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/68070-address-unknown.jpg)
Address Unknown (1944)
![Cover Girl](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/22951-cover-girl.jpg)
Cover Girl (1944)
![The Ghost That Walks Alone](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77746-the-ghost-that-walks-alone.jpg)
The Ghost That Walks Alone (1944)
![The Chance of a Lifetime](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/3977-the-chance-of-a-lifetime.jpg)
The Chance of a Lifetime (1943)
![Footlight Glamour](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4859-footlight-glamour.jpg)
Footlight Glamour (1943)
![Sahara](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/61844-sahara.jpg)
Sahara (1943)
![Destroyer](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/72532-destroyer.jpg)
Destroyer (1943)
![Passport to Suez](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4303-passport-to-suez.jpg)
Passport to Suez (1943)
![Appointment in Berlin](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/58922-appointment-in-berlin.jpg)
Appointment in Berlin (1943)
![It's a Great Life](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4860-it-s-a-great-life.jpg)
It's a Great Life (1943)
![The Desperadoes](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77649-the-desperadoes.jpg)
The Desperadoes (1943)
![The More the Merrier](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/96343-the-more-the-merrier.jpg)
The More the Merrier (1943)
![Murder in Times Square](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/84963-murder-in-times-square.jpg)
Murder in Times Square (1943)
![A Night to Remember](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/116524-a-night-to-remember.jpg)
A Night to Remember (1942)
![The Boogie Man Will Get You](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/86685-the-boogie-man-will-get-you.jpg)
The Boogie Man Will Get You (1942)
![Overland to Deadwood](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/162006-overland-to-deadwood.jpg)
Overland to Deadwood (1942)
![Counter-Espionage](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4309-counter-espionage.jpg)
Counter-Espionage (1942)
![Atlantic Convoy](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/87357-atlantic-convoy.jpg)
Atlantic Convoy (1942)
![Submarine Raider](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/115000-submarine-raider.jpg)
Submarine Raider (1942)
![Meet the Stewarts](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/81953-meet-the-stewarts.jpg)
Meet the Stewarts (1942)
![Blondie's Blessed Event](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4861-blondie-s-blessed-event.jpg)
Blondie's Blessed Event (1942)
![Alias Boston Blackie](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/3975-alias-boston-blackie.jpg)
Alias Boston Blackie (1942)
![Blondie Goes to College](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4851-blondie-goes-to-college.jpg)
Blondie Goes to College (1942)
![Honolulu Lu](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/136043-honolulu-lu.jpg)
Honolulu Lu (1941)
![The Blonde from Singapore](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/69863-the-blonde-from-singapore.jpg)
The Blonde from Singapore (1941)
![Ladies in Retirement](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/92385-ladies-in-retirement.jpg)
Ladies in Retirement (1941)
![Here Comes Mr. Jordan](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/64650-here-comes-mr-jordan.jpg)
Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)
![Time Out for Rhythm](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/73176-time-out-for-rhythm.jpg)
Time Out for Rhythm (1941)
![Penny Serenade](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/12152-penny-serenade.jpg)
Penny Serenade (1941)
![The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4301-the-lone-wolf-takes-a-chance.jpg)
The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (1941)
![Blondie Goes Latin](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4855-blondie-goes-latin.jpg)
Blondie Goes Latin (1941)
![The Devil Commands](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/86720-the-devil-commands.jpg)
The Devil Commands (1941)
![The Face Behind the Mask](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/87158-the-face-behind-the-mask.jpg)
The Face Behind the Mask (1941)
![The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4305-the-lone-wolf-keeps-a-date.jpg)
The Lone Wolf Keeps a Date (1940)
![Blondie Plays Cupid](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4862-blondie-plays-cupid.jpg)
Blondie Plays Cupid (1940)
![Before I Hang](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/86669-before-i-hang.jpg)
Before I Hang (1940)
![Blondie Has Servant Trouble](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4857-blondie-has-servant-trouble.jpg)
Blondie Has Servant Trouble (1940)
![Girls of the Road](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/84157-girls-of-the-road.jpg)
Girls of the Road (1940)
![The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4298-the-lone-wolf-meets-a-lady.jpg)
The Lone Wolf Meets a Lady (1940)
![Men Without Souls](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77696-men-without-souls.jpg)
Men Without Souls (1940)
![Island of Doomed Men](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/87171-island-of-doomed-men.jpg)
Island of Doomed Men (1940)
![The Doctor Takes a Wife](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/64655-the-doctor-takes-a-wife.jpg)
The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)
![The Man with Nine Lives](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/86660-the-man-with-nine-lives.jpg)
The Man with Nine Lives (1940)
![Blondie on a Budget](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4854-blondie-on-a-budget.jpg)
Blondie on a Budget (1940)
![Convicted Woman](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/77633-convicted-woman.jpg)
Convicted Woman (1940)
![The Lone Wolf Strikes](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4299-the-lone-wolf-strikes.jpg)
The Lone Wolf Strikes (1940)
![His Girl Friday](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/6883-his-girl-friday.jpg)
His Girl Friday (1940)
![The Amazing Mr. Williams](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/43821-the-amazing-mr-williams.jpg)
The Amazing Mr. Williams (1939)
![Mr. Smith Goes to Washington](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/6880-mr-smith-goes-to-washington.jpg)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
![Golden Boy](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/75331-golden-boy.jpg)
Golden Boy (1939)
![The Man They Could Not Hang](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/86658-the-man-they-could-not-hang.jpg)
The Man They Could Not Hang (1939)
![Blondie Takes a Vacation](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/4852-blondie-takes-a-vacation.jpg)
Blondie Takes a Vacation (1939)
![Only Angels Have Wings](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/12161-only-angels-have-wings.jpg)
Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
![Mandrake the Magician](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/121276-mandrake-the-magician.jpg)
Mandrake the Magician (1939)
![The Lady and the Mob](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/43823-the-lady-and-the-mob.jpg)
The Lady and the Mob (1939)
![Let Us Live](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/64140-let-us-live.jpg)
Let Us Live (1939)
![Holiday](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/6644-holiday.jpg)
Holiday (1938)
![Penitentiary](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/135126-penitentiary.jpg)
Penitentiary (1938)
![Murder in Greenwich Village](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/113265-murder-in-greenwich-village.jpg)
Murder in Greenwich Village (1937)
![The Awful Truth](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/12162-the-awful-truth.jpg)
The Awful Truth (1937)
![It Happened in Hollywood](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/113257-it-happened-in-hollywood.jpg)
It Happened in Hollywood (1937)
![Theodora Goes Wild](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/48795-theodora-goes-wild.jpg)
Theodora Goes Wild (1936)
![Craig's Wife](https://images.moviefit.me/t/o/48799-craig-s-wife.jpg)
Craig's Wife (1936)
Ratings
Information
Known ForSound
GenderMale
Birthday1898-07-30
Deathday1980-04-16 (81 years old)
Birth PlacePhiladelphia, United States of America
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
Also Known AsM.W. Stoloff, M. Stoloff, M. W. Stoloff
Awardsstar on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Academy Award for Best Original Musical Score
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
Last updated:
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