Hugo Friedhofer

Hugo Friedhofer

Known for: Sound
Biography: 1901-05-03
Deathday: 1981-05-17 (80 years old)

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Biography

Hugo Wilhelm Friedhofer (May 3, 1901 – May 17, 1981) was an American composer and cellist best known for his motion picture scores.


Friedhofer was born in San Francisco, California, United States. His father, Paul, was a cellist trained in Dresden, Germany; his mother, Eva König, was born in Germany.


Friedhofer began playing cello at the age of 13. After taking lessons in harmony and counterpoint at University of California, Berkeley, he was employed as a cellist for the People's Symphony Orchestra.


In 1929, he relocated to Hollywood, where he performed as a musician for Fox Studios productions such as Sunny Side Up (1920) and Grand Canary (1934). Later, he was hired as an orchestrator for Warner Bros. and worked on more than 50 films for the studio. While at Warners he was largely assigned to work with Max Steiner and, because he could speak German, Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Steiner, in particular, relied on Friedhofer's skill in turning his sketches into a full orchestral score.


In 1937, Friedhofer composed his first full-length film score, The Adventures of Marco Polo. Though he was still employed as an orchestrator through the 1930s and into the 1940s, he gradually received more assignments as a composer. In 1942, he composed the score for the film Chetniks! The Fighting Guerrillas.


In 1946, Friedhofer was hired to compose the score for the 1946 William Wyler directed film, The Best Years of Our Lives, which earned him an Oscar for Best Original Score at the 1947 Academy Awards, beating Bernard Herrmann, Miklós Rózsa, William Walton and Franz Waxman. A new recording of the score, released in 1979 by Entr'acte Recording Society, was favorably received at the time.


Friedhofer was also nominated for other films, including The Bishop's Wife, Joan of Arc, Above and Beyond, Between Heaven and Hell, Boy on a Dolphin, An Affair to Remember, and The Young Lions.


Friedhofer, who was greatly admired by his colleagues, was also noted for his caustic, self-deprecating wit. When asked by fellow composer David Raksin as to the progress he was making on his score for Joan of Arc, he replied, "I've just started on the barbecue!". In reply to an interview by Page Cook, the film music critic at Films in Review magazine, who inquired about his place in the pantheon of film musicians, Friedhofer said, "I am just a fake giant among real pygmies."


A biographical collection of essays, letters and interviews has been edited by Linda Danly.


He died at St. Vincent Hospsital from complications of a fall on May 17, 1981.


Description above from the Wikipedia page Hugo Friedhofer, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Filmography

all 130

Movies 129

self 1

TV Shows 1

Self (archive footage)
Max Steiner: Maestro of Movie Music

Max Steiner: Maestro of Movie Music (2019)

Movie
Composer
Die Sister, Die!

Die Sister, Die! (1978)

Movie
Composer
Private Parts

Private Parts (1972)

Movie
9
Composer
Von Richthofen and Brown

Von Richthofen and Brown (1971)

Movie
Composer
The Over the Hill Gang

The Over the Hill Gang (1969)

Movie
Composer
The Secret Invasion

The Secret Invasion (1964)

Movie
Composer
Geronimo

Geronimo (1962)

Movie
Composer
Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast (1962)

Movie
Composer
Homicidal

Homicidal (1961)

Movie
7
Original Music Composer
One-Eyed Jacks

One-Eyed Jacks (1961)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Outlaws

Outlaws (1960)

TV
Composer
Never So Few

Never So Few (1959)

Movie
Music
The Blue Angel

The Blue Angel (1959)

Movie
Composer
This Earth Is Mine

This Earth Is Mine (1959)

Movie
Composer
Woman Obsessed

Woman Obsessed (1959)

Movie
Composer
In Love and War

In Love and War (1958)

Movie
Original Music Composer
I Married a Monster from Outer Space

I Married a Monster from Outer Space (1958)

Movie
6
Original Music Composer
The Barbarian and the Geisha

The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958)

Movie
Composer
The Young Lions

The Young Lions (1958)

Movie
Composer
The Sun Also Rises

The Sun Also Rises (1957)

Movie
Composer
An Affair to Remember

An Affair to Remember (1957)

Movie
1
Original Music Composer
Boy on a Dolphin

Boy on a Dolphin (1957)

Movie
Composer
Between Heaven and Hell

Between Heaven and Hell (1956)

Movie
Composer
The Revolt of Mamie Stover

The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956)

Movie
Composer
The Harder They Fall

The Harder They Fall (1956)

Movie
2
Composer
The Rains of Ranchipur

The Rains of Ranchipur (1955)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Seven Cities of Gold

Seven Cities of Gold (1955)

Movie
Composer
Soldier of Fortune

Soldier of Fortune (1955)

Movie
Composer
Violent Saturday

Violent Saturday (1955)

Movie
5.33
Composer
White Feather

White Feather (1955)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Vera Cruz

Vera Cruz (1954)

Movie
Orchestrator
Deep in My Heart

Deep in My Heart (1954)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Man in the Attic

Man in the Attic (1953)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Hondo

Hondo (1953)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Island in the Sky

Island in the Sky (1953)

Movie
Composer
Above and Beyond

Above and Beyond (1953)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Thunder in the East

Thunder in the East (1952)

Movie
Composer
The Outcasts of Poker Flat

The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1952)

Movie
Composer
Lydia Bailey

Lydia Bailey (1952)

Movie
Composer
The Marrying Kind

The Marrying Kind (1952)

Movie
Music
Queen for a Day

Queen for a Day (1951)

Movie
Composer
Ace in the Hole

Ace in the Hole (1951)

Movie
1
Music
Cry Danger

Cry Danger (1951)

Movie
6
Composer
The Sound of Fury

The Sound of Fury (1950)

Movie
6
Composer
Two Flags West

Two Flags West (1950)

Movie
6
Original Music Composer
Edge of Doom

Edge of Doom (1950)

Movie
Composer
Broken Arrow

Broken Arrow (1950)

Movie
Composer
No Man of Her Own

No Man of Her Own (1950)

Movie
Composer
Captain Carey, U.S.A.

Captain Carey, U.S.A. (1950)

Movie
6
Composer
Three Came Home

Three Came Home (1950)

Movie
Composer
Enchantment

Enchantment (1948)

Movie
6.18
Composer
Joan of Arc

Joan of Arc (1948)

Movie
Composer
Sealed Verdict

Sealed Verdict (1948)

Movie
Music
A Song Is Born

A Song Is Born (1948)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Adventures of Casanova

Adventures of Casanova (1948)

Movie
Composer
The Swordsman

The Swordsman (1948)

Movie
Original Music Composer
The Bishop's Wife

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Movie
6
Composer
Body and Soul

Body and Soul (1947)

Movie
Composer
Wild Harvest

Wild Harvest (1947)

Movie
Composer
The Best Years of Our Lives

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

Movie
4
Composer
So Dark the Night

So Dark the Night (1946)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Gilda

Gilda (1946)

Movie
6
Orchestrator
Devotion

Devotion (1946)

Movie
Music
Mildred Pierce

Mildred Pierce (1945)

Movie
3.88
Original Music Composer
Along Came Jones

Along Came Jones (1945)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Brewster's Millions

Brewster's Millions (1945)

Movie
Music Arranger
The Corn Is Green

The Corn Is Green (1945)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Belle of the Yukon

Belle of the Yukon (1944)

Movie
Music
The Woman in the Window

The Woman in the Window (1944)

Movie
Original Music Composer
The Conspirators

The Conspirators (1944)

Movie
Orchestrator
Arsenic and Old Lace

Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)

Movie
2.5
Composer
Home in Indiana

Home in Indiana (1944)

Movie
Composer
Roger Touhy, Gangster

Roger Touhy, Gangster (1944)

Movie
Composer
Lifeboat

Lifeboat (1944)

Movie
1
Composer
The Lodger

The Lodger (1944)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Wing and a Prayer

Wing and a Prayer (1944)

Movie
Music
The Gang's All Here

The Gang's All Here (1943)

Movie
Composer
Paris After Dark

Paris After Dark (1943)

Movie
Orchestrator
The Constant Nymph

The Constant Nymph (1943)

Movie
6
Composer
They Came to Blow Up America

They Came to Blow Up America (1943)

Movie
Music
Casablanca

Casablanca (1943)

Movie
6.75
Orchestrator
The Hard Way

The Hard Way (1943)

Movie
Composer
Chetniks!

Chetniks! (1943)

Movie
Composer
China Girl

China Girl (1942)

Movie
Original Music Composer
The Black Swan

The Black Swan (1942)

Movie
Music Arranger
Now, Voyager

Now, Voyager (1942)

Movie
3
Additional Music
The Pied Piper

The Pied Piper (1942)

Movie
Music
Prelude to War

Prelude to War (1942)

Movie
Orchestrator
Sergeant York

Sergeant York (1941)

Movie
1
Orchestrator
The Great Lie

The Great Lie (1941)

Movie
Music Arranger
The Sea Wolf

The Sea Wolf (1941)

Movie
Orchestrator
The Letter

The Letter (1940)

Movie
4.25
Orchestrator
They Drive by Night

They Drive by Night (1940)

Movie
6
Orchestrator
Virginia City

Virginia City (1940)

Movie
Orchestrator
Rebecca

Rebecca (1940)

Movie
5.76
Orchestrator
Four Wives

Four Wives (1939)

Movie
Orchestrator
The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939)

Movie
Orchestrator
Dust Be My Destiny

Dust Be My Destiny (1939)

Movie
4.25
Orchestrator
The Old Maid

The Old Maid (1939)

Movie
Orchestrator
Juarez

Juarez (1939)

Movie
Orchestrator
Dark Victory

Dark Victory (1939)

Movie
6
Music
Made for Each Other

Made for Each Other (1939)

Movie
Music
Topper Takes a Trip

Topper Takes a Trip (1938)

Movie
5
Orchestrator
The Dawn Patrol

The Dawn Patrol (1938)

Movie
Orchestrator
Valley of the Giants

Valley of the Giants (1938)

Movie
Orchestrator
The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Movie
3.86
Composer
The Adventures of Marco Polo

The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)

Movie
Orchestrator
Jezebel

Jezebel (1938)

Movie
3.5
Orchestrator
Tovarich

Tovarich (1937)

Movie
Orchestrator
The Hurricane

The Hurricane (1937)

Movie
Orchestrator
The Prisoner of Zenda

The Prisoner of Zenda (1937)

Movie
Additional Music
You Only Live Once

You Only Live Once (1937)

Movie
4
Orchestrator
Beloved Enemy

Beloved Enemy (1936)

Movie
Orchestrator
One Rainy Afternoon

One Rainy Afternoon (1936)

Movie
Original Music Composer
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine

The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Rose of the Rancho

Rose of the Rancho (1936)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Peter Ibbetson

Peter Ibbetson (1935)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Broadway Bad

Broadway Bad (1933)

Movie
Music
The First Year

The First Year (1932)

Movie
Music
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1932)

Movie
Original Music Composer
The Trial of Vivienne Ware

The Trial of Vivienne Ware (1932)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Amateur Daddy

Amateur Daddy (1932)

Movie
Original Music Composer
After Tomorrow

After Tomorrow (1932)

Movie
Original Music Composer
The Yellow Ticket

The Yellow Ticket (1931)

Movie
Music
Law of the Harem

Law of the Harem (1931)

Movie
Music
Skyline

Skyline (1931)

Movie
Original Music Composer
The Spider

The Spider (1931)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Transatlantic

Transatlantic (1931)

Movie
Music
Goldie

Goldie (1931)

Movie
Original Music Composer
Just Imagine

Just Imagine (1930)

Movie

Ratings

Average 6.09
Based on 1.49 Million movie and tv ratings over time
1930
1939
1945
1941
2019
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Information

Known For
Sound

Gender
Male

Birthday
1901-05-03

Deathday
1981-05-17 (80 years old)

Birth Place
San Francisco, United States of America

Citizenships
United States of America

Also Known As
Hugo Wilhelm Friedhofer, Hugo W. Friedhofer

Awards
Academy Award for Best Original Dramatic or Comedy Score


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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