Editing Max Steiner (section)

==Biography==
===Early years (1888–1907)===
[[File:Austria Classic Hotel Wien.jpg|thumb|[[Austria Classic Hotel Wien|Max Steiner's birthplace]] in Vienna today, Praterstraße 72]]

Max Steiner was born on 10 May 1888, in [[Vienna]], [[Austria-Hungary]], as the only child in a wealthy business and theatrical family of [[Jewish]] heritage.<ref name="Palmer">[[Christopher Palmer|Palmer, Christopher]]. ''The Composer in Hollywood'', "Max Steiner: Birth of an Era", Marion Boyars Publishers (1990) pp. 15–50</ref><ref>Neale, Steve, ed. ''Classical Hollywood Reader'', Routledge (2012) p. 235</ref><ref name=":0">[[Volkov, Shulamit]]. ''Germans, Jews, and Antisemites: Trials of Emancipation'', Cambridge Univ. Press (2006) p. 42</ref> He was named after his paternal grandfather, [[Maximilian Steiner]] (1839–1880), who was credited with first persuading [[Johann Strauss II]] to write for the theater, and was the influential manager of Vienna's historic [[Theater an der Wien]].<ref name="Thomas">Thomas, Tony. ''Max Steiner: Vienna, London, New York, and Finally Hollywood'', [http://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/MSS1547.xml Max Steiner Collection], Brigham Young University 1996</ref> His parents were Marie Josefine/Mirjam (Hasiba) and [[History of the Jews in Hungary|Hungarian-Jewish]] {{ill|Gábor Steiner|de|Gábor Steiner|lt=Gábor Steiner}} (1858–1944, born in [[Timișoara|Temesvár]], [[Kingdom of Hungary (1526–1867)|Kingdom of Hungary]], [[Austrian Empire]]), a Viennese [[impresario]], carnival exposition manager, and inventor, responsible for building the [[Wiener Riesenrad]].<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y6EkAQAAIAAJ&q=Max+Steiner+%22Hasiba%22 | title=Venedig in Wien: Theater- und Vergnügungsstadt der Jahrhundertwende| isbn=9783800035427| last1=Rubey| first1=Norbert| last2=Schoenwald| first2=Peter| year=1996| publisher=Ueberreuter}}</ref> His father encouraged Steiner's musical talent, and allowed him to conduct an American operetta at the age of twelve, [[the Belle of New York (musical)|''The Belle of New York'']], which allowed Steiner to gain early recognition by the operetta's author, [[Gustave Kerker]].<ref name=Thomas/> Steiner's mother Marie was a dancer in stage productions put on by his grandfather when she was young, but later became involved in the restaurant business.<ref name="invisible">{{cite book |last1=MacDonald |first1=Laurence E. |title=The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History |date=2013 |publisher=The Scarecrow Press |location=Lanham, Maryland |isbn=9780810883987 |edition=2nd |url=https://public.ebookcentral.proquest.com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=1203883}}</ref>{{rp|26,37}}<ref name="thomas" />{{rp|56}} [[Richard Strauss]] strongly influenced Steiner's future work. Steiner often credited his family for inspiring his early musical abilities. As early as six years old, Steiner was taking three or four piano lessons a week, yet often became bored with the lessons. Because of this, he would practice improvising on his own, his father encouraging him to write his music down. Steiner cited his early improvisation as an influence of his taste in music, particularly his interest in the music of [[Claude Debussy]] which was "[[avant-garde|avant garde]]" for the time.<ref name="voyager">{{cite book|title=Max Steiner's ''Now, Voyager'': A Film Score Guide|last1=Daubney|first1=Kate|date=2000|publisher=Greenwood Press|isbn=0313312532|location=Westport, CT}}</ref>{{rp|2}} In his youth, he began his composing career through his work on marches for [[regiment]]al bands and hit songs for a show put on by his father.<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|2}}

Steiner's parents sent him to the [[Vienna University of Technology]], but he expressed little interest in scholastic subjects. He enrolled in the [[University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna|Imperial Academy of Music]] in 1904,<ref name="Wegele">{{cite book|last1=Wegele|first1=Peter|title=Max Steiner: Composing, Casablanca and the Golden Age of Film Music, p. 47-74|date=2014|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield Publishers|location=Blue Ridge Summit}}</ref> where, due to his precocious musical talents and private tutoring by [[Robert Fuchs (composer)|Robert Fuchs]], and [[Gustav Mahler]], he completed a four-year course in only one year, winning himself a gold medal from the academy at the age of fifteen.<ref name="podium">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Tony |title=Film Score: The View from the Podium |date=1979 |publisher=A.S. Barnes and Co. |location=Cranbury, New Jersey |isbn=0498023583}}</ref>{{rp|73}} He studied various instruments including [[violin]], [[double bass]], [[Organ (music)|organ]], and [[trumpet]]. His preferred and best instrument was the piano, but he acknowledged the importance of being familiar with what the other instruments could do. He also had courses in [[harmony]], [[counterpoint]], and [[composition (music)|composition]].<ref name="thomas" />{{rp|56}}<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|2}} Along with Mahler and Fuchs, he cited his teachers as [[Felix Weingartner]] and [[Edmund Eysler]].<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|2}}

===Beginning music career (1907–1914)===
The music of Edmund Eysler was an early influence in the pieces of Max Steiner;<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|2}} however, one of his first introductions to operettas was by [[Franz Lehár]] who worked for a time as a military bandmaster for Steiner's father's theatre.<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|3}} Steiner paid tribute to Lehár through an operetta modeled after Lehár's ''[[The Merry Widow|Die lustige Witwe]]'' which Steiner staged in 1907 in Vienna.<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|3}} Eysler was well known for his operettas though as critiqued by [[Richard Traubner]], the [[libretto|libretti]] were poor, with a fairly simple style, the music often relying too heavily on the [[Viennese waltz]] style.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Traubner |first1=Richard |title=Operetta: A Theatrical History |date=1983 |publisher=Doubleday & Company, Inc. |location=Garden City, New York |isbn=0385132328 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/operettatheatric00trau_1/page/296 296–7] |url=https://archive.org/details/operettatheatric00trau_1/page/296 }}</ref> As a result, when Steiner started writing pieces for the theater, he was interested in writing libretto as his teacher had, but had minimal success. However, many of his future film scores such as ''[[Dark Victory]]'' (1939), ''[[In This Our Life]]'' (1941), and ''[[Now, Voyager]]'' (1942) had frequent waltz melodies as influenced by Eysler.<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|2}} According to author of ''Max Steiner's "Now, Voyager"'' Kate Daubney, Steiner may also have been influenced by Felix Weingartner who conducted the [[Vienna Opera]] from 1908 to 1911. Although he took composition classes from Weingartner, as a young boy, Steiner always wanted to be a great conductor.<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|3}}

Between 1907 and 1914, Steiner traveled between Britain and Europe to work on theatrical productions.<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|4}} Steiner first entered the world of professional music when he was fifteen. He wrote and conducted the operetta ''The Beautiful Greek Girl'', but his father refused to stage it saying it was not good enough. Steiner took the composition to competing impresario Carl Tuschl who offered to produce it. Much to Steiner's pleasure, it ran in the Orpheum Theatre for a year.<ref name="thomas" />{{rp|58}} This led to opportunities to conduct other shows in various cities around the world, including Moscow and Hamburg. Upon returning to Vienna, Steiner found his father in bankruptcy. Having difficulties finding work, he moved to London (in part to follow an English [[showgirl]] he had met in Vienna).<ref name="thomas" />{{rp|58}} In London, he was invited to conduct Lehar's ''[[The Merry Widow]]''. He stayed in London for eight years conducting musicals at Daly's Theatre, the Adelphi, the Hippodrome, the London Pavilion, and the Blackpool Winter Gardens.<ref name=Thomas/> Steiner married Beatrice Tilt on September 12, 1912. The exact date of their divorce is unknown.<ref name="archives">{{cite web |title=The Max Steiner Collection |url=https://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/MSS1547.xml#idp688322728 |website=Film Music Archives |publisher=L.Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University |access-date=June 7, 2018 |location=MSS 1547}}</ref>

In England, Steiner wrote and conducted theater productions and symphonies. But the beginning of [[World War I]] in 1914 led him to be interned as an [[enemy alien]].<ref>Brook, Vincent. ''Driven to Darkness: Jewish Emigre Directors and the Rise of Film Noir'', Rutgers Univ. Press (2009) p. 215</ref> Fortunately, he was befriended by the [[Duke of Westminster]], who was a fan of his work, and was given exit papers to go to America, although his money was impounded. He arrived in New York City in December 1914, with only $32.<ref name=Thomas/> Unable to find work, he resorted to [[domestic worker|menial job]]s such as a copyist for Harms Music Publishing, which quickly led him to jobs orchestrating stage musicals.<ref name="thomas" />{{rp|58}}

===Broadway music (1914–1929)===
In New York, Max Steiner quickly acquired employment and worked for fifteen years as a musical director, arranger, orchestrator, and conductor of Broadway productions. These productions include operettas and musicals written by [[Victor Herbert]], [[Jerome Kern]], [[Vincent Youmans]], and [[George Gershwin]], among others. Steiner's credits include: ''[[George White's Scandals]]'' (1922) (director), ''Peaches'' (1923) (composer), and ''[[Lady, Be Good (musical)|Lady, Be Good]]'' (1924) (conductor and orchestrator).<ref name=Leaney>{{cite book|last1=Leaney|first1=Edward A.|editor1-last=D'Arc|editor1-first=James|editor2-last=Gillespie|editor2-first=John N.|title=The Max Steiner Collection|date=1996|publisher=Special Collections and Manuscripts, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University|location=Provo, Utah|chapter=A Max Steiner Chronology|chapter-url=http://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/MSS1547.xml}}</ref> At twenty-seven years old, Steiner became [[Fox Film Corporation|Fox Film]]'s musical director in 1915.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Sanjek|first1=Russell|title=American Popular Music and Its Business: From 1900 to 1984|url=https://archive.org/details/americanpopularm00san_hz5|url-access=registration|date=1988|publisher=Oxford University Press|location=UK|isbn=978-0-195-04311-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/americanpopularm00san_hz5/page/11 11]}}</ref> At the time, there was no specially written music for films and Steiner told studio founder [[William Fox (producer)|William Fox]] his idea to write an original score for ''[[The Bondman (1916 film)|The Bondman]]'' (1916). Fox agreed and they put together a 110-piece orchestra to accompany the screenings.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Rosenberg|first1=Bernard|last2=Silverstein|first2=Harry|title=The Real Tinsel|url=https://archive.org/details/realtinsel00rose|url-access=registration|date=1970|publisher=Macmillan|location=New York|isbn=978-1-19-946278-7|pages=[https://archive.org/details/realtinsel00rose/page/388 388–389]}}</ref> During his time working on Broadway, he married Audree van Lieu on 27 April 1927. They divorced on 14 December 1933.<ref name=Leaney/> In 1927, Steiner orchestrated and conducted [[Harry Tierney]]'s ''[[Rio Rita (musical)|Rio Rita]]''. Tierney himself later requested [[RKO Pictures]] in Hollywood hire Steiner to work in their music production departments. [[William LeBaron]], RKO's head of production, traveled to New York to watch Steiner conduct and was impressed by Steiner and his musicians, who each played several instruments. Eventually, Steiner became a Hollywood asset.<ref name=Thomas/> Steiner's final production on Broadway was ''Sons O' Guns'' in 1929.<ref name="Thomas" />

===Scoring for RKO (1929–1937)===
By request of Harry Tierney, RKO hired Max Steiner as an orchestrator and his first film job consisted of composing music for the main and end titles and occasional "on screen" music.<ref name="movies" />{{rp|112–113}} According to Steiner, the general opinion of filmmakers during the time was that film music was a "necessary evil", and would often slow down production and release of the film after it was filmed.<ref name="nancy">{{cite book |last1=Steiner |first1=Max |title=We Make The Movies |date=1937 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company |location=New York|editor-last1=Naumburg|editor-first1=Nancy|chapter=Scoring the Film}}</ref>{{rp|216–218}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Faulkner |first1=Robert R. |title=Music on Demand: Composers and Careers in the Hollywood Film Industry |date=1983 |publisher=Transaction Books |location=New Brunswick, New Jersey |isbn=0878554033 |page=1}}</ref> Steiner's first job was for the film ''[[Dixiana (film)|Dixiana]]''; however, after a while, RKO decided to let him go, feeling they were not using him. His agent found him a job as a musical director on an operetta in Atlantic City. Before he left RKO, they offered him a month to month contract as the head of the music department with promise of more work in the future and he agreed.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|18}} Because the few composers in Hollywood were unavailable, Steiner composed his first film score for ''[[Cimarron (1931 film)|Cimarron]]''. The score was well received and was partially credited for the success of the film.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|18}} He turned down several offers to teach film scoring technique in Moscow and [[Beijing|Peking]] in order to stay in Hollywood.<ref name="soundtrack" />{{rp|32}} In 1932, Steiner was asked by [[David O. Selznick]], the new producer at RKO,<ref name=Thomas/> to add music to ''[[Symphony of Six Million]]''. Steiner composed a short segment; Selznick liked it so much that he asked him to compose the theme and underscoring for the entire picture.<ref name=Cooke>Cooke, Mervyn. ''The Hollywood Film Music Reader'', Oxford Univ. Press (2010) pp. 55–68</ref> Selznick was proud of the film, feeling it gave a realistic view of Jewish family life and tradition.<ref name=Haver/>{{rp|75}} "Music until then had not been used very much for underscoring".<ref name="Thomas" /> Steiner "pioneered the use of original composition as background scoring for films".<ref name="Thomas" /> The successful scoring in ''Symphony of Six Million'' was a turning point for Steiner's career and for the film industry. Steiner reflected that a large part of the success of ''Symphony of Six Million'' "was attributed to the extensive use of music" in the film.<ref name="Cooke" />{{rp|58}}

The score for [[King Kong (1933 film)|''King Kong'']] (1933) became Steiner's breakthrough and represented a paradigm shift in the scoring of [[fantasy film|fantasy]] and [[adventure film]]s.<ref name="larson">{{cite book|title=Musique Fanstastique: A Survey of Film Music in the Fantastic Cinema|last1=Larson|first1=Randall D.|date=1985|publisher=The Scarecrow Press|isbn=0810817284|location=Metuchen, NJ & London}}</ref>{{rp|18}}<ref name="reader" />{{rp|55}} The score was an integral part of the film, because it added realism to an unrealistic film plot.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|28}} The studio's bosses were initially skeptical about the need for an original score; however, since they disliked the film's contrived special effects, they let Steiner try to improve the film with music. The studio suggested using old tracks in order to save on the cost of the film;<ref name="Thomas" />  however, ''King Kong'' producer [[Merian C. Cooper]] asked Steiner to score the film and said he would pay for the orchestra.<ref name="larson" />{{rp|9}} Steiner took advantage of this offer and used an eighty-piece orchestra, explaining the film "was made for music".<ref name="larson" />{{rp|11}} According to Steiner, "it was the kind of film that allowed you to do anything and everything, from weird chords and [[consonance and dissonance|dissonances]] to pretty melodies."<ref name="Thomas" /> Steiner additionally scored the wild tribal music which accompanied the ceremony to sacrifice Ann to [[King Kong|Kong]].<ref name="kong">{{cite book |last1=Goldner |first1=Orville |last2=Turner |first2=George E. |title=The Making of King Kong: The story behind a film classic |date=1975 |publisher=Ballantine Books |location=New York |isbn=0498015106 |page=107}}</ref> He wrote the score in two weeks and the music recording cost around $50,000.<ref name="reader" />{{rp|58}} The film became a "landmark of film scoring", as it showed the power music has to manipulate audience emotions.<ref name=Haver>Haver, Ronald. ''David O. Selznick's Hollywood'', Knopf Publishers (1980)</ref>{{rp|113}}<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|29}} Steiner constructed the score on Wagnerian [[leitmotif]] principle, which calls for special themes for leading characters and concepts. The theme of the monster is recognizable as a descending three-note [[diatonic and chromatic|chromatic]] motif. After the death of King Kong, the Kong theme and the [[Fay Wray]] theme converge, underlining the "[[Beauty and the Beast]]" type relationship between the characters. The music in the film's finale helped express the tender feelings Kong had for the woman without the film having to explicitly state it.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|29}} The majority of the music is heavy and loud, but some of the music is a bit lighter. For example, when the ship sails into [[Skull Island (King Kong)|Skull Island]], Steiner keeps the music calm and quiet with a small amount of texture in the harps to help characterize the ship as it cautiously moves through the misty waters.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|29}} Steiner received a bonus from his work, as Cooper credited 25 percent of the film's success to the film score.<ref name="larson" />{{rp|9}} Before he died, Steiner admitted ''King Kong'' was one of his favorite scores.<ref name="kong" />{{rp|193}}

''King Kong'' quickly made Steiner one of the most respected names in Hollywood. He continued as RKO's music director for two more years, until 1936. Max married Louise Klos, a harpist, in 1936. They had a son, Ron, together and they divorced in 1946.<ref name=Leaney/> Steiner composed, arranged and conducted another 55 films, including three of [[Fred Astaire]] and [[Ginger Rogers]]' dance musicals. Additionally, Steiner wrote a sonata used in [[Katharine Hepburn]]'s first film, ''Bill of Divorcement'' (1932). RKO producers, including Selznick, often came to him when they had problems with films, treating him as if he were a music "doctor".<ref name="Thomas" /> Steiner was asked to compose a score for ''[[Of Human Bondage (1934 film)|Of Human Bondage]]'' (1934), which originally lacked music. He added musical touches to significant scenes. Director [[John Ford]] called on Steiner to score his film, ''[[The Lost Patrol (1934 film)|The Lost Patrol]]'' (1934), which lacked tension without music.

John Ford hired Steiner again to compose for his next film, ''[[The Informer (1935 film)|The Informer]]'' (1935), before Ford began production of the film. Ford even asked his screenwriter to meet with Steiner during the writing phase to collaborate. This was unusual for Steiner who typically refused to compose a score from anything earlier than a [[rough cut]] of the film. Because Steiner scored the music before and during film production, Ford would sometimes shoot scenes in [[synchronization]] with the music Steiner composed rather than the usual practice of film composers synchronizing music to the film's scenes. Consequently, Steiner directly influenced the development of the protagonist, Gypo. [[Victor McLaglen]], who played Gypo, rehearsed his walking in order to match the fumbling leitmotif Steiner had created for Gypo.<ref name="Kalinak" />{{rp|124–125}} This unique film production practice was successful; the film was nominated for six [[Academy Awards]] and won four, including Steiner's first [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Academy Award for Best Scoring]].<ref name=":1" /> This score helped to exemplify Steiner's ability to encompass the essence of a film in a single theme.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|29}} The main title of the film's soundtrack has three specific aspects. First, the heavy-march-like theme helps to describe the oppressive military and main character Gypo's inevitable downfall. Second, the character's theme is stern and sober and puts the audience into the correct mood for the film. Finally, the theme of the music contains some [[Irish traditional music|Irish folk song]] influences which serves to better characterize the Irish historical setting and influence of the film.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|30}} The theme is not heard consistently throughout the film and serves rather as a framework for the other melodic motifs heard throughout different parts of the film.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|30}}

The score for this film is made up of many different themes which characterize the different personages and situations in the film. Steiner helps portray the genuine love Katie has for the main character Gypo. In one scene, Katie calls after Gypo as a solo violin echos the falling cadence of her voice. In another scene, Gypo sees an advertisement for a steamship to America and instead of the advertisement, sees himself holding Katie's hand on the ship. Wedding [[bell]]s are heard along with organ music and he sees Katie wearing a veil and holding a bouquet. In a later scene, the Katie theme plays as a drunk Gypo sees a beautiful woman at the bar, insinuating he had mistaken her for Katie.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|30}} Other musical themes included in the film score are an Irish folk song on French horns for Frankie McPhilip, a warm string theme for Dan and Gallagher and Mary McPhillip, and a sad theme on English horn with harp for the blind man.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|30}}The most important motif in the film is the theme of betrayal relating to how Gypo betrays his friend Frankie: the "blood-money" motif. The theme is heard as the Captain throws the money on the table after Frankie is killed. The theme is a four note descending tune on harp; the first interval is the [[tritone]]. As the men are deciding who will be the executioner, the motif is repeated quietly and perpetually to establish Gypo's guilt and the musical motif is synchronized with the dripping of water in the prison. As it appears in the end of the film, the theme is played at a fortissimo volume as Gypo staggers into the church, ending the climax with the clap of the cymbals, indicating Gypo's penitence, no longer needing to establish his guilt.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|31}}

Silent film mannerisms are still seen in Steiner's composition such as when actions or consequences are accompanied by a ''sforzato'' chord immediately before it, followed by silence. An example of this is remarked in the part of the film when Frankie confronts Gypo looking at his reward for arrest poster. Steiner uses minor "[[Mickey Mousing]]" techniques in the film.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|32}} Through this score, Steiner showed the potential of film music, as he attempted the show the internal struggles inside of Gypo's mind through the mixing of different themes such as the Irish "Circassian Circle", the "blood-money" motif, and Frankie's theme. The score concludes with an original "Sancta Maria" by Steiner. Some writers have erroneously referred to the cue as featuring [[Franz Schubert]]'s "[[Ave Maria (Schubert)|Ave Maria]]".

In 1937, Steiner was hired by [[Frank Capra]] to conduct [[Dimitri Tiomkin]]'s score for ''[[Lost Horizon (1937 film)|Lost Horizon]]'' (1937) as a safeguard in case Steiner needed to rewrite the score by an inexperienced Tiomkin; however, according to [[Hugo Friedhofer]], Tiomkin specifically asked for Steiner, preferring him over the film studio's then music director.<ref name="larson" />{{rp|52}} Selznick set up his own production company in 1936 and recruited Steiner to write the scores for his next three films.<ref name="Thomas" />

=== Composing for Warner Bros. (1937–1953) ===
In April 1937, Steiner left RKO and signed a long-term contract with [[Warner Bros.]]; he would, however, continue to work for Selznick. The first film he scored for Warner Bros. was [[The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936 film)|''The Charge of the Light Brigade'']] (1936). Steiner became a mainstay at Warner Bros., scoring 140 of their films over the next 30 years alongside Hollywood stars such as [[Bette Davis]], [[Errol Flynn]], [[Humphrey Bogart]], and [[James Cagney]].<ref name="thomas" />{{rp|56}} Steiner frequently worked with composer Hugo Friedhofer who was hired as an orchestrator for Warner Bros; Friedholfer would orchestrate more than 50 of Steiner's pieces during his career.<ref name="soundtrack" />{{rp|72}}<ref name="american" />{{rp|198}} In 1938, Steiner wrote and arranged the first "composed for film" piece, ''Symphony Moderne'' which a character plays on the piano and later plays as a theme in ''[[Four Daughters (1938 film)|Four Daughters]]'' (1938) and is performed by a full orchestra in ''[[Four Wives]]'' (1939).<ref>{{cite book |last1=Atkins |first1=Irene Kahn |title=Source Music in Motion Pictures |date=1983 |publisher=Associated University Presses |location=East Brunswick, N.J. |isbn=0838630766 |page=91}}</ref>

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Steiner GWTW cover.jpg|thumb|Album cover for the film score soundtrack]] -->
In 1939, Steiner was borrowed from Warner Bros. by Selznick to compose the score for ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' (1939), which became one of Steiner's most notable successes. Steiner was the only composer Selznick considered for scoring the film.<ref name="Thomas" /> Steiner was given only three months to complete the score, despite composing twelve more film scores in 1939, more than he would in any other year of his career. Because Selznick was concerned Steiner wouldn't have enough time to finish the score, he had [[Franz Waxman]] write an additional score in the case the Steiner didn't finish. To meet the deadline, Steiner sometimes worked for 20-hours straight, assisted by doctor-administered [[Amphetamine|Benzedrine]] to stay awake.<ref name=Thomas/> When the film was released, it was the longest film score ever composed, nearly three hours. The composition consisted of 16 main themes and nearly 300 musical segments.<ref name=Thomas/><ref name="soundtrack" />{{rp|34}} Due to the score's length, Steiner had help from four orchestrators and arrangers, including [[Heinz Roemheld]], to work on the score.<ref name="royal">{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Royal S. |title=Overtones and Undertones: Reading Film Music |date=1994 |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley |isbn=0585261660 |url=http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/ebookviewer/ebook?sid=093239bf-5309-4e98-860d-33c35677711d%40sessionmgr4010&vid=0&format=EB}}</ref>{{rp|58}} Selznick had asked Steiner to use only pre-existing [[classical music]] to help cut down on cost and time,<ref>Bartel, Pauline. ''The Complete "Gone with the Wind" Trivia Book'', Rowman & Littlefield (1989) p. 92</ref>  but Steiner tried to convince him that filling the picture with swatches of classic concert music or popular works would not be as effective as an original score, which could be used to heighten the emotional content of scenes.<ref>Gottlie, Jack. ''Funny, It Doesn't Sound Jewish'', S.U.N.Y. Press (2004) p. 47</ref> Steiner ignored Selznick's wishes and composed an entirely new score. Selznick's opinion about using original scoring may have changed due to the overwhelming reaction to the film, nearly all of which contained Steiner's music. A year later, he even wrote a letter emphasizing the value of original film scores.<ref name=Selznick>Selznick, David O., Behlmer, Rudy, ed. ''Memo from David O. Selznick'', Viking Press (1972)</ref>{{rp|227}} The most well known of Steiner's themes for the score is the "[[Tara (plantation)|Tara]]" theme for the O'Hara family plantation. Steiner explains Scarlett's deep-founded love for her home is why "the 'Tara' theme begins and ends with the picture and permeates the entire score".<ref name="gwtw">{{cite book |last1=Ussher |first1=Bruno David |editor1-last=Harwell |editor1-first=Richard |title=Gone With the Wind as Book and Film |date=1983 |publisher=University of South Carolina |location=Columbia, South Carolina |isbn=0872494209 |page=[https://archive.org/details/gonewithwindasbo0000unse/page/165 165] |chapter=Max Steiner Establishes Another Film Music Record |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/gonewithwindasbo0000unse/page/165 }}</ref> The film went on to win ten Academy Awards, although not for Best Original Score, which instead went to [[Herbert Stothart]] for ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]''.<ref name="Oscars1940">{{Cite web|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1940 |title=The 12th Academy Awards (1940) Nominees and Winners |access-date=August 10, 2011 |publisher=Oscars.org ([[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]]) |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706093722/http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/legacy/ceremony/12th-winners.html |archive-date=July 6, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The score of ''Gone with the Wind'' is ranked #2 by [[AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores|AFI]] as the second greatest American film score of all time.<ref>{{cite web|title=AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores25.pdf |website=afi.com |publisher=American Film Institute |access-date=March 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160803184308/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/scores25.pdf |archive-date=August 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

''[[Now, Voyager]]'' would be the film score for which Steiner would win his second Academy Award. Kate Daubney attributes the success of this score to Steiner's ability to "[balance] the scheme of thematic meaning with the sound of the music."<ref name="voyager" />{{rp|46}} Steiner used motifs and thematic elements in the music to emphasize the emotional development of the narrative.<ref name="gender">{{cite book |last1=Laing |first1=Heather |title=The Gendered Score: Music in 1940s Melodrama and the Woman's Film |date=2007 |publisher=Ashgate |location=Burlington, VT |isbn=9780754651000}}</ref>{{rp|38}} After finishing ''Now, Voyager'' (1942), Steiner was hired to score the music for ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' (1942). Steiner would typically wait until the film was edited before scoring it, and after watching ''Casablanca'', he decided the song "[[As Time Goes By (song)|As Time Goes By]]" by [[Herman Hupfeld]] wasn't an appropriate addition to the movie and he wanted to replace it with a song of his own composition; however, [[Ingrid Bergman]] had just cut her hair short in preparation for filming ''[[For Whom the Bell Tolls (film)|For Whom the Bell Tolls]]'' (1943), so she couldn't re-film the section with Steiner's song. Stuck with "As Time Goes By", Steiner embraced the song and made it the center theme of his score.<ref name="round">{{cite book |last1=Harmetz |first1=Aljean |title=Round Up the Usual Suspects: The Making of "Casablanca" |date=1992 |publisher=Hyperion |location=New York |isbn=1562829416 |url=https://archive.org/details/roundupusualsusp00harm }}</ref>{{rp|254–255}} Steiner's score for ''Casablanca'' was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, losing to ''[[The Song of Bernadette (film)|The Song of Bernadette]]'' (1943).<ref name="round" />{{rp|319}} Steiner received his third and final Oscar in 1944 for ''[[Since You Went Away]]'' (1944). Steiner actually first composed the theme from ''Since You Went Away'' while helping counterbalance Franz Waxman's moody score for ''[[Rebecca (1940 film)|Rebecca]]''. Producer David O. Selznick liked the theme so much, he asked Steiner to include it in ''Since You Went Away''.<ref name="royal" />{{rp|119}}<ref name="movies" />{{rp|78}} In 1947, Max married Leonette Blair.<ref name=Leaney/>

Steiner also found success with the [[film noir]] genre. ''[[The Big Sleep (1946 film)|The Big Sleep]]'', [[Mildred Pierce (film)|''Mildred Pierce'']], and ''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' were his best film noir scores of the 1940s.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|32}} ''The Letter'' is set in [[Singapore]], the tale of murder begins with the loud main musical theme during the credits, which sets the tense and violent mood of the film. The main theme characterizes Leslie, the main character, by her tragic passion.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|32–33}} The main theme is heard in the confrontation between Leslie and the murdered man's wife in the Chinese shop. Steiner portrays this scene through the jangling of wind chimes which crescendos as the wife emerges through [[opium]] smoke. The jangling continues until the wife asks Leslie to take off her shawl, after which the theme blasts indicating the breaking point of emotions of these women.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|33}} Steiner's score for ''The Letter'' was nominated for the 1941 Academy Award for Best Original Score, losing to [[Walt Disney]]'s ''[[Pinocchio (1940 film)|Pinocchio]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=The 13th Academy Awards-1941 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1941 |website=Oscars.org |date=October 5, 2014 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=June 19, 2018}}</ref> In the score for ''The Big Sleep'', Steiner uses musical thematic characterization for the characters in the film. The theme for [[Philip Marlowe]] (Humphrey Bogart) is beguiling and ironic, with a playful grace note at the end of the motif, portrayed mixed between major and minor. At the end of the film, his theme is played fully in major chords and finishes by abruptly ending the chord as the film terminates (this was an unusual film music practice in Hollywood at the time).<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|33,48}} According to [[Christopher Palmer]], the love theme for Bogart's Philip and [[Lauren Bacall]]'s Vivian is one of Steiner's strongest themes. Steiner uses the contrast of high strings and low strings and [[brass instrument|brass]] to emphasize Philip's feelings for Vivian opposed with the brutality of the criminal world.<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|35}}In 1947, Steiner scored a film noir [[Western (genre)|Western]], ''[[Pursued]]''.

Steiner had more success with the Western genre of film, writing the scores for over twenty large-scale Westerns, most with epic-inspiring scores "about empire building and progress",<ref name="Thomas" /> like ''[[Dodge City (film)|Dodge City]]'' (1939), ''[[The Oklahoma Kid]]'' (1939), and ''[[Virginia City (film)|Virginia City]]'' (1940). ''Dodge City'', starring Errol Flynn and [[Olivia de Havilland]], is a good example of Steiner's handling of typical scenes of the Western genre.<ref name="Thomas" /> Steiner used a "lifting, loping melody" which reflected the movement and sounds of wagons, horses, and cattle.<ref name="Thomas" /> Steiner showed a love for combining Westerns and romance, as he did in ''[[They Died with Their Boots On]]'' (1941), also starring Flynn and de Havilland.<ref name="Thomas" /> ''[[The Searchers (film)|The Searchers]]'' (1956) is, today, considered his greatest Western.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.9675/.f?sc=13&category=21780|title=SEARCHERS, THE|website=store.intrada.com|access-date=August 24, 2018}}</ref>

===Later works (1953–1965)===
Although his contract ended in 1953, Steiner returned to Warner Bros. in 1958 and scored several films such as ''[[Band of Angels]]'', ''[[Marjorie Morningstar (film)|Marjorie Morningstar]]'', and ''[[John Paul Jones (film)|John Paul Jones]]'', and later ventured into television. Steiner still preferred large orchestras and leitmotif techniques during this part of his career.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="soundtrack" />{{rp|152}} Steiner's pace slowed significantly in the mid-1950s, and he began freelancing. In 1954, [[RCA Victor]] asked Steiner to prepare and conduct an orchestral suite of music from ''Gone with the Wind'' for a special LP, which was later issued on CD. There are also [[transcription disc|acetates]] of Steiner conducting the Warner Brothers studio orchestra in music from many of his film scores. Composer [[Victor Young]] and Steiner were good friends, and Steiner completed the film score for ''[[China Gate (1957 film)|China Gate]]'', because Young had died before he could finish it. The credit frame reads: "Music by Victor Young, extended by his old friend, Max Steiner."<ref name="movies">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Tony |title=Music for the Movies |date=1973 |publisher=A.S Barnes and Co., Inc. |location=Cranbury, New Jersey |isbn=0498010716 |url=https://archive.org/details/musicformovies00thom }}</ref>{{rp|48}} There are numerous soundtrack recordings of Steiner's music as soundtracks, collections, and recordings by others. Steiner wrote into his seventies, ailing and near blind, but his compositions "revealed a freshness and fertility of invention."<ref name="Palmer" /> A theme for [[A Summer Place (film)|''A Summer Place'']] in 1959, written when Steiner was 71, became one of Warner Brothers' biggest hit-tunes for years and a re-recorded pop standard. This [[Theme from A Summer Place|memorable instrumental theme]] spent nine weeks at #1 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] singles chart in 1960 (in an instrumental cover version by [[Percy Faith]]).<ref name=bronson>{{cite book |last=Bronson |first=Fred |date=October 1, 2003 |title=The Billboard Book of Number One Hits |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PgGqNrqfrsoC&pg=PT75 |location=New York |publisher=Billboard Books |edition=5th |isbn=978-0823076772 |page=75}}</ref> Steiner continued to score films produced by Warner until the mid-sixties.<ref name="Thomas" />

In 1963, Steiner began writing his autobiography. Although it was completed, it was never published, and is the only source available on Steiner's childhood. A copy of the [[manuscript]] resides with the rest of the Max Steiner Collection at [[Brigham Young University]] in [[Provo, Utah]].<ref name=Leaney/> Steiner scored his last piece in 1965; however, he claimed he would have scored more films had he been offered the opportunity. His lack of work in the last years of his life was due to Hollywood's decreased interest in his scores caused by new film producers and new taste in film music. Another contribution to his declining career was his failing eyesight and deteriorating health, which caused him to reluctantly retire.<ref name="thomas">{{cite book |last1=Thomas |first1=Thomas |title=Film Score: The Art & Craft of Movie Music |date=1991 |publisher=Redwood Press |location=Burbank, California}}</ref>{{rp|59,66}} [[Tony Thomas (film historian)|Tony Thomas]] cited Steiner's last score as, "a weak coda to a mighty career."<ref name="Palmer" />{{rp|92}}

Steiner died of congestive heart failure in Hollywood, aged 83.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|title=Max Steiner|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000070/|website=IMDb|publisher=IMDb.com, Inc.}}</ref> He is entombed in the Great Mausoleum at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery]] in [[Glendale, California]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Max Steiner|url=http://www.nndb.com/people/433/000205815/|website=NNDB|publisher=Soylent Communications}}</ref>