Editing Max Steiner (section)

===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" />