Morris Stoloff facts for kids
Morris W. Stoloff (August 1, 1898 – April 16, 1980) was a very talented composer and music director. He worked with many famous singers like Sammy Davis Jr., Dinah Shore, Al Jolson, and Frank Sinatra.
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Early Life and Musical Talent
Morris Stoloff was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1898. He was a child prodigy, which means he was incredibly skilled at the violin from a very young age. He studied with famous teachers like Leopold Auer.
By the time he was 16, Morris was traveling all over the United States as a special violin soloist. A year later, he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra. He was the youngest person ever to join that orchestra!
From Classical Music to Movies
When movies started to have sound, film studios needed musicians to create the music. Morris Stoloff was one of the first musicians to move from playing classical music to working on films.
He became the first concertmaster (the lead violinist) at Paramount Pictures. He helped set up how music would be made for all kinds of movies, from big dramas to short comedies.
Leading Music at Columbia Pictures
In 1936, Morris Stoloff moved to Columbia Pictures. There, he became the music director. This was a new and important job in the movie industry.
As music director, he was in charge of all the music for every movie the studio made. He had to pick the right composers, musicians, and recording studios. His job was to make sure each movie had the perfect music, on time and within budget.
Award-Winning Work
Morris Stoloff often helped composers create the main musical themes and melodies for movies. Because of his important role, he was nominated for many Academy Awards. He won three Oscars for Best Music Score:
- Cover Girl (1944)
- The Jolson Story (1946)
- Song Without End (1960)
He was nominated for 14 other Academy Awards, showing how much his work was valued.
Hit Songs and Albums
By the late 1940s, movie music became popular on its own. Morris Stoloff started recording some of these popular songs as singles.
He had a big hit in 1956 with a song called "Moonglow and Theme from Picnic". This song combined an old swing tune with the love theme from the movie Picnic. It sold over one million copies and earned a gold disc award!
When long-play albums became popular, studios saw a chance to sell more music. Soundtrack albums, which contained music from movies, became very popular. As music director, Stoloff often recorded these soundtrack albums himself.
Working with Frank Sinatra
In the early 1960s, the famous singer Frank Sinatra started his own record company called Reprise Records. He hired Morris Stoloff to be his music director. They had worked together before on the movie Pal Joey (1957).
One of Stoloff's notable projects at Reprise was recording new versions of famous Broadway musicals, like Kiss Me, Kate, with a studio cast.
Morris Stoloff passed away in 1980 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 81.
Images for kids
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Morris Stoloff (left) with Vincent Price at the 30th Academy Awards (1958)
