Frank Skinner(1897-1968)
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
The author of the textbook "F.Skinner's Simplified Method for Modern
Arranging" (published 1934) began his musical career as a pianist in
vaudeville alongside his brother Carl. He then became a noted arranger
for New York dance orchestras in the 1930's and was briefly active in
the field of music publishing. Skinner's debut in Hollywood was as
arranger for MGM's
The Great Ziegfeld (1936).
After completing work on the picture, he went on to spend the remainder
of his lengthy career as composer/orchestrator for Universal
(1938-1966) under the aegis of department head
Joseph Gershenson. Skinner became best
known for his horror film scores, but he was immensely prolific and
versatile, handling all manner of subjects (albeit, the vast majority
of his films were second features). He often worked in collaboration
with the Austrian-born composer
Hans J. Salter.
Skinner's best-known film compositions include the dramatic main theme
for Universal's "Sherlock Holmes" series, starring
Basil Rathbone and
Nigel Bruce; his classic horror score for
Son of Frankenstein (1939);
his gentle, romantic themes for
Written on the Wind (1956),
Imitation of Life (1959) and
Back Street (1961); and his
effective, haunting arrangement of the American folk song "Oh
Shenandoah", which is featured throughout the sprawling Civil War drama
Shenandoah (1965). Skinner authored
several more textbooks on orchestration theory. His manual "Underscore"
(published 1950) was the first of its kind to detail techniques of
orchestrating and composing for films.
Arranging" (published 1934) began his musical career as a pianist in
vaudeville alongside his brother Carl. He then became a noted arranger
for New York dance orchestras in the 1930's and was briefly active in
the field of music publishing. Skinner's debut in Hollywood was as
arranger for MGM's
The Great Ziegfeld (1936).
After completing work on the picture, he went on to spend the remainder
of his lengthy career as composer/orchestrator for Universal
(1938-1966) under the aegis of department head
Joseph Gershenson. Skinner became best
known for his horror film scores, but he was immensely prolific and
versatile, handling all manner of subjects (albeit, the vast majority
of his films were second features). He often worked in collaboration
with the Austrian-born composer
Hans J. Salter.
Skinner's best-known film compositions include the dramatic main theme
for Universal's "Sherlock Holmes" series, starring
Basil Rathbone and
Nigel Bruce; his classic horror score for
Son of Frankenstein (1939);
his gentle, romantic themes for
Written on the Wind (1956),
Imitation of Life (1959) and
Back Street (1961); and his
effective, haunting arrangement of the American folk song "Oh
Shenandoah", which is featured throughout the sprawling Civil War drama
Shenandoah (1965). Skinner authored
several more textbooks on orchestration theory. His manual "Underscore"
(published 1950) was the first of its kind to detail techniques of
orchestrating and composing for films.