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Leith Stevens

October 15, 2023

Leith Stevens (September 13, 1909 – July 23, 1970) was an American music composer and conductor of radio and film scores.

Leith Stevens conducts.

Early life and education Edit

Leith Stevens was born in Mount Moriah, Missouri,[1] He was a child prodigy pianist who accompanied operatic vocalist and early audio recording artist Madame Schumann-Heink.

During World War II Stevens worked as radio director for the Southwest Pacific Area for the U.S. Office of War Information. He was musical director of the War Production Board (WPB) series Three Thirds of a Nation presented on Wednesdays on the NBC Blue Network.

Career Edit

As early as 1934, Stevens was active in radio broadcasting. Radio highlights in an April 28, 1934, newspaper listed "Romantic songs have been chosen by Charles Carlile, tenor, for his broadcast with Leith Stevens' orchestra over WBBM at 5:45."[2]

Stevens worked as an arranger for CBS radio, and his numerous radio credits over several decades include The Abbott and Costello Show, Academy Award Theater, Action Eighty, American School for the Air, Arch Oboler's Plays, Big Town, The Black Book, CBS Radio Workshop (later called Columbia Workshop), The Doctor Fights, Encore Theater, Escape, The Free Company Rogue's Gallery, The Burns and Allen Show, The Judge, Lights Out, Men Against Death, The Miracle of America, No Help Wanted, Request Performance, Saturday Night Swing Club, Suspense and radio crime melodrama Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar.

Films Edit

Stevens' piano concerto in C minor was his first work to be used in cinema, for the 1947 Hollywood film Night Song.[3] In the film's plot, the concerto was the work of a fictional composer played by Dana Andrews. Arthur Rubinstein played the concerto on the piano, accompanied by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Eugene Ormandy. The music is tonal, with a horizontal (as distinct from vertical) compositional approach, with sophisticated harmonies and challenging virtuoso passages for the piano. The work is influenced by Delius, Rachmaninov, and Gershwin, and is both impressionist and romantic.[citation needed]

He also co-wrote the Oscar-nominated title song from the 1956 movie Julie starring Doris Day. His other film scores included the following:

He also provided uncredited contributions to the Frank Capra film classic It's a Wonderful Life.

The James Dean Story Edit

Stevens composed and conducted the music accompanying the film The James Dean Story. In 1957, Capitol Records released the eponymous album containing this music, and its anonymous sleeve notes state, "Here is the music direct from the soundtrack of The James Dean Story, a different kind of motion picture. This is a film in which there are no actors, there is no fiction. It is, instead, the story of a young man in search of himself - a story of a lonely boy growing into a lonely manhood, of a quest for discovery and meaning, of a great talent and zest for creative expression, and of a tragic end which brought more questions than answers." The sleeve notes continue, "The life of James Dean is presented on the screen through the means of a new technique - dramatic exploration of a still photograph. Together with tape recordings, existing motion picture material, and the people with whom he lived and worked, these photographs create the presence of the living character. If there are supporting roles in this picture, the parts must be credited to the people of Fairmount, Indiana, where Dean lived as a boy; to the nine million faces of New York City, where he struggled for recognition as an artist and as an individual; and to the men and women of Hollywood who shared in the development of his career."

The sleeve notes describe the music as "...unusual and exciting as the motion picture itself. Leith Stevens, the composer, captures a haunting reflection of the violent yet strangely understandable uncertainties of modern youth. Stevens, whose musical scores have distinguished such films as The Wild One, Private Hell 36, Destination Moon and Julie, describes the loneliness and frustrations, the fury and tenderness of James Dean's life and the world in which he moved. With his use of such instruments as the recorder, harmonica and bongo drums, and in his unique utilization of the jazz idiom, Leith Stevens produces music with dynamic personal identification, not only for James Dean, but for every boy who's ever worn a leather jacket and for every girl who's ever danced without her shoes. Stevens traces the development of Dean throughout his boyhood, his early rebellion against conventions, the discovery of his artistic abilities, and his failure to resolve his personal problems. “Who Am I?” depicts the young Dean groping for self-identification; “Lost Love” is a painful portrayal of a romance without a happy ending; and “Testing The Limits of Time” is a brilliant montage of the moods and actions which Dean experienced in his last few months. Tommy Sands, the nation's newest singing sensation, sings the theme song “Let Me Be Loved” by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans."

Television Edit

Stevens' television work was extensive, including composing, arranging and conducting music for 36 television series, nearly two dozen from the 1950s through the late 1960s, including the haunting theme song for the CBS television show Climax!.. He was the Music Supervisor for six popular television series, including Mannix, Mission: Impossible, "Mr. Novak," (TV series), The Odd Couple, The Brady Bunch, The Immortal, and Love, American Style. Stevens scored episodes for:

Year Title Info On CD?
1967 Hondo Episode(s):
"Massacre"		 NO

Personal life and death Edit

Stevens died at the age of 60 years due to a heart attack after learning that his wife had died in a car accident.[4]

Discography Edit

With Chet Baker and Bud Shank

References Edit

  1. ^ DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. P. 253.
  2. ^ "Glee Clubs Prominent on the Air". Freeport Journal-Standard. Illinois, Freeport. April 28, 1934. p. 3. Retrieved August 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  3. ^ Kleiner, Dick (August 7, 1997). "'Hill Street Blues' was located in large, unnamed Eastern city". The Kokomo Tribune. Indiana, Kokomo. p. 9. Retrieved August 30, 2016 – via Newspapers.com.  
  4. ^ "Leith Stevens of Paramount Dies After Wife's Fatal Crash". New York Times. New York, New York City. July 24, 1970. p. 31. Retrieved January 21, 2021.
  • Terrace, Vincent. Radio Programs, 1924-1984. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 1999. ISBN 0-7864-0351-9

External links Edit

  • Leith Stevens at IMDb

October 15, 2023
leith, stevens, this, article, multiple, issues, please, help, improve, discuss, these, issues, talk, page, learn, when, remove, these, template, messages, this, article, written, like, personal, reflection, personal, essay, argumentative, essay, that, states,. This article has multiple issues Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page Learn how and when to remove these template messages This article is written like a personal reflection personal essay or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor s personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style January 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations January 2016 Learn how and when to remove this template message Learn how and when to remove this template message Leith Stevens September 13 1909 July 23 1970 was an American music composer and conductor of radio and film scores Leith Stevens conducts Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 2 1 Films 2 2 The James Dean Story 2 3 Television 3 Personal life and death 4 Discography 5 References 6 External linksEarly life and education EditLeith Stevens was born in Mount Moriah Missouri 1 He was a child prodigy pianist who accompanied operatic vocalist and early audio recording artist Madame Schumann Heink During World War II Stevens worked as radio director for the Southwest Pacific Area for the U S Office of War Information He was musical director of the War Production Board WPB series Three Thirds of a Nation presented on Wednesdays on the NBC Blue Network Career EditAs early as 1934 Stevens was active in radio broadcasting Radio highlights in an April 28 1934 newspaper listed Romantic songs have been chosen by Charles Carlile tenor for his broadcast with Leith Stevens orchestra over WBBM at 5 45 2 Stevens worked as an arranger for CBS radio and his numerous radio credits over several decades include The Abbott and Costello Show Academy Award Theater Action Eighty American School for the Air Arch Oboler s Plays Big Town The Black Book CBS Radio Workshop later called Columbia Workshop The Doctor Fights Encore Theater Escape The Free Company Rogue s Gallery The Burns and Allen Show The Judge Lights Out Men Against Death The Miracle of America No Help Wanted Request Performance Saturday Night Swing Club Suspense and radio crime melodrama Yours Truly Johnny Dollar Films Edit Stevens piano concerto in C minor was his first work to be used in cinema for the 1947 Hollywood film Night Song 3 In the film s plot the concerto was the work of a fictional composer played by Dana Andrews Arthur Rubinstein played the concerto on the piano accompanied by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Eugene Ormandy The music is tonal with a horizontal as distinct from vertical compositional approach with sophisticated harmonies and challenging virtuoso passages for the piano The work is influenced by Delius Rachmaninov and Gershwin and is both impressionist and romantic citation needed He also co wrote the Oscar nominated title song from the 1956 movie Julie starring Doris Day His other film scores included the following Syncopation 1942 Night Song 1948 All My Sons 1948 Feudin Fussin and A Fightin 1948 Larceny 1948 Not Wanted 1949 The Great Rupert 1950 Destination Moon 1950 The Sun Sets at Dawn 1950 No Questions Asked 1951 When Worlds Collide 1951 The Atomic City 1952 Storm Over Tibet 1952 Beware My Lovely 1952 Eight Iron Men 1952 The Hitch Hiker 1953 The Glass Wall 1953 The War of the Worlds 1953 The Bigamist 1953 The Wild One 1953 Private Hell 36 1954 Crashout 1955 The Treasure of Pancho Villa 1955 The Scarlet Hour 1956 World Without End 1956 Julie 1956 The Garment Jungle 1957 Lizzie 1957 Ride Out for Revenge 1957 Eighteen and Anxious 1957 The Green Eyed Blonde 1957 Seven Guns to Mesa 1958 Violent Road 1958 Bullwhip 1958 The Gun Runners 1958 But Not for Me 1959 The Gene Krupa Story 1959 Hell to Eternity 1960 The Interns 1962 A New Kind of Love 1963 The Night of the Grizzly 1966 Smoky 1966 Chuka 1967 Assault on the Wayne 1971 He also provided uncredited contributions to the Frank Capra film classic It s a Wonderful Life The James Dean Story Edit Stevens composed and conducted the music accompanying the film The James Dean Story In 1957 Capitol Records released the eponymous album containing this music and its anonymous sleeve notes state Here is the music direct from the soundtrack of The James Dean Story a different kind of motion picture This is a film in which there are no actors there is no fiction It is instead the story of a young man in search of himself a story of a lonely boy growing into a lonely manhood of a quest for discovery and meaning of a great talent and zest for creative expression and of a tragic end which brought more questions than answers The sleeve notes continue The life of James Dean is presented on the screen through the means of a new technique dramatic exploration of a still photograph Together with tape recordings existing motion picture material and the people with whom he lived and worked these photographs create the presence of the living character If there are supporting roles in this picture the parts must be credited to the people of Fairmount Indiana where Dean lived as a boy to the nine million faces of New York City where he struggled for recognition as an artist and as an individual and to the men and women of Hollywood who shared in the development of his career The sleeve notes describe the music as unusual and exciting as the motion picture itself Leith Stevens the composer captures a haunting reflection of the violent yet strangely understandable uncertainties of modern youth Stevens whose musical scores have distinguished such films as The Wild One Private Hell 36 Destination Moon and Julie describes the loneliness and frustrations the fury and tenderness of James Dean s life and the world in which he moved With his use of such instruments as the recorder harmonica and bongo drums and in his unique utilization of the jazz idiom Leith Stevens produces music with dynamic personal identification not only for James Dean but for every boy who s ever worn a leather jacket and for every girl who s ever danced without her shoes Stevens traces the development of Dean throughout his boyhood his early rebellion against conventions the discovery of his artistic abilities and his failure to resolve his personal problems Who Am I depicts the young Dean groping for self identification Lost Love is a painful portrayal of a romance without a happy ending and Testing The Limits of Time is a brilliant montage of the moods and actions which Dean experienced in his last few months Tommy Sands the nation s newest singing sensation sings the theme song Let Me Be Loved by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans Television Edit This section needs expansion You can help by adding to it October 2018 Stevens television work was extensive including composing arranging and conducting music for 36 television series nearly two dozen from the 1950s through the late 1960s including the haunting theme song for the CBS television show Climax He was the Music Supervisor for six popular television series including Mannix Mission Impossible Mr Novak TV series The Odd Couple The Brady Bunch The Immortal and Love American Style Stevens scored episodes for Year Title Info On CD 1967 Hondo Episode s Massacre NOPersonal life and death EditStevens died at the age of 60 years due to a heart attack after learning that his wife had died in a car accident 4 Discography EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it August 2013 With Chet Baker and Bud Shank Theme Music from The James Dean Story World Pacific 1956 References Edit nbsp Biography portal nbsp United States portal nbsp Music portal nbsp Radio portal nbsp Film portal nbsp Television portal DeLong Thomas A 1996 Radio Stars An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers 1920 through 1960 McFarland amp Company Inc ISBN 978 0 7864 2834 2 P 253 Glee Clubs Prominent on the Air Freeport Journal Standard Illinois Freeport April 28 1934 p 3 Retrieved August 30 2016 via Newspapers com nbsp Kleiner Dick August 7 1997 Hill Street Blues was located in large unnamed Eastern city The Kokomo Tribune Indiana Kokomo p 9 Retrieved August 30 2016 via Newspapers com nbsp Leith Stevens of Paramount Dies After Wife s Fatal Crash New York Times New York New York City July 24 1970 p 31 Retrieved January 21 2021 Terrace Vincent Radio Programs 1924 1984 Jefferson North Carolina McFarland 1999 ISBN 0 7864 0351 9External links EditLeith Stevens at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Leith Stevens amp oldid 1178968756, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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