Royden Denslow Webb (October 3, 1888 – December 10, 1982) was an American

film music A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...

composer. One of the charter members of

ASCAP The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadc ...

, Webb has hundreds of film music credits to his name, mainly with

RKO Pictures RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, is an American film production and distribution company, historically one of the major film studios, "Big Five" film studios of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood's Clas ...

. He is best known for

film noir Film noir (; ) is a style of Cinema of the United States, Hollywood Crime film, crime dramas that emphasizes cynicism (contemporary), cynical attitudes and motivations. The 1940s and 1950s are generally regarded as the "classic period" of Ameri ...

and

horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...

scores, in particular for the films of

Val Lewton Val Lewton (May 7, 1904 – March 14, 1951) was a Russian-American novelist, film producer, and screenwriter best known for a string of low-budget horror films he produced for RKO Pictures in the 1940s. His son, also named Val Lewton, was a pai ...

Biography

Born in

Manhattan, New York Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

, Webb orchestrated and conducted for the Broadway stage before moving to Hollywood in the late 1920s to work as music director for Radio Pictures, later RKO Pictures. He remained at RKO until 1955, then worked freelance for several years, scoring several episodes of ''

Wagon Train ''Wagon Train'' is an American Western television series that aired for eight seasons, first on the NBC television network (1957–1962) and then on ABC (1962–1965). ''Wagon Train'' debuted on September 18, 1957, and reached the top of the ...

''. Webb is credited as composer or arranger on more than 200 films, and received Academy Award nominations for '' Quality Street'' (1937), ''

My Favorite Wife ''My Favorite Wife'' is a 1940 American screwball comedy film produced by Leo McCarey and directed by Garson Kanin. It stars Irene Dunne as a woman who, after being shipwrecked on a tropical island for several years and declared legally dead, re ...

'' (1940), ''

I Married a Witch ''I Married A Witch'' is a 1942 American romantic screwball comedy fantasy film directed by René Clair and written by Robert Pirosh and Marc Connelly. Starred by Veronica Lake as the title character witch whose plan for revenge goes comically ...

'' (1942), ''

Joan of Paris ''Joan of Paris'' is a 1942 war film about five Royal Air Force pilots shot down over Nazi-occupied France during World War II and their attempt to escape to England. It stars Michèle Morgan and Paul Henreid, with Thomas Mitchell, Laird Cr ...

'' (1942), '' The Fallen Sparrow'' (1943), ''

The Fighting Seabees ''The Fighting Seabees'' is a 1944 American war film directed by Edward Ludwig and starring John Wayne and Susan Hayward. The supporting cast includes Dennis O'Keefe, William Frawley, Leonid Kinsky, Addison Richards and Grant Withers. ''The Fighti ...

'' (1944), and '' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1945). His piano concerto from ''The Enchanted Cottage'' was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Constantin Bakaleinikoff, in concert at the

Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...

in 1945. In 1961, a house fire destroyed Webb's manuscripts, including film scores and unpublished concert music, after which Webb ceased composing. Webb died in 1982 from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

at 94. An alumnus of

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, Webb wrote the fight song " Roar, Lion, Roar" for his

alma mater Alma mater (; : almae matres) is an allegorical Latin phrase meaning "nourishing mother". It personifies a school that a person has attended or graduated from. The term is related to ''alumnus'', literally meaning 'nursling', which describes a sc ...

in 1925. Several cues composed by Webb were used in the newsreel montage of Kane's life in ''

Citizen Kane ''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American Drama (film and television), drama film directed by, produced by and starring Orson Welles and co-written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz. It was Welles's List of directorial debuts, first feature film. ...

''. Several cues composed by Webb replaced those by

Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann (born Maximillian Herman; June 29, 1911December 24, 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in film scoring. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarde ...

in ''

The Magnificent Ambersons ''The Magnificent Ambersons'' is a 1918 novel by Booth Tarkington, the second in his ''Growth'' trilogy after '' The Turmoil'' (1915) and before ''The Midlander'' (1923, retitled ''National Avenue'' in 1927). It won the Pulitzer Prize for fict ...

'' after the film was re-edited. Webb also composed several cues (uncredited) for ''

This is Cinerama ''This Is Cinerama'' is a 1952 American documentary film directed by Mike Todd, Michael Todd Jr., Walter A. Thompson and Fred Rickey and starring Lowell Thomas.

'', the first

Cinerama Cinerama is a widescreen process that originally projected images simultaneously from three synchronized 35 mm movie film, 35mm projectors onto a huge, deeply curved screen, Subtended angle, subtending 146-degrees of arc. The trademarked pr ...

production in 1952. The Christopher Palmer Collection of Roy Webb Scores is held at Syracuse University, New York.Syracuse University Library
/ref>

Selected filmography

* '' Our Betters'' (1933) * '' Down to Their Last Yacht'' (1934) * '' Sylvia Scarlett'' (1935) (uncredited) * ''

Becky Sharp Rebecca "Becky" Sharp, later describing herself as Rebecca, Lady Crawley, is the main protagonist of William Makepeace Thackeray's 1847–48 novel '' Vanity Fair''. She is presented as a cynical social climber who uses her charms to fascinate ...

'' (1935) * '' Enchanted April'' (1935) * ''

Stage Door ''Stage Door'' is a 1937 American Tragicomedy, tragicomedy film directed by Gregory La Cava, and starring Katharine Hepburn, Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, Gail Patrick, Constance Collier, Andrea Leeds, Samuel S. Hinds, and Lucille Ball. Adapt ...

'' (1937) * '' The Woman I Love'' (1937) * '' Quality Street'' (1937) * ''

Room Service Room service or in-room dining is a hotel service enabling guests to choose items of food and drink for delivery to their hotel room for consumption. Room service is organized as a subdivision within the food and beverage department of high-end ...

'' (1938) * ''

Bringing Up Baby ''Bringing Up Baby'' is a 1938 American screwball comedy film directed by Howard Hawks, and starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. It was released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pictures. The film tells the story of a paleontologist in a numb ...

'' (1938) * '' Arizona Legion'' (1939) * ''

The Great Man Votes ''The Great Man Votes'' is a 1939 American drama film starring John Barrymore as a widowed professor turned drunkard who has the deciding vote in an election for mayor. It was based on the short story of the same name by Gordon Malherbe Hillman ...

'' (1939) * '' In Name Only'' (1939) * '' Abe Lincoln in Illinois'' (1940) * ''

'' (1940) * ''

Curtain Call A curtain call (often known as a walkdown or a final Bowing, bow) occurs at the end of a performance when one or more performers return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for the performance. In musical theatre, the performers typi ...

'' (1940) * '' Stranger on the Third Floor'' (1940) * '' Mr. and Mrs. Smith'' (1941) * ''

'' (1942) * ''

'' (1942) (additional music, uncredited). * ''

The Big Street ''The Big Street'' is a 1942 American drama film starring Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, based on the 1940 short story "Little Pinks" by Damon Runyon, who also produced it. It was directed by Irving Reis from a screenplay by Leonard Spigelgass ...

'' (1942) * '' Cat People'' (1942) * '' Hitler's Children'' (1943) * ''

The Seventh Victim ''The Seventh Victim'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Mark Robson and starring Tom Conway, Jean Brooks, Isabel Jewell, and Kim Hunter. Written by Charles O'Neal and DeWitt Bodeen, and produced by Val Lewton for RKO Radio Pictu ...

'' (1943) * '' Journey into Fear'' (1943) * ''

I Walked with a Zombie ''I Walked with a Zombie'' is a 1943 American horror film directed by Jacques Tourneur and produced by Val Lewton for RKO Pictures. It stars James Ellison, Frances Dee, and Tom Conway, and follows a Canadian nurse who travels to care for th ...

'' (1943) * '' The Leopard Man'' (1943) * '' The Fallen Sparrow'' (1943) * '' The Falcon in Danger'' (1943) * '' Gangway for Tomorrow'' (1943) * ''

The Falcon Out West ''The Falcon Out West'' (aka ''The Falcon in Texas'') is a 1944 American mystery film directed by William Clemens and starring Tom Conway, Joan Barclay and Barbara Hale. The film was part of RKO's The Falcon series of detective films, this ...

'' (1944) * ''

Experiment Perilous ''Experiment Perilous'' is a 1944 American melodrama film set at the turn of the 20th century. The film is based on a 1943 novel of the same name by Margaret Seymour Carpenter, Margaret Carpenter, and directed by Jacques Tourneur. Albert S. D'Ago ...

'' (1944) * '' Tall in the Saddle'' (1944) * ''

'' (1944) * ''

The Curse of the Cat People ''The Curse of the Cat People'' is a 1944 American psychological supernatural thriller filmEggert, Brian (October 22, 2017)"The Curse of the Cat People" Deep Focus Review. Retrieved 2019-03-16. directed by Gunther von Fritsch and Robert Wise, ...

'' (1944) * ''

Murder, My Sweet ''Murder, My Sweet'' (released as ''Farewell, My Lovely'' in the United Kingdom) is a 1944 American film noir, directed by Edward Dmytryk and starring Dick Powell, Claire Trevor and Anne Shirley (in her final film before retirement). The fi ...

'' (1944) * ''

Bride by Mistake ''Bride by Mistake'' is a 1944 American romantic comedy film directed by Richard Wallace, and starring Alan Marshal and Laraine Day. The screenplay is by Phoebe Ephron and Henry Ephron, based on a story by Norman Krasna, and is a remake of ...

'' (1944) * '' The Seventh Cross'' (1944) * '' The Enchanted Cottage'' (1945) * ''

The Body Snatcher "The Body Snatcher" is a short story by the Scottish people, Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. First published in ''The Pall Mall Gazette'' in December 1884, its characters were based on criminals in the employ of the surgeon Robert Knox ...

'' (1945) * ''

Back to Bataan ''Back to Bataan'' is a 1945 American black-and-white World War II war film drama from RKO Radio Pictures, produced by Robert Fellows, directed by Edward Dmytryk, that stars John Wayne and Anthony Quinn. The film depicts events (some fictionalize ...

'' (1945) * '' Two O'Clock Courage'' (1945) * '' The Spiral Staircase'' (1945) * '' Notorious'' (1946) * '' The Locket'' (1946) * '' Bedlam'' (1946) * ''

Out of the Past ''Out of the Past'' (billed in the United Kingdom as ''Build My Gallows High'') is a 1947 American film noir directed by Jacques Tourneur and starring Robert Mitchum, Jane Greer, and Kirk Douglas. The film was adapted by Geoffrey Homes (Daniel ...

'' (1947) * '' They Won't Believe Me'' (1947) * '' I Remember Mama'' (1948) * '' Holiday Affair'' (1949) * '' Mighty Joe Young'' (1949) * '' The Window'' (1949) * '' Easy Living'' (1949) * '' My Friend Irma'' (1949) * ''

The Secret Fury ''The Secret Fury'' is a 1950 American noirish psychological thriller starring Claudette Colbert and Robert Ryan. Directed by Mel Ferrer for RKO Radio Pictures, it also featured a rare screen appearance of Broadway legend Jane Cowl, with Paul K ...

'' (1950) * '' The White Tower'' (1950) * '' Vendetta'' (1950) * ''

Where Danger Lives ''Where Danger Lives'' is a 1950 American film noir thriller directed by John Farrow and starring Robert Mitchum, Faith Domergue and Claude Rains. Plot Dr. Jeff Cameron treats a mentally disturbed attempted suicide victim. She signs herself o ...

'' (1950) * '' Gambling House'' (1951) * ''

Flying Leathernecks ''Flying Leathernecks'' is a 1951 American Technicolor action war film directed by Nicholas Ray, produced by Edmund Grainger (who had produced ''Sands of Iwo Jima''), and starring John Wayne and Robert Ryan. The movie details the exploits an ...

'' (1951) * ''

Fixed Bayonets A bayonet (from Old French , now spelt ) is a -4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , now spelt ) is a knife, dagger">knife">-4; we might wonder whethe ...

'' (1951) * '' Sealed Cargo'' (1951) * '' Operation Secret'' (1952) * ''

This is Cinerama ''This Is Cinerama'' is a 1952 American documentary film directed by Mike Todd, Michael Todd Jr., Walter A. Thompson and Fred Rickey and starring Lowell Thomas.

'' (uncredited) (1952) * '' Second Chance'' (1953) * '' Split Second'' (1953) * ''

Houdini Erik Weisz (March 24, 1874 – October 31, 1926), known professionally as Harry Houdini ( ), was a Hungarian-American escapologist, illusionist, and stunt performer noted for his escape acts. Houdini first attracted notice in vaudeville in ...

'' (1953) * '' The Raid'' (1954) * '' Dangerous Mission'' (1954) * '' Track of the Cat'' (1954) * '' Blood Alley'' (1955) * '' Marty'' (1955) * '' The Sea Chase'' (1955) * ''

Our Miss Brooks ''Our Miss Brooks'' is an American sitcom starring Eve Arden as a sardonic high-school English teacher. It began as a Old Time Radio, radio show broadcast on CBS from 1948 to 1957. When the show was adapted to television (1952–56), it became ...

'' (1956) * '' The Search for Bridey Murphy'' (1956) * ''

The Girl He Left Behind ''The Girl He Left Behind'' is a 1956 American romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ...

'' (1956) * '' The River Changes'' (1956) * '' The Secret Affair'' (1957) * '' Shoot-out at Medicine Bend'' (1957) * ''

Teacher's Pet A teacher's pet is a student who is viewed most favorably by their teacher in a school. They can be viewed unsympathetically by other students due to jealousy or envy in certain situations. The phenomenon is extensively acknowledged by the public ...

'' (1958)

References

Sources

* ''Roy Webb: Music for the Films of Val Lewton'' (A.K.A. ''Cat People: Classic Music for the Val Lewton Films''), Marco Polo 8.225125 – liner notes by Scott MacQueen, with Robert Wise and John Morgan

External links

Biography at Naxos site
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Webb, Roy American film score composers American male film score composers 1888 births 1982 deaths Columbia University alumni Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) 20th-century American male musicians