Composer
Klaus Doldinger
Born 12 May 1936 · Berlin, Germany — died 16 October 2025
Klaus Doldinger (1936–2025) was a Berlin-born German saxophonist, jazz bandleader and film composer. He founded the long-running jazz-fusion group Passport in 1971. He is best remembered for the scores to Das Boot and The NeverEnding Story, which brought German film music international recognition.
Key films
Das Boot (1981)
His tense, synthesizer-driven theme for the U-boat drama became one of the most recognised German film scores.
The NeverEnding Story (1984)
His score for this fantasy film reached a worldwide audience and remains closely tied to the film's identity.
Palmetto (1998)
A noir thriller with an English-language cast, showing his work reaching beyond German productions.
Baal (1970)
An early screen credit, adapting Brecht's play, from his years of building a film-music career.
Negresco (1968)
A 1960s credit that shows his jazz-influenced approach to film scoring early on.
Key awards
- 1997 Bavarian Film Awards
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 35
- 1968NegrescoComposer
- 1970BaalComposer
- 1973...But Johnny!Composer
- 1974One or the Other of UsComposer
- 1975To the Bitter EndComposer
- 1975The NetComposer
- 1976Four Against the BankComposer
- 1978Black and White Like Day and NightComposer
- 1978The Second Awakening of Christa KlagesComposer
- 1978Moritz, Dear MoritzComposer
- 1981Das BootComposer
- 1983Love is ForeverComposer
- 1983The Roaring FiftiesComposer
- 1983Satan ist auf Gottes SeiteComposer
- 1984The NeverEnding StoryComposer
- 1988Me and HimComposer
- 1988A Father's RevengeComposer
- 1988The Case of Mr. SpaltComposer
- 1991HurenglückComposer
- 1996Alles wegen Robert De NiroComposer
- 1997Living DeadComposer
- 1998PalmettoComposer
- 2007Ein Leben wie im FlugComposer
- 2007Fernsehgeschichte(n). Deutsch · as SelfActor
- 2011Sing! Inge, Sing! · as HimselfActor
- 2016Udo Lindenberg: Stärker als die Zeit - LiveActor
- 2017Das doppelte LottchenComposer
- 2017Open Wounds – A Journey through German Genre FilmsActor
- 2017Wacht am Rhein · as StraßenmusikerActor
- 2019ManDoki Soulmates: Wings Of Freedom · as SelfActor
- 2019Meine Welt ist die Musik · as SelfActor
- 2019Klaus Doldinger's Passport - Live in Leverkusen 2019 · as MusikerActor
- 2021Das Boot Revisited: An Underwater Success Story · as Self - Das Boot Music ComposerActor
- 2023Jazzfieber - The Story of German JazzActor
- 2024Life After the NeverEnding Story · as SelfActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.