Composer
David Mendoza
Born 13 March 1894 · New York City, New York, USA — died 23 March 1975
David Mendoza (1894–1975) was a New York-born composer and music director. He is credited on scores for late silent and early sound Hollywood films, including Ben-Hur and Little Caesar. His work belongs to the transition from live theatre accompaniment to recorded film music.
Key films
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925)On Cinespective
Major silent epic with a score credited to Mendoza, showing his work on large-scale silent film music.
Don Juan (1926)
Early feature with a synchronized recorded musical score, placing him in the start of sound-era film music.
The Student Prince in Old Heidelberg (1928)
Prestigious late-silent romance in which his music accompanied the film.
Little Caesar (1931)
Landmark early gangster film on which he is credited for music.
Svengali (1931)
Notable early-sound drama that shows his continued work as a composer in the 1930s.
Key awards
No major awards are documented here.
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 21
- 1925Ben-Hur: A Tale of the ChristComposer
- 1926Don JuanComposer
- 1926La BohèmeComposer
- 1927Annie LaurieComposer
- 1927CamilleComposer
- 1928The Student Prince in Old HeidelbergComposer
- 1929DisraeliComposer
- 1930Captain ThunderComposer
- 1930The LashComposer
- 1930Mothers CryComposer
- 1931Little CaesarComposer
- 1931SvengaliComposer
- 1931The Mad GeniusComposer
- 1931God's Gift to WomenComposer
- 1931Alexander HamiltonComposer
- 1931ChancesComposer
- 1931My PastComposer
- 1931Gold Dust GertieComposer
- 1937Home Run on the Keys · as David MendozaActor
- 1938Ski FlightComposer
- 1976Hollywood's Musical Moods · as SelfActor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.