Composer
Miklós Rózsa
Born 18 April 1907 · Budapest, Austria-Hungary [now Hungary] — died 27 July 1995
Miklós Rózsa was a Hungarian-born composer who worked in Hollywood from the 1940s. He scored film noir, such as Double Indemnity, and epics, such as Ben-Hur and El Cid. His dramatic orchestral style shaped screen music, and he also wrote concert works throughout his career.
Key films
Double Indemnity (1944)On Cinespective
Early landmark noir score whose driving, tense music helped define the sound of the genre.
Spellbound (1945)
Won him an Oscar; its theremin-coloured score helped popularise that instrument in film music.
The Lost Weekend (1945)
Used the theremin to portray alcoholic anguish in a groundbreaking drama.
Quo Vadis (1951)
Began his run of grand historical epics, with music inspired by ancient and early Christian sources.
Ben-Hur (1959)On Cinespective
His best-known work, a vast score that won him an Academy Award.
Key awards
- 1945 Academy Award for Best Original Score, Spellbound
- 1947 Academy Award for Best Original Score, A Double Life
- 1959 Academy Award for Best Original Score, Ben-Hur
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 97
- 1937Knight Without ArmourComposer
- 1937The Green CockatooComposer
- 1937The SqueakerComposer
- 1937Thunder in the CityComposer
- 1938The Divorce of Lady XComposer
- 1939The Four FeathersComposer
- 1939The Spy in BlackComposer
- 1939On the Night of the FireComposer
- 1940The Thief of BagdadComposer
- 1940Ten Days in ParisComposer
- 1941That Hamilton WomanComposer
- 1941SundownComposer
- 1941LydiaComposer
- 1941The Saint's VacationComposer
- 1941New WineComposer
- 1942Jungle BookComposer
- 1942JacaréComposer
- 1943SaharaComposer
- 1943Five Graves to CairoComposer
- 1943So Proudly We HailComposer
- 1943The Woman of the TownComposer
- 1944Double IndemnityComposer
- 1944Dark WatersComposer
- 1944The Hour Before the DawnComposer
- 1945SpellboundComposer
- 1945The Lost WeekendComposer
- 1945Lady on a TrainComposer
- 1945Blood on the SunComposer
- 1945The Man in Half Moon StreetComposer
- 1946The KillersComposer
- 1946The Strange Love of Martha IversComposer
- 1946Because of HimComposer
- 1947Brute ForceComposer
- 1947Secret Beyond the DoorComposer
- 1947The Red HouseComposer
- 1947A Double LifeComposer
- 1947Desert FuryComposer
- 1947The Other LoveComposer
- 1947The Macomber AffairComposer
- 1947Time Out of MindComposer
- 1947Song of ScheherazadeComposer
- 1948The Naked CityComposer
- 1948Kiss the Blood Off My HandsComposer
- 1948Command DecisionComposer
- 1948A Woman's VengeanceComposer
- 1949Adam's RibComposer
- 1949Criss CrossComposer
- 1949Madame BovaryComposer
- 1949The BribeComposer
- 1949East Side, West SideComposer
- 1949The Red DanubeComposer
- 1950The Asphalt JungleComposer
- 1950CrisisComposer
- 1951Quo VadisComposer
- 1951The Light TouchComposer
- 1952IvanhoeComposer
- 1952Plymouth AdventureComposer
- 1953Julius CaesarComposer
- 1953Knights of the Round TableComposer
- 1953Young BessComposer
- 1953The Story of Three LovesComposer
- 1953The Story of Three Loves · as ConductorActor
- 1953All the Brothers Were ValiantComposer
- 1954Green FireComposer
- 1954Valley of the KingsComposer
- 1954Men of the Fighting LadyComposer
- 1954Seagulls Over SorrentoComposer
- 1955MoonfleetComposer
- 1955The King's ThiefComposer
- 1956Lust for LifeComposer
- 1956Bhowani JunctionComposer
- 1956Tribute to a Bad ManComposer
- 1956DianeComposer
- 1957Something of ValueComposer
- 1957The Seventh SinComposer
- 1957Tip on a Dead JockeyComposer
- 1958A Time to Love and a Time to DieComposer
- 1959Ben-HurComposer
- 1959The World, the Flesh and the DevilComposer
- 1961El CidComposer
- 1961King of KingsComposer
- 1962Sodom and GomorrahComposer
- 1963The V.I.P.sComposer
- 1968The Green BeretsComposer
- 1968The PowerComposer
- 1970The Private Life of Sherlock HolmesComposer
- 1973The Golden Voyage of SinbadComposer
- 1976Hollywood's Musical Moods · as SelfActor
- 1977ProvidenceComposer
- 1977The Private Files of J. Edgar HooverComposer
- 1978FedoraComposer
- 1979Time After TimeComposer
- 1979Last EmbraceComposer
- 1981Eye of the NeedleComposer
- 1982Dead Men Don't Wear PlaidComposer
- 2000In Search of the Papin SistersComposer
- 2019Churchill and the Movie Mogul · as Self (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.