1. David Raksin was an American composer who was noted for his work in film and television.
11 Facts About David Raksin
1. 2.
David Raksin was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, to Jewish parents.
3.
David Raksin played professionally in dance bands while attending Central High School of Philadelphia.
4.
David Raksin went on to study composition with Harl McDonald at the University of Pennsylvania, and later with Isadore Freed in New York and Arnold Schoenberg in Los Angeles.
5.
David Raksin is perhaps best remembered for his score for Laura.
6.
David Raksin's theme song, "The Bad and the Beautiful" for the 1953 film The Bad and the Beautiful was a hit, although not as popular as "Laura".
7.
David Raksin insisted that the song be released as an instrumental, because he had resented having to split the proceeds from "Laura" with a lyricist.
8.
David Raksin scored the 1958 film Separate Tables, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination.
9.
Later in life, David Raksin taught at the University of Southern California and the University of California, Los Angeles.
10.
At the time of his death, it was announced that David Raksin had completed his autobiography, titled If I Say So Myself.
11.
David Raksin's son Alex is a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times.