On this week's Saturday Cinema, John Waxman is my guest. Son of famous film composer Franz Waxman, John has been running his own music business for the last four decades — Themes and Variations, a vast library of motion picture music scores ranging from the oldest, 1933's King Kong, to the most recent, the new Star Trek score. He rents out scores to the world's leading orchestras.
John talks about his father's escape from Nazi Germany, his early work in Berlin cabaret, their family life in Hollywood along with frequent Waxman household visitors, Erich Korngold and Jascha Heifetz, Dmitri Shostakovich, and a great story about how director Billy Wilder gave John his name. Featured in the hour, an excerpt from a new release of Waxman's cabaret and early film music, and some of Waxman's best known works: Bride of Frankenstein, The Philadelphia Story, Captains Courageous and more.
There is a new Roven Records CD featuring Waxman's rare cabaret and film music from his pre-Hollywood days, "Who Wants Love," featuring American bass-baritone, Robert Osborne and pianist Richard Gordon.
Also, a tribute to the late Marni Nixon who died recently in New York at age 86. John shares some Waxman-Nixon connections.
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