Louis Levy
Personal Info
Known for
Sound
Gender
Male
Birthday
1894-11-20
Day of Death
1957-08-18 (62 years old)
Place of Birth
London, England, UK
Louis Levy
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Louis Levy (20 November 1894 – 18 August 1957) was an English film composer and music director, who worked in particular on Alfred Hitchcock and Will Hay films. He was born in London and died in Slough, Berkshire.
As a child Louis Levy played the violin, beginning with a toy violin that his father bought him at the age of seven. He later became the pupil of Guido Papini but due to his parents' limited means, ended his studies with Papini and began a period of self-study. This led to him gaining a scholarship at the London College of Music. Papini refused to allow Levy to study under anyone else, so resumed his tuition, this time free of charge.
He started his career in 1910 arranging and performing music for silent films. In 1916 he became musical director for the New Gallery Cinema in London. In 1921, he went to the Shepherd’s Bush Pavilion as Music Chief and is credited with being the first to develop the theme song in movies.
At the beginning of talkies, he joined the Gaumont British studios at Shepherd’s Bush, where he became the head of the music department for all Gainsborough Pictures productions from 1933 onwards. The rich sounds emanating from his large orchestra are all the more impressive when one realises that electrical sound industry was barely ten years old. He worked in particular on Alfred Hitchcock and Will Hay films.
He later had a long running BBC radio series Music From the Movies, which started in 1936 and went on until the 1950s.
At this time, through the sheer necessity of having to produce so much music he employed several talented arrangers, among them Peter Yorke ) and Bretton Byrd, who was his chief music editor at Gaumont British.
Acting
(1937)
O-Kay for Sound
as Conductor
Crew
(1957)
No Time for Tears
Music Director
(1957)
(1957)
Let's Be Happy
Music Director
(1956)
Moby Dick
Conductor
(1956)
It's Great to be Young!
Music Director
(1956)
Now and Forever
Music Director
(1956)
Yield to the Night
Music Director
(1955)
The Dark Avenger
Conductor
(1955)
The Dam Busters
Music Director
(1954)
Isn't Life Wonderful!
Music Director
(1954)
Duel in the Jungle
Music Director
(1954)
Happy Ever After
Music Director
(1954)
The Weak and the Wicked
Music Director
(1953)
South of Algiers
Music Director
(1953)
Will Any Gentleman...?
Conductor
(1952)
24 Hours of a Woman's Life
Music Director
(1952)
Where's Charley?
Music Director
(1952)
So Little Time
Music Director
(1951)
Young Wives' Tale
Music Director
(1951)
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N.
Music Director
(1951)
Laughter in Paradise
Music Director
(1951)
The Franchise Affair
Music Director
(1950)
Stage Fright
Music Director
(1950)
Murder Without Crime
Music Director
(1950)
Portrait of Clare
Music Director
(1949)
The Queen of Spades
Music Director
(1949)
Obsession
Conductor
(1949)
Man on the Run
Music Director
(1946)
Caravan
Music Director
(1945)
I'll Be Your Sweetheart
Associate Producer
(1944)
Fanny by Gaslight
Music Director
(1944)
Two Thousand Women
Music Director
(1944)
Love Story
Music Director
(1944)
Time Flies
Music Director
(1944)
Give Us the Moon
Music Director
(1943)
The Adventures of Tartu
Music Director
(1943)
Dear Octopus
Music Director
(1943)
The Man in Grey
Music Director
(1942)
Back-Room Boy
Musical
(1942)
The Young Mr. Pitt
Music Director
(1942)
Uncensored
Music Director
(1941)
Gasbags
Original Music Composer
(1941)
Cottage to Let
Music
(1941)
(1940)
For Freedom
Music
(1940)
Busman's Honeymoon
Music
(1940)
An Englishman's Home
Music Director
(1940)
Girl in the News
Music Director, Original Music Composer
(1940)
Neutral Port
Music Director
(1940)
Night Train to Munich
Original Music Composer, Music Director
(1939)
Ask a Policeman
Music Director
(1939)
(1939)
A Girl Must Live
Music Director
(1939)
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
Music Director
(1939)
The Lambeth Walk
Music Director
(1938)
The Lady Vanishes
Original Music Composer, Music Director
(1938)
Crackerjack
Music Director
(1938)
Sailing Along
Music Director
(1938)
Alf's Button Afloat
Music Director
(1938)
The Citadel
Original Music Composer
(1938)
Bank Holiday
Music
(1938)
Everything Happens to Me
Music Director
(1937)
The Gap
Music
(1937)
Young and Innocent
Original Music Composer, Music Director
(1937)
Gangway
Music Director
(1937)
Take My Tip
Music Director
(1937)
Sabotage
Music, Music Director
(1937)
Command Performance
Music Director
(1937)
Non-Stop New York
Original Music Composer, Music Director
(1937)
Doctor Syn
Music Director
(1936)
Everything Is Thunder
Original Music Composer
(1936)
Secret Agent
Music Director
(1936)
All In!
Music Director
(1936)
East Meets West
Music Director
(1936)
First Offence
Music Director
(1936)
It's Love Again
Music
(1936)
Seven Sinners
Original Music Composer, Music Director
(1936)
Tudor Rose
Music Director
(1935)
The 39 Steps
Original Music Composer, Music Director, Conductor
(1935)
My Heart Is Calling
Music Director
(1935)
Boys Will Be Boys
Original Music Composer
(1935)
Brown on Resolution
Music
(1935)
Oh, Daddy!
Music Director
(1935)
Foreign Affaires
Original Music Composer
(1935)
Car of Dreams
Music Director
(1935)
Bulldog Jack
Music Director
(1935)
The Passing of the Third Floor Back
Additional Music, Music Director
(1935)
Heat Wave
Music Director
(1934)
Dirty Work
Music Director
(1934)
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Music Director
(1934)
Little Friend
Music Director
(1934)
A Cup of Kindness
Music Director
(1934)
My Old Dutch
Music Director
(1934)
Road House
Music Director
(1934)
Forbidden Territory
Original Music Composer
(1934)
Evergreen
Music Director
(1934)
Man of Aran
Music Director
(1934)
It's a Boy
Music Director
(1933)
Waltz Time
Writer
(1933)
The Man from Toronto
Music
(1933)
The Ghoul
Original Music Composer
(1932)
Baroud
Music Director
(1932)
Lord Babs
Music Director
(1932)
Love on Wheels
Music Director
(1932)
The Faithful Heart
Music Director
(1932)
The Midshipmaid
Music Director
(1932)
Jack's the Boy
Music Director
(1932)
After the Ball
Music Director
(1932)
White Face
Music Director
(1932)
Rome Express
Music Director
(1931)
Michael and Mary
Music Director
(1931)
The Stronger Sex
Music
(1931)
No Lady
Music
(1930)
Bed and Breakfast
Music Director
(1930)
(1930)
Just for a Song
Music Director
(1928)
Balaclava
Music Director
(1927)
The Arcadians
Music Arranger
(1925)
She
Music
(1915)
Madame de Thèbes
Writer