---
name: "Leo F. Forbstein"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/leo-f-forbstein"
roles: ["Music director"]
born: "16 October 1892"
died: "12 February 1948"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 16
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_over: 16
updated: "2026-09-20T01:18:55.939628+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Leo F. Forbstein

Music director. Born 16 October 1892 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. Died 12 February 1948.

## Details

- **Work:** Music director
- **Born:** 16 October 1892, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- **Died:** 12 February 1948
- **Active:** 1932–1948
- **Also known as:** Leo Frank Forbstein, Leo Forbstein, Forbstein
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar (1 won · 2 nominated)
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1930s 78 (9), 1940s 81 (7)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 83 to 80 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 7 at 80+, 9 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 13, Romance 7, Crime 4, Adventure 2, Comedy 2, History 2
- **Screen time:** 28 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $70m across 8 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_F._Forbstein, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1818548, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0006079/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/17915

## Biography

Leo F. Forbstein was an American film musical director and orchestra conductor. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he began playing the violin at the age of four and later conducted orchestras in Missouri theatres, where he synchronised music with silent films. In the mid-1920s he moved to Hollywood to lead the orchestra at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre.

He joined Warner Bros. in the late 1920s as a director of the Vitaphone Orchestra and became the studio's general music director in 1931. Forbstein received screen credit for music on *I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang* (1932) and supervised scores for numerous Warner Bros. productions, including *Casablanca* (1943), *The Maltese Falcon* (1941) and *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938). As head of the music department he shared the Academy Award for Best Original Score for *Anthony Adverse* (1936) and received further nominations for *The Charge of the Light Brigade* (1936) and *The Life of Emile Zola* (1937).

*Sources: catalog.afi.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.*

## On Fi1m (16)

- *The Treasure of the Sierra Madre* (1948), Fi1m 88, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-treasure-of-the-sierra-madre.md)
- *Mildred Pierce* (1945), Fi1m 83, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/mildred-pierce-1945.md)
- *Casablanca* (1943), Fi1m 93, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md)
- *Watch on the Rhine* (1943), Fi1m 73, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/watch-on-the-rhine.md)
- *Sergeant York* (1941), Fi1m 66, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/sergeant-york.md)
- *The Maltese Falcon* (1941), Fi1m 87, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon.md)
- *The Letter* (1940), Fi1m 78, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-letter.md)
- *Dark Victory* (1939), Fi1m 79, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/dark-victory.md)
- *Four Daughters* (1938), Fi1m 75, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/four-daughters-1938.md)
- *Jezebel* (1938), Fi1m 78, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/jezebel.md)
- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), Fi1m 90, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md)
- *The Life of Emile Zola* (1937), Fi1m 70, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/the-life-of-emile-zola.md)
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1935), Fi1m 74, Music Director — [page](https://film.one/film/a-midsummer-nights-dream.md)
- *Here Comes the Navy* (1934), Fi1m 70, Conductor — [page](https://film.one/film/here-comes-the-navy.md)
- *42nd Street* (1933), Fi1m 82, Conductor — [page](https://film.one/film/42nd-street.md)
- *I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang* (1932), Fi1m 85, Music, Original Music Composer — [page](https://film.one/film/i-am-a-fugitive-from-a-chain-gang.md)

## Complete filmography (309)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Two Guys from Texas* (1948), Original Music Composer
- *The Big Punch* (1948), Music Director
- *Romance on the High Seas* (1948), Music Director
- *Silver River* (1948), Music Director
- *Winter Meeting* (1948), Music Director
- *Rope* (1948), Music Director
- *The Treasure of the Sierra Madre* (1948), Music Director — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/the-treasure-of-the-sierra-madre.md)
- *Escape Me Never* (1947), Music Director
- *The Unsuspected* (1947), Music Director
- *Dark Passage* (1947), Music Director
- *Cry Wolf* (1947), Music Director
- *Deep Valley* (1947), Music Director
- *The Unfaithful* (1947), Music Director
- *Possessed* (1947), Music Director
- *Love and Learn* (1947), Music Director
- *Stallion Road* (1947), Music Director
- *Pursued* (1947), Music Director
- *The Two Mrs. Carrolls* (1947), Music Director
- *Nora Prentiss* (1947), Music Director
- *The Beast with Five Fingers* (1947), Music
- *Humoresque* (1947), Music Director
- *The Man I Love* (1946), Music Director
- *Never Say Goodbye* (1946), Music Director
- *The Verdict* (1946), Music Director
- *Shadow of a Woman* (1946), Music Director
- *The Big Sleep* (1946), Music Director — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-sleep.md)
- *A Stolen Life* (1946), Music Director
- *Devotion* (1946), Music Director
- *Cinderella Jones* (1946), Music Director
- *Three Strangers* (1946), Music Director
- *Danger Signal* (1945), Music Director
- *Mildred Pierce* (1945), Music Director — Fi1m 83, [page](https://film.one/film/mildred-pierce-1945.md)
- *Pride of the Marines* (1945), Music Director
- *Christmas in Connecticut* (1945), Music Director
- *Conflict* (1945), Music Director
- *The Corn Is Green* (1945), Music Director
- *Hotel Berlin* (1945), Music Director
- *To Have and Have Not* (1945), Music Director
- *The Doughgirls* (1944), Music Director
- *The Conspirators* (1944), Music Director
- *Arsenic and Old Lace* (1944), Original Music Composer
- *The Mask of Dimitrios* (1944), Music Director
- *Make Your Own Bed* (1944), Music Director
- *Mr. Skeffington* (1944), Music Director
- *Uncertain Glory* (1944), Music Director
- *Passage to Marseille* (1944), Music Director
- *Destination Tokyo* (1943), Music Director
- *Northern Pursuit* (1943), Music Director
- *Princess O'Rourke* (1943), Music Director
- *Thank Your Lucky Stars* (1943), Music Director
- *Oklahoma Outlaws* (1943), Music Director
- *Watch on the Rhine* (1943), Music Director — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/watch-on-the-rhine.md)
- *Background to Danger* (1943), Music Director
- *The Constant Nymph* (1943), Music Director
- *Edge of Darkness* (1943), Music Director
- *Air Force* (1943), Music Director
- *Casablanca* (1943), Music Director — Fi1m 93, [page](https://film.one/film/casablanca.md)
- *The Hard Way* (1943), Music Director
- *Gentleman Jim* (1942), Music Director
- *George Washington Slept Here* (1942), Music Director
- *Now, Voyager* (1942), Music Director
- *Wings for the Eagle* (1942), Music Director
- *The Big Shot* (1942), Music Director
- *Spy Ship* (1942), Music Director
- *Always in My Heart* (1942), Music Director
- *The Male Animal* (1942), Music Director
- *Captains of the Clouds* (1942), Music Director
- *The Man Who Came to Dinner* (1941), Music Director
- *Steel Against the Sky* (1941), Music Director
- *The Maltese Falcon* (1941), Music Director — Fi1m 87, [page](https://film.one/film/the-maltese-falcon.md)
- *Sergeant York* (1941), Music Director — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/sergeant-york.md)
- *Nine Lives Are Not Enough* (1941), Music Director
- *Dive Bomber* (1941), Music Director
- *Manpower* (1941), Music Director
- *Kisses for Breakfast* (1941), Music Director
- *Underground* (1941), Music Director
- *Affectionately Yours* (1941), Music Director
- *The Wagons Roll at Night* (1941), Music Director
- *The Great Lie* (1941), Music Director
- *The Sea Wolf* (1941), Music Director
- *Meet John Doe* (1941), Music Director
- *Footsteps in the Dark* (1941), Music Director
- *The Strawberry Blonde* (1941), Music Director
- *The Great Mr. Nobody* (1941), Music Director
- *Flight from Destiny* (1941), Music Director
- *Honeymoon for Three* (1941), Music Director
- *Four Mothers* (1941), Music Director
- *Santa Fe Trail* (1940), Music Director
- *She Couldn't Say No* (1940), Music Director
- *The Letter* (1940), Music Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/the-letter.md)
- *South of Suez* (1940), Music Director
- *Knute Rockne All American* (1940), Music Director
- *They Drive by Night* (1940), Music Director
- *The Man Who Talked Too Much* (1940), Music Director
- *A Fugitive from Justice* (1940), Music Director
- *It All Came True* (1940), Music Director
- *Virginia City* (1940), Music Director
- *Castle on the Hudson* (1940), Music Director
- *Invisible Stripes* (1939), Music Director
- *Four Wives* (1939), Music Director
- *We Are Not Alone* (1939), Music
- *The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex* (1939), Music Director
- *Espionage Agent* (1939), Music Director
- *Dust Be My Destiny* (1939), Music Director
- *Angels Wash Their Faces* (1939), Music Director
- *Each Dawn I Die* (1939), Music Director
- *The Old Maid* (1939), Music Director
- *Indianapolis Speedway* (1939), Music Director
- *Daughters Courageous* (1939), Music Director
- *Juarez* (1939), Music Director
- *Dark Victory* (1939), Music Director — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/dark-victory.md)
- *Women in the Wind* (1939), Music Director
- *Dodge City* (1939), Music Director
- *You Can't Get Away with Murder* (1939), Music Director
- *The Oklahoma Kid* (1939), Music Director
- *Wings of the Navy* (1939), Music Director
- *Off the Record* (1939), Music Director
- *King of the Underworld* (1939), Music Director
- *Going Places* (1938), Music Director
- *The Dawn Patrol* (1938), Music Director
- *Heart of the North* (1938), Music Director
- *Comet Over Broadway* (1938), Music Director
- *Angels with Dirty Faces* (1938), Music Director
- *Torchy Gets Her Man* (1938), Music Director
- *The Sisters* (1938), Music Director
- *Valley of the Giants* (1938), Music Director
- *Secrets of an Actress* (1938), Music Director
- *Four Daughters* (1938), Music Director — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/four-daughters-1938.md)
- *Four's a Crowd* (1938), Music Director
- *Racket Busters* (1938), Music Director
- *My Bill* (1938), Music Director
- *Men Are Such Fools* (1938), Music Director
- *The Adventures of Robin Hood* (1938), Music Director — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/film/the-adventures-of-robin-hood.md)
- *Crime School* (1938), Music Director
- *Jezebel* (1938), Music Director — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/jezebel.md)
- *A Slight Case of Murder* (1938), Music Director
- *Hollywood Hotel* (1938), Music Director
- *Tovarich* (1937), Music Director
- *First Lady* (1937), Music Director
- *The Great Garrick* (1937), Music Director
- *It's Love I'm After* (1937), Music Director
- *The Life of Emile Zola* (1937), Music Director — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/the-life-of-emile-zola.md)
- *That Certain Woman* (1937), Music Director
- *Back in Circulation* (1937), Music Director
- *Confession* (1937), Music Director
- *Ever Since Eve* (1937), Music Director
- *Another Dawn* (1937), Music Director
- *Kid Galahad* (1937), Music Director
- *The Go-Getter* (1937), Music Director
- *The Prince and the Pauper* (1937), Music Director
- *Call It a Day* (1937), Music Director
- *Marked Woman* (1937), Music Director
- *Ready, Willing and Able* (1937), Music Director
- *Green Light* (1937), Music Director
- *Stolen Holiday* (1937), Music Director
- *God's Country and the Woman* (1937), Music Director
- *Gold Diggers of 1937* (1936), Music Director
- *Sing Me a Love Song* (1936), Music Director
- *The Charge of the Light Brigade* (1936), Music Director
- *Give Me Your Heart* (1936), Music Director
- *Stage Struck* (1936), Music Director
- *Earthworm Tractors* (1936), Original Music Composer
- *Satan Met a Lady* (1936), Music Director
- *The White Angel* (1936), Music Director
- *The Singing Kid* (1936), Conductor
- *Snowed Under* (1936), Conductor
- *Road Gang* (1936), Music Director
- *Colleen* (1936), Conductor
- *The Story of Louis Pasteur* (1936), Music Director
- *King of the Islands* (1936), Music Director
- *The Petrified Forest* (1936), Music Director
- *Freshman Love* (1936), Music Director
- *The Murder of Dr. Harrigan* (1936), Music Director
- *Miss Pacific Fleet* (1935), Music Director
- *Frisco Kid* (1935), Music Director
- *I Found Stella Parish* (1935), Music Director
- *Shipmates Forever* (1935), Music Director
- *A Midsummer Night's Dream* (1935), Music Director — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/a-midsummer-nights-dream.md)
- *The Case of the Lucky Legs* (1935), Music Director
- *The Goose and the Gander* (1935), Music Director
- *Keystone Hotel* (1935), Music Director
- *We're in the Money* (1935), Music Director
- *The Irish in Us* (1935), Music Director
- *Broadway Gondolier* (1935), as Rehearsal Orchestra Leader · Music Director
- *Don't Bet on Blondes* (1935), Music Director
- *Going Highbrow* (1935), Music Director
- *Stranded* (1935), Music Director
- *Alibi Ike* (1935), Music Director
- *'G' Men* (1935), Music Director
- *Go Into Your Dance* (1935), Music Director
- *The Case of the Curious Bride* (1935), Music Director
- *The Florentine Dagger* (1935), Music Director
- *Traveling Saleslady* (1935), Music Director
- *A Night at the Ritz* (1935), Music Director
- *While the Patient Slept* (1935), Conductor
- *Living on Velvet* (1935), Conductor
- *Sweet Music* (1935), Conductor
- *The White Cockatoo* (1935), Conductor
- *Maybe It's Love* (1935), Conductor
- *The Secret Bride* (1934), Conductor
- *Murder in the Clouds* (1934), Conductor
- *Babbitt* (1934), Conductor
- *The St. Louis Kid* (1934), Music Director
- *The Firebird* (1934), Music
- *Happiness Ahead* (1934), Conductor
- *Big Hearted Herbert* (1934), Conductor
- *The Case of the Howling Dog* (1934), Conductor
- *British Agent* (1934), Conductor
- *Kansas City Princess* (1934), Conductor
- *Dames* (1934), Conductor
- *The Dragon Murder Case* (1934), Conductor
- *Housewife* (1934), Conductor
- *The Man with Two Faces* (1934), Music Director
- *Here Comes the Navy* (1934), Conductor — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/here-comes-the-navy.md)
- *Midnight Alibi* (1934), Conductor
- *Dr. Monica* (1934), Conductor
- *He Was Her Man* (1934), Conductor
- *Fog Over Frisco* (1934), Conductor
- *Twenty Million Sweethearts* (1934), Conductor
- *Upperworld* (1934), Conductor
- *Journal of a Crime* (1934), Conductor
- *Jimmy the Gent* (1934), Conductor
- *Gambling Lady* (1934), Conductor
- *Heat Lightning* (1934), Conductor
- *Fashions of 1934* (1934), Conductor
- *Mandalay* (1934), Conductor
- *Massacre* (1934), Conductor
- *Hi, Nellie!* (1934), Conductor
- *The House on 56th Street* (1933), Conductor
- *Lady Killer* (1933), Conductor
- *College Coach* (1933), Conductor
- *The Kennel Murder Case* (1933), Conductor
- *Footlight Parade* (1933), Conductor
- *Wild Boys of the Road* (1933), Conductor
- *I Loved a Woman* (1933), Conductor
- *Goodbye Again* (1933), Conductor
- *The Man from Monterey* (1933), Music
- *She Had to Say Yes* (1933), Conductor
- *Baby Face* (1933), Conductor
- *The Narrow Corner* (1933), Conductor
- *Private Detective 62* (1933), Conductor
- *The Silk Express* (1933), Conductor
- *Gold Diggers of 1933* (1933), Conductor
- *Lilly Turner* (1933), Conductor
- *Picture Snatcher* (1933), Conductor
- *The Mind Reader* (1933), Conductor
- *42nd Street* (1933), Conductor — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/42nd-street.md)
- *Girl Missing* (1933), Conductor
- *Blondie Johnson* (1933), Conductor
- *The King's Vacation* (1933), Conductor
- *Mystery of the Wax Museum* (1933), Conductor
- *Employees' Entrance* (1933), Conductor
- *Ladies They Talk About* (1933), Conductor
- *The Match King* (1932), Conductor
- *Lawyer Man* (1932), Conductor
- *Silver Dollar* (1932), Conductor
- *Haunted Gold* (1932), Original Music Composer
- *Central Park* (1932), Conductor
- *You Said a Mouthful* (1932), Conductor
- *Scarlet Dawn* (1932), Conductor
- *I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang* (1932), Original Music Composer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/i-am-a-fugitive-from-a-chain-gang.md)
- *They Call It Sin* (1932), Conductor
- *Three on a Match* (1932), Conductor
- *The Crash* (1932), Conductor
- *One Way Passage* (1932), Conductor
- *Tiger Shark* (1932), Conductor
- *Big City Blues* (1932), Conductor
- *Life Begins* (1932), Conductor
- *Doctor X* (1932), Conductor
- *The Purchase Price* (1932), Conductor
- *Winner Take All* (1932), Conductor
- *Jewel Robbery* (1932), Conductor
- *Love is a Racket* (1932), Music
- *Street of Women* (1932), Conductor
- *The Strange Love of Molly Louvain* (1932), Orchestrator
- *Miss Pinkerton* (1932), Conductor
- *The Tenderfoot* (1932), Conductor
- *The Rich Are Always with Us* (1932), Conductor
- *Man Wanted* (1932), Conductor
- *Beauty and the Boss* (1932), Conductor
- *The Mouthpiece* (1932), Conductor
- *The Man Who Played God* (1932), Original Music Composer
- *Union Depot* (1932), Conductor
- *The Woman from Monte Carlo* (1932), Conductor
- *Safe in Hell* (1931), Conductor
- *Side Show* (1931), Music Director
- *The Road to Singapore* (1931), Conductor
- *The Last Flight* (1931), Conductor
- *The Star Witness* (1931), Music Director
- *Stranger in Town* (1931), Conductor
- *Night Nurse* (1931), Conductor
- *Gold Dust Gertie* (1931), Conductor
- *Big Business Girl* (1931), Conductor
- *Smart Money* (1931), Music Director
- *Too Young to Marry* (1931), Music Director
- *Little Caesar* (1931), Conductor
- *Kiss Me Again* (1931), Conductor
- *One Night at Susie's* (1930), Conductor
- *The Doorway to Hell* (1930), Music Director
- *Road to Paradise* (1930), Conductor
- *The Dawn Patrol* (1930), Conductor
- *Sweet Mama* (1930), Conductor
- *Numbered Men* (1930), Conductor
- *The Flirting Widow* (1930), Conductor
- *Spring Is Here* (1930), Conductor
- *Loose Ankles* (1930), Conductor
- *Playing Around* (1930), Conductor
- *Broadway Babies* (1929), Music
- *The Squall* (1929), Conductor

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 1 won, 2 nominated

- 1938: Best Score, Adaptation or Treatment (nominated), for *The Life of Emile Zola*
- 1937: Best Score, Adaptation or Treatment (won), for *Anthony Adverse*
- 1936: Best Score, Adaptation or Treatment (nominated), for *Captain Blood*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/leo-f-forbstein