Biography
Ralph Rainger (born Ralph Reichenthal) was an American composer of popular music, principally for films. Born in New York City on 7 October 1901, he initially studied law, graduating from Brown University in 1926, before turning to music. He worked as a pianist and accompanist on Broadway, achieving early success with the song "Moanin' Low" for the 1929 revue The Little Show.
In Hollywood he collaborated extensively with lyricist Leo Robin at Paramount Pictures and later 20th Century Fox. Their songs featured in films including Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931), A Farewell to Arms (1932), She Done Him Wrong (1933) and City Streets (1931). Rainger and Robin won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Thanks for the Memory" from The Big Broadcast of 1938. He died in a plane crash near Palm Springs, California, on 23 October 1942.
