Victor Young

Victor Young
Music: North side of the 6300 block of Hollywood Boulevard
Conductor | Songwriter
Born Aug. 8, 1900 in Chicago, Ill.
Died Nov. 10, 1956 of heart attack in Desert Hospital, Calif.

Victor Young was a famed composer-conductor who made his American debut as a violinist in 1921.

Young was born in Chicago in 1900, the son of Polish emigrants. He began to study violin before he was 5 and was sent to Warsaw to study when he was 8. His professional debut was made with the Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra.

After his American debut he worked in Hollywood and after attracting national attention, became concertmaster at the Central Park Theatre in Chicago.

A pioneer in symphonic jazz, he wrote more than 75 popular hits after composing "Sweet Sue" in 1928.

Young was composer-conductor for Paramount Pictures for about 14 years, conducting the music for such films as "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Love Letters," "Golden Earrings" and many others.

Young was in Kiev during World War I and was imprisoned there until a Bolshevist officer who admired him as a musician helped him escape. He made his way to Warsaw in a cattle car and was promptly thrown into a German prison. Eventually, he won parole but could not leave the country until peace was signed. After meeting his sister in Paris, he sailed for America.

During his career, Young was musical director for many top radio shows and was musical director for Brunswick Phonograph Co.

Related stars

Victor Young composed the music for William Dieterle's motion picture "Love Letters" (1945).

Points of interest

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    Academy Awards

    Year Category Work
    1938 Best Original Score Army Girl Nomination
    1938 Best Original Score Breaking the Ice Nomination
    1939 Best Original Score Golden Boy Nomination
    1939 Best Original Score Gulliver's Travels Nomination
    1939 Best Original Score Man of Conquest Nomination
    1939 Best Score Way Down South Nomination
    1940 Best Score Arise, My Love Nomination
    1940 Best Original Score Arizona Nomination
    1940 Best Original Score Dark Command Nomination
    1940 Best Original Score North West Mounted Police Nomination
    1941 Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture Hold Back the Dawn Nomination
    1942 Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Flying Tigers Nomination
    1942 Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Silver Queen Nomination
    1942 Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Take a Letter, Darling Nomination
    1943 Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture For Whom the Bell Tolls Nomination
    1945 Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Love Letters Nomination
    1945 Best Song "Love Letters" from Love Letters Nomination*
    1948 Best Scoring of a Musical Picture The Emperor Waltz Nomination
    1949 Best Song "My Foolish Heart" from My Foolish Heart Nomination*
    1950 Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Samson and Delilah Nomination
    1956 Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture Around the World in 80 Days Win
    1956 Best Song "Written on the Wind" from Written on the Wind Nomination*
    * A joint nomination shared with other people.

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