Deutsch, Adolph, 1897-1980

Adolph Deutsch was a composer and arranger for Paul Whiteman's band and for many motion pictures, including "The Maltese Falcon" and "The Apartment". He was born in London and emigrated to the United States in 1910. He began his musical career in New York and spent three seasons with Paul Whiteman's Music Hall before moving to California. He scored more than seventy-five films and won three Academy Awards. He was the founder of the Screen Composers Association, which enhanced the status of film composers. He won recognition for this work from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.

Adolph Deutsch (1897-1980) was a composer and arranger for Paul Whiteman and for many motion pictures, including The Maltese Falcon and The Apartment. He was born in London and emigrated to the United States in 1910. He began his musical career in New York and spent three seasons with Paul Whiteman’s Music Hall before moving to California. He scored more than seventy-five films and won three Academy Awards. He was the founder of the Screen Composers Association and won recognition for it from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, which enhanced the status of film composers.

Deutsch’s musical style was described as “bold, complex, and rich,” but he never lost sight of the supporting role his music played. He tried to act as a medium between the director and the audience by conveying the movie-maker’s intentions. He felt that the quality of the movie directly affected his job, a poor quality movie making for a difficult score. Deutsch gained a reputation in Hollywood for the ability to make dramatic clichés seem fresh by the music he laid under them.