A few thoughts on Victor Young

Name any classic film and nine times out of ten, and one would run into the name and work of popular music's most busiest figures, Victor Young (1899 - 1956). Young was one of the first of the great film composers, writing his scores in a classical way, building the tensions more like a great musical figure would rather than short stings that would become the norm for many movies. These film scores, more than any other, would become classics themselves, their melodies often times overshadowing the screen action. That these melodies could stand on their own away from the celluloid images speaks volumes for the enormous amount of care that Victor Young put into his movies. That same care would find itself even in the popular songs he wrote, many of which have entered our lexicon of great works, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and other classic composers.

The man who wrote these melodies, Victor Young, was born on August 8, 1900, in Chicago, Illinois. His father was a tenor with the Chicago Opera (opera had always been a factor in the Windy City with many versions of an opera company appearing on the scene until the firm establishment of the Chicago Lyric Opera in 1956). Both Young and his sister were abandoned by their father and were sent to Poland to live with their grand parents. Both seemed to flourish in the pre-World War I era with Young being sent by his grandfather (who realized the boy's talent) to Warsaw to study violin) to the Warsaw Conservatory. It was here the young prodigy blossomed into a great violinist, performing first with the Warsaw Philharmonic then touring across Europe before the First World War interrupted his early career.

Young was sent back to the United States where he soon found work in the Chicago area as concertmaster of several theater orchestras as well as playing with the Ted Fio Rito orchestra. During this time, Young began learning not only how to write music but also the fine art of arranging and conducting. He moved to New York City in 1931 and began his recording career with the Brunswick Record company, serving as music director of the label and providing orchestra backings for singers such as Smith Ballew and young sensation he would be working with later on for many years - Bing Crosby. It was also during this period that Victor Young began writing his immortal classic songs. Songs such as "Sweet Sue" (published in 1928) would serve as his springboard into the world of song writing for the next thirty years. "Stella By Starlight," "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance," "My Foolish Heart," "Street of Dreams," "When I Fall in Love," and "Love Letters" would make Victor Young a house hold name with music lovers everywhere.

At the same time as he began writing songs, Victor Young also began writing for the films in 1933, his first film being "Murder at the Vanities," which ticked off Will Hays, the head of the burgeoning sensor movement in films for the lurid interracial romance storyline, nude dancers and double entendres and songs such as "Sweet Marihuana."

Decca Records was being reformed in 1935 and needed a music director which the label's founder Jack Kapp found in Victor Young. It was a professional relationship that would last for the rest of Victor Young's life and would lead him to be the house arranger for the label. At the same time, Young began working in the radio industry, serving as music director for several high profile programs such as opera singer John Charles Thomas' beloved Sunday program. He also continued to work in several other venues including performing live with his orchestra at Grauman's Chinese Theater while writing and arranging film scores for Paramount and Decca Records. Gradually, film work began taking over his activities with his first major break coming with a Western in 1937 named "Wells Fargo." Two years later, Young would win an Oscar for his score to "Golden Boy" starring William Holden and Barbara Stanwyck. Young went on twenty more times as a nominated film composer, the Academy awarding him posthumously in 1956 for his stupendous score to Michael Todd's "Around the World in 80 Days" which starred everyone in Hollywood in cameos.

Those who worked with Victor Young in his many varied careers as music director of an important record label, performing musician, song writer, film composer and recording artist called him a work-aholic, his affairs being maniacally planned in a frenzy of activity. That he could compartmentalize these aspects of his life is nothing short of a miracle. Physically he was a short, stocky fellow who, according to Jack Lawrence, "looked more like a gangster from Chicago" with a cigar always clamped in his mouth. Yet he had a warm, gentle side to his nature that his looks may have hidden. It should be mentioned that Decca had wanted to market Victor Young as an easy listening musician, writing arrangements and original compositions of which shined like a new penny. He used the piano prolifically in these recording projects, never settling for anyone better than his friend Harry Sukman, a composer and artist of great stature in the music industry.

When Victor Young passed away in 1956 from a cerebral hemorrhage while working on his score for "China gate," the world lost a wonderfully gifted, fine musician overall. As a film composer, there never has been anyone greater than Victor Young whose film works continue to stand apart from their original sources and entertain thousands of music lovers to this very day, a sure sign of a successful all-around human being.