Roy Webb

Biography

Roy Webb (né Royden Denslow Webb; October 3, 1888 – December 10, 1982) was an American film music composer. Webb has hundreds of film music credits to his name, mainly with RKO Pictures. He is best known for film noir and horror film scores, in particular for the films of Val Lewton. Born in Manhattan, New York, Webb orchestrated and conducted for the Broadway stage, before moving to Hollywood in the late 1920s to work as music director for Radio Pictures, later RKO Pictures. He remained at RKO until 1955, then worked freelance for several years, including scoring several episodes of Wagon Train. Webb is credited as composer or arranger on more than 200 films, and received Academy Award nominations for Quality Street (1937), My Favorite Wife (1940), I Married a Witch (1942), Joan of Paris (1942), The Fallen Sparrow (1943), The Fighting Seabees (1944), and The Enchanted Cottage (1945). His piano concerto from The Enchanted Cottage was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Constantin Bakaleinikoff, in concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1945. In 1961, a house fire destroyed Webb's manuscripts including film scores and unpublished concert music, after which Webb ceased composing. Webb died in 1982 from a heart attack at the age of 94. An alumnus of Columbia University, Webb wrote the fight song “Roar, Lion, Roar” for his alma mater in 1925. Several cues composed by Webb were used in the newsreel montage of Kane's life in Citizen Kane. Several cues composed by Webb replaced those by Bernard Herrmann in The Magnificent Ambersons after the film was re-edited. Webb also composed several cues (uncredited) for This is Cinerama, the first Cinerama production in 1952. The Christopher Palmer Collection of Roy Webb Scores is held at Syracuse University, New York.

Most Famous Work

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8

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Notorious

(1946) Original Music Composer

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7

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Marty

(1955) Original Music Composer

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8

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Bringing Up Baby

(1938) Music

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7

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I Married a Witch

(1942) Original Music Composer

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7

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Mr. Lucky

(1943) Original Music Composer

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8

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Out of the Past

(1947) Original Music Composer

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6

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Mighty Joe Young

(1949) Original Music Composer

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6

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Action in Arabia

(1944) Original Music Composer

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Acting

Sound

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1972	Sound	The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here! 1972-02-01 Movie
1958	Original Music Composer	Teacher's Pet 1958-04-01 Movie
1957	Original Music Composer	Shoot-Out At Medicine Bend 1957-05-04 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Top Secret Affair 1957-01-30 Movie
1956	Original Music Composer	The Girl He Left Behind 1956-10-26 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Search for Bridey Murphy 1956-10-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The First Texan 1956-06-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Our Miss Brooks 1956-04-24 Movie
1955	Original Music Composer	Blood Alley 1955-10-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bengazi 1955-09-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Kentuckian 1955-07-22 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Sea Chase 1955-06-04 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Marty 1955-04-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Underwater! 1955-02-09 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Americano 1955-01-19 Movie
1954	Original Music Composer	Track of the Cat 1954-11-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Raid 1954-08-04 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Dangerous Mission 1954-03-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	She Couldn't Say No 1954-02-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Alaska Seas 1954-01-27 Movie
1953	Original Music Composer	Second Chance 1953-07-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Houdini 1953-07-02 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Affair with a Stranger 1953-06-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Split Second 1953-05-02 Movie
1952	Original Music Composer	The Lusty Men 1952-10-24 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Clash by Night 1952-05-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	At Sword's Point 1952-04-22 Movie
1951	Original Music Composer	Fixed Bayonets! 1951-11-21 Movie
	Music	Flying Leathernecks 1951-08-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Hard, Fast and Beautiful 1951-05-23 Movie
1950	Original Music Composer	Gambling House 1950-12-27 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Vendetta 1950-12-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Where Danger Lives 1950-11-16 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Branded 1950-11-03 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The White Tower 1950-06-24 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Secret Fury 1950-02-21 Movie
1949	Original Music Composer	Holiday Affair 1949-12-12 Movie
	Music	A Dangerous Profession 1949-12-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	My Friend Irma 1949-10-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Easy Living 1949-10-08 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Make Mine Laughs 1949-08-03 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Mighty Joe Young 1949-07-27 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Roughshod 1949-05-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Window 1949-05-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bad Men of Tombstone 1949-01-21 Movie
1948	Original Music Composer	Blood on the Moon 1948-11-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Rachel and the Stranger 1948-09-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Race Street 1948-09-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	I Remember Mama 1948-03-09 Movie
1947	Original Music Composer	Out of the Past 1947-11-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Magic Town 1947-10-07 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Crossfire 1947-08-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	They Won't Believe Me 1947-07-16 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Riff-Raff 1947-06-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Easy Come, Easy Go 1947-03-07 Movie
	Music	The Devil Thumbs a Ride 1947-02-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Perfect Marriage 1947-01-24 Movie
1946	Original Music Composer	The Locket 1946-12-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Notorious 1946-08-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Well Groomed Bride 1946-05-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Without Reservations 1946-05-13 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bedlam 1946-05-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Badman's Territory 1946-05-04 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Spiral Staircase 1946-02-06 Movie
1945	Original Music Composer	Dick Tracy 1945-12-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Cornered 1945-11-23 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Sing Your Way Home 1945-11-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Love, Honor and Goodbye 1945-09-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Those Endearing Young Charms 1945-06-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Body Snatcher 1945-05-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Enchanted Cottage 1945-04-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Betrayal from the East 1945-04-24 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Two O'Clock Courage 1945-04-13 Movie
1944	Original Music Composer	Experiment Perilous 1944-12-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Murder, My Sweet 1944-12-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Rainbow Island 1944-10-05 Movie
	Music	Tall in the Saddle 1944-09-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Master Race 1944-09-22 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bride by Mistake 1944-07-26 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Seventh Cross 1944-07-24 Movie
	Music	Marine Raiders 1944-07-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Curse of the Cat People 1944-04-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Falcon Out West 1944-03-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Action in Arabia 1944-02-18 Movie
1943	Original Music Composer	The Ghost Ship 1943-12-16 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Gangway for Tomorrow 1943-11-03 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Seventh Victim 1943-08-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Fallen Sparrow 1943-08-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	A Lady Takes a Chance 1943-08-19 Movie
	Music	Behind the Rising Sun 1943-08-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Falcon in Danger 1943-07-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Petticoat Larceny 1943-07-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Mr. Lucky 1943-07-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bombardier 1943-05-14 Movie
	Music	I Walked with a Zombie 1943-04-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Flight for Freedom 1943-04-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Ladies' Day 1943-04-09 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Falcon Strikes Back 1943-04-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Journey into Fear 1943-01-07 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Hitler's Children 1943-01-06 Movie
1942	Original Music Composer	Cat People 1942-12-05 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Seven Miles from Alcatraz 1942-11-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	I Married a Witch 1942-10-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Navy Comes Through 1942-10-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Here We Go Again 1942-10-09 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Falcon's Brother 1942-10-02 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bandit Ranger 1942-09-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Big Street 1942-08-13 Movie
	Original Music Composer	My Favorite Spy 1942-06-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Falcon Takes Over 1942-05-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Obliging Young Lady 1942-04-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Joan of Paris 1942-01-20 Movie
1941	Original Music Composer	Weekend for Three 1941-12-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Look Who's Laughing 1941-11-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Bandit Trail 1941-10-10 Movie
	Music Director	Father Takes a Wife 1941-10-03 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Parachute Battalion 1941-09-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Tom, Dick and Harry 1941-06-13 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Saint's Vacation 1941-05-09 Movie
	Music Director	The Devil and Miss Jones 1941-04-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	A Girl, a Guy, and a Gob 1941-03-14 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Saint In Palm Springs 1941-01-24 Movie
1940	Original Music Composer	Kitty Foyle 1940-12-27 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Mexican Spitfire Out West 1940-10-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	I'm Still Alive 1940-09-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Stranger on the Third Floor 1940-08-16 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Stage to Chino 1940-07-26 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Millionaires in Prison 1940-07-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	A Bill of Divorcement 1940-05-31 Movie
	Original Music Composer	You Can't Fool Your Wife 1940-05-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	My Favorite Wife 1940-05-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Irene 1940-04-23 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Curtain Call 1940-04-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bullet Code 1940-04-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Abe Lincoln in Illinois 1940-02-22 Movie
1939	Original Music Composer	That's Right – You're Wrong 1939-11-24 Movie
	Music Director	Sued for Libel 1939-10-27 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bad Lands 1939-08-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	In Name Only 1939-08-18 Movie
	Music	The Fighting Gringo 1939-08-08 Movie
	Music	The Spellbinder 1939-07-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bachelor Mother 1939-06-30 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Timber Stampede 1939-06-29 Movie
	Music Director	Timber Stampede 1939-06-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Five Came Back 1939-06-23 Movie
	Music Director	Racketeers of the Range 1939-05-26 Movie
	Music	Panama Lady 1939-05-12 Movie
	Music Director	Panama Lady 1939-05-12 Movie
	Music Director	The Rookie Cop 1939-04-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Love Affair 1939-04-07 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Trouble in Sundown 1939-03-23 Movie
	Music Director	Trouble in Sundown 1939-03-23 Movie
	Music Director	The Saint Strikes Back 1939-03-08 Movie
	Music Director	Twelve Crowded Hours 1939-02-23 Movie
1938	Music Director	The Law West of Tombstone 1938-11-18 Movie
	Music	Lawless Valley 1938-11-03 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Mad Miss Manton 1938-10-21 Movie
	Original Music Composer	A Man to Remember 1938-10-14 Movie
	Music Director	The Affairs of Annabel 1938-09-09 Movie
	Music Director	Having Wonderful Time 1938-07-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Blond Cheat 1938-06-17 Movie
	Music Director	Blond Cheat 1938-06-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Saint in New York 1938-05-25 Movie
	Music Director	Vivacious Lady 1938-05-13 Movie
	Music Director	Go Chase Yourself 1938-04-22 Movie
	Music	Condemned Women 1938-03-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bringing Up Baby 1938-02-18 Movie
	Music Director	Bringing Up Baby 1938-02-18 Movie
	Music	Bringing Up Baby 1938-02-18 Movie
1937	Original Music Composer	Living on Love 1937-11-12 Movie
	Original Music Composer	High Flyers 1937-11-07 Movie
	Music Director	Stage Door 1937-10-08 Movie
	Music Director	New Faces of 1937 1937-07-02 Movie
	Original Music Composer	You Can't Buy Luck 1937-04-30 Movie
	Music Supervisor	The Outcasts of Poker Flat 1937-04-16 Movie
	Music Director	The Woman I Love 1937-04-15 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Quality Street 1937-03-26 Movie
	Music Director	Sea Devils 1937-02-19 Movie
	Original Music Composer	We're on the Jury 1937-02-12 Movie
1936	Original Music Composer	The Plough and the Stars 1936-12-26 Movie
	Music	A Woman Rebels 1936-11-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Last of the Mohicans 1936-07-02 Movie
	Music Director	Bunker Bean 1936-06-26 Movie
	Music Director	The Ex-Mrs. Bradford 1936-04-24 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Ex-Mrs. Bradford 1936-04-24 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Silly Billies 1936-03-20 Movie
	Music Director	The Lady Consents 1936-02-07 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Chatterbox 1936-01-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Two in the Dark 1936-01-10 Movie
1935	Original Music Composer	Sylvia Scarlett 1935-12-25 Movie
	Music Director	Sylvia Scarlett 1935-12-25 Movie
	Music	The Rainmakers 1935-10-25 Movie
	Music	The Last Days of Pompeii 1935-10-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Alice Adams 1935-08-23 Movie
	Music Director	Becky Sharp 1935-06-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Arizonian 1935-06-27 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Nitwits 1935-06-07 Movie
1934	Original Music Composer	By Your Leave 1934-11-09 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Kentucky Kernels 1934-11-02 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Down to Their Last Yacht 1934-08-31 Movie
	Music Director	La Cucaracha 1934-08-31 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Let's Try Again 1934-07-06 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Cockeyed Cavaliers 1934-06-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Strictly Dynamite 1934-05-11 Movie
	Original Music Composer	This Man Is Mine 1934-04-13 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Hips, Hips, Hooray! 1934-02-02 Movie
1933	Original Music Composer	If I Were Free 1933-12-01 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Right To Romance 1933-11-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Aggie Appleby, Maker of Men 1933-10-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Ann Vickers 1933-09-26 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Blind Adventure 1933-08-18 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Bed of Roses 1933-06-29 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Emergency Call 1933-06-24 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Diplomaniacs 1933-04-28 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Our Betters 1933-03-17 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Topaze 1933-02-24 Movie
1930	Music Director	The Life of the Party 1930-10-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Conspiracy 1930-08-10 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Shooting Straight 1930-07-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Inside the Lines 1930-07-05 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Alias French Gertie 1930-04-20 Movie
	Original Music Composer	Girl of the Port 1930-02-02 Movie
1929	Original Music Composer	Seven Keys to Baldpate 1929-12-25 Movie
	Original Music Composer	The Delightful Rogue 1929-09-21 Movie
	Orchestrator	Rio Rita 1929-09-15 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Crew

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1959	Additional Music	Return of the Fly 1959-07-01 Movie
1951	Additional Music	The Blue Veil 1951-10-26 Movie
1945	Additional Music	The Brighton Strangler 1945-05-10 Movie
1942	Additional Music	The Falcon Takes Over 1942-05-29 Movie
1937	Additional Music	Breakfast for Two 1937-10-22 Movie
	Additional Music	The Woman I Love 1937-04-15 Movie
1932	Additional Music	Lady with a Past 1932-02-19 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv

Directing

Year	Role	Movie/Tv
1920	Assistant Director	The Fear Market 1920-01-25 Movie
Year	Role	Movie/Tv