(l.) w. songwriter Harry Warren

Born in St. Louis, Missouri. Leo Forbstein began as a violin player at the age of 4. While conducting at the Royal Theater in St. Joseph, Mo., he pioneered and introduced the synchronization of the orchestra with the silent action on the movie screen. He moved to Hollywood in the mid 1920's where he directed a symphony orchestra at Grauman's Egyptian Theater. He signed as head of the Warner Brothers music department and director of the Vitaphone Orchestra in 1926. Forbstein was nominated for 3 Academy Awards for Best Score: 1936's ANTHONY ADVERSE and THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE, and 1937's THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA. He took home the Oscar for his work in ANTHONY ADVERSE. The Internet Movie Database lists a 1935 nomination with Erich Wolfgang Korngold for Best Score for CAPTAIN BLOOD, but there is nothing to confirm that alleged nomination. He was working on the score for the 1948 Academy Awards show when he suffered a heart attack. A radio tribute in his honor aired April 25, 1958 on radio station KFWB. Paying tribute were: Eddie Cantor, Danny Kaye, Doris Day, Al Jolson, Dinah Shore, Johnny Mercer, Frances Langford, Gordon McRae, Rudy Vallee, Max Steiner and an orchestra of 96 pieces. A personal tribute was also delivered by Jack L. Warner.  Music Scoring Awards (Best Score) 1936: ANTHONY ADVERSE - as head of department (Erich Wolfgang Korngold -- Score)  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score) 1936: THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE - as head of department (Max Steiner -- Score)  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score) 1937: THE LIFE OF EMILE ZOLA - as head of department (Max Steiner -- Score) 3 nominations, 1 Award