Born in London, England to German parents, the son of the composer Victor Hollaender, who composed shows in Berlin in the 1890s to 1910s. Frederick received early musical training from opera composer Engelbert Humperdinck (who composed Hänsel und Gretel). He started as repetitor at a theater in Prague, and became -- despite his classical training that should have led to a career as classical composer -- an important compser of shows and cabaret songs in Berlin in the 1920s. He started working for the UFA movie DER BLAUE ENGEL / THE BLUE ANGEL (1930) per chance, an actress wanted him as pianist for her audition for that movie - but he got the job as composer, while the role went to Marlene Dietrich. He wrote her signature song for the film, "Falling in Love Again," and accompanied her on screen. He wrote the music for and directed the Lillian Harvey movie ICH UND DIE KAISERIN / THE EMPRESS AND I (1933) in all three versions (German/Frensh/English). After the Nazis came to power in January, 1933, he immigrated via France and England to Hollywood, where he got a three months contract at Paramount. He stayed there seven years. There, he wrote songs and scores for various movies, sometimes collaborating with Leo Robin, Frank Loesser or Sam Coslow. Other notable film composing and song credits include THE CRUSADES (1935), DESIRE, RHYTHM ON THE RANGE, VALIANT IS THE WORD FOR CARRIE and ANYTHING GOES (all 1936), CHAMPAGNE WALTZ and ONE HUNDRED MEN AND A GIRL (1937), BLUEBEARD'S EIGHTH WIFE, COCOANUT GROVE, YOU AND ME (all 1938), ZAZA, MIDNIGHT, HOTEL IMPERIAL and DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (all 1939), THE FARMER'S DAUGHTER, TYPHOON, THE GREAT McGINTY and VICTORY (all 1940), HERE COMES MR. JORDAN (1941), THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, THE SPOILERS and TALK OF THE TOWN (all 1942), PRINCESS O'ROURKE (1943), PILLOW TO POST, CONFLICT and THE AFFAIRS OF SUSAN (all 1945), CINDERELLA JONES and THE TIME, THE PLACE AND THE GIRL (both 1946), BERLIN EXPRESS, A FOREIGN AFFAIR and THAT LADY IN ERMINE (all 1948), A WOMAN'S SECRET (1949), BORN YESTERDAY (1950), ANDROCLES AND THE LION (1952), THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T. (1953), IT SOULD HAPPEN TO YOU and SABRINA (both 1954) and WE'RE NO ANGELS (1955). After the decline of musicals in the mid 50s he returned in 1956 to Germany, where he continued working for shows and cabaret, this time in Munich. As composer/lyricist he retired in the 60s, but he kept writing books until the 1970s.

Nominated for Music Best Song 1937: ARTISTS AND MODELS "Whispers in the Dark" - Music    Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1942: THE TALK OF THE TOWN (w. Morris Stoloff)    Nominated for Music Best Song 1948: THAT LADY IN ERMINE "This Is the Moment" - Music    Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1953: THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T. (w. Morris Stoloff) 4 nominations