Born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary (now Austria). A graduate of the Academy of Music of Vienna, he was music director at that city's Volksoper and later at the State Opera in Berlin. He entered films as composer-conductor for UFA in 1929. In the US from 1937, he scored or orchestrated some 150 films for Universal in the following three decades, earning four Academy Award nominations on his own.  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1942: IT STARTED WITH EVE (w. Charles Previn)  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1943: THE AMAZING MRS. HOLLIDAY (w. Frank Skinner)  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1944: CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1944: THE MERRY MONAHANS  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1945: THIS LOVE OF OURS  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1945: CAN'T HELP SINGING 6 nominations