Fighting for Steiner

Abstract By 1938, Steiner was showing the strain of nonstop work. At home, the presence of his demanding father put strains on Max’s marriage. And although he scored many of Warner Bros.’ most prestigious releases—Dark Victory and the epic western Dodge City are among the works analyzed here—Steiner balked whenever he felt “demoted” and forced to score “westerns and prison pictures.” In March 1939, David O. Selznick decided that he wanted Steiner to score Gone with the Wind. In a revealing letter included in this chapter, Steiner begged Jack Warner to permit this loan-out, “to regain the prestige” he felt he had lost. In Warner’s reply—also included—the mogul praised Steiner as “the best musical composer in the industry,” while reminding him that “the public” were their “most important judges.” Indeed, many of the films Steiner disparaged are now considered classics.