AllMovie

Though with all of his uncredited work it may be nearly impossible to verify the claim that extremely prolific composer/arranger Albert Sendrey contributed to an astonishing 170 films, the fact remains that his tireless work in film and television leaves a vast legacy. Sendrey was born in Chicago and was surrounded by music in his youth; his father, Alfred, was an opera and symphony conductor/composer and his mother, Eugenia, was one of Gustav Mahler's students at the Vienna Opera. It was almost a given that Sendry would follow in his parent's footsteps, and it wasn't long before young Sendry was continuing his education at Leipzig Conservatory and London's Trinity College of Music. Sendry studied alongside such noted figures as John Barbirolli and Albert Coates, and following his education, he was signed with MGM in the 1940s. Though he would later work as a pianist and conductor for Tony Martin's legendary act, it was his composition for 1933's Remous that turned Sendrey's love of music into a lifelong career in cinema. Continuing (often uncredited) with work on numerous films well into the 1960s, one of Sendrey's most prolific works (once again uncredited) was for Fred Astaire's timeless ceiling dance in Royal Wedding (1951). In addition to his film work, television work included such efforts as Bonanza and Laramie. On May 18, 2003, Albert Sendrey died of congestive heart failure in Woodland Hills, CA. He was 91.