Collection 317-M

Warner Brothers Studios Music Collection

One of the most respected, diversified and successful motion picture and television studios in the world, Warner Bros. Studios began when the brothers Warner (Albert, Sam, Harry and Jack L.) incorporated their fledgling movie company on April 4, 1923. In 1927, the release of the world’s first “talkie,” (synchronized-sound feature film), “The Jazz Singer,” set a character and tone of innovation and influence that would become synonymous with the name Warner Bros. And--as Al Jolson foretold in this milestone movie--“you ain’t heard nothin’ yet!”

Since those early days, Warner Bros. Studios has amassed an impressive legacy based on world-class quality entertainment and technological foresight and created a diversified entertainment company with an unparalleled depth and breadth. Its unmatched consistency and success is built on a foundation of stable management throughout its history (especially by entertainment industry standards), long-term creative relationships with many of the world’s leading talent, and an unwavering dedication to excellence. Today, the vast Warner Bros. library, considered one of the most prestigious and prodigious in the world, consists of more than 6,650 feature films, 40,000 television titles and 14,000 animated titles (including over 1,500 classic animated shorts).

The collection consists of music used for silent film, including printed dance band arrangements (scores and parts), sheet music, and other published and some unpublished music; 137 boxes of sheet music, choral editions, and other published and unpublished music used as a music reference library; 47 boxes of books, mostly about music, frequently stamped with “Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Music Library”. Many of these books are signed by the authors. Many more are signed by George Schneider, Music Librarian at MGM from 1928-1956, who founded and developed the MGM Music Library, which by the late 1940’s was one of the largest music collections in the country. This great library was sent to landfill in the ‘60’s as part of what has been called the “MGM Holocaust”, the tragedy that destroyed most of the great manuscript scores composed for MGM films, triggering a great deal of film music preservation activity, including the work that has been done here at UCLA.

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