Constantin Bakaleinikoff


Constantin Romanovich Bakaleinikov was a Russian-born composer.

Life and career

Bakaleinikoff was from a large musical family. His brothers were Nikolai Bakaleinikov, Vladimir Bakaleinikov, and Mikhail Bakaleinikoff. He studied at the Moscow Conservatory. Following the Russian revolution he migrated to the United States of America with his brother Mischa. Constantin Bakaleinikoff worked as a conductor for the Los Angeles Philharmonic before beginning his Hollywood career as a freelance composer. At the 1927 premiere of Director Cecil B. DeMille's The King of Kings at Hollywood's famed Grauman's Chinese Theater, which was hosted by D.W. Griffith and speakers DeMille and Mary Pickford, the audience was treated to a concert of film music "classics" conducted by Constantin Bakaleinikoff.
With the arrival of sound, the Bakaleinikoff brothers became studio maestros. Mischa joined Columbia Pictures, while Constantin became a musical director at Paramount Pictures, followed by MGM. Constantin also worked briefly at Columbia, and later for independent Grand National Pictures.
In 1935, Bakaleinikoff participated in making the earliest dance film, Spring Night. He conducted Joseph Achron's score for this first experimental ballet film, which featured the choreography and dancing of David Lichine, who had danced with Colonel de Basil's Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Nana Gollner, the Texas-born ballerina, was his partner. This pioneering film, which emerged from the Diaghilev sphere of influence, was produced by Adolf Zuckor. The camera work was by George Clemens, who went on to do the cinematography for the Twilight Zone and other popular television shows.
He received his first Academy Award nomination for scoring the James Cagney feature, Something to Sing About.
Later, Bakaleinikoff became the senior music director at RKO Radio Pictures, where he spent most of his motion picture career. He earned Academy Award nominations for his work on The Fallen Sparrow, Higher and Higher, and None But the Lonely Heart. For Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious, starring Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman, he conducted the original score by composer Roy Webb, one that complements the director's elements of suspense and danger throughout the film.
Constantin Bakaleinikoff, who was always billed as "C. Bakaleinikoff," appeared on camera as himself in RKO's backstage musical Ding Dong Williams.
He remained at RKO until the studio folded in 1956. He was married to silent film actress Fritzi Ridgeway.
He donated his time and talent in the late 1950s in mentoring and conducting the Burbank Youth Symphony.
He is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park.

Soundtracks