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Ray Heindorf

Ray Heindorf

Composer · Died February 3, 1980, aged 71 · Haverstraw, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Ray Heindorf (August 25, 1908 – February 3, 1980) was an American songwriter, composer, conductor, and arranger. Born in Haverstraw, New York, Heindorf worked as a pianist in a movie house in Mechanicville in his early teens. In 1928, he moved to New York City, where he worked as a musical arranger before heading to Hollywood. He gained his first job as an orchestrator at MGM, where he worked on Hollywood Revue of 1929, and subsequently went on the road playing piano for Lupe Vélez. After completing this engagement, he joined Warner Bros., composing and/or arranging and conducting music exclusively for the studio for nearly forty years. Heindorf, along with Georgie Stoll at MGM, were jazz aficionados well known in the black entertainment community for employing minority musicians in their studio music departments. He undertook the musical direction of Judy Garland's comeback film A Star is Born (1954) and made a cameo appearance as himself in the premiere party sequence where Jack Carson's character congratulates him on a great score. Among Heindorf's other screen credits are 42nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1935, The Great Lie, Knute Rockne All American, Kings Row, Night and Day, Tea for Two, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Jazz Singer, No Time for Sergeants, The Helen Morgan Story, Marjorie Morningstar, Damn Yankees, Auntie Mame, Finian's Rainbow, and his final musical for Jack L. Warner, 1776. Between 1943 and 1969 he was nominated for eighteen Academy Awards, 17 nominations for Best Score and 1 nomination for Best Song. Heindorf won three, in the category of Best Score of a Musical, for Yankee Doodle Dandy, This is the Army, and The Music Man. His wins for the former two films made him the first to accomplish consecutive wins in a musical category. Heindorf died in Tarzana, California, aged 71, and reputedly was buried with his favorite conducting baton.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 25, 1908
Died
February 3, 1980 (aged 71)
From
Haverstraw, New York, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
80 on MovieCove · 110 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 6% in 30 days

What are Ray Heindorf's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 46th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama8 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 48th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Biography4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
36%
Bonds
30%
Morality
11%
Society
9%
Survival
8%
Power
5%
Romantic love11 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition11 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief5 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeAddiction2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 18 · Serious 4 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 9 · Stylized 15 · Heightened 3

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 12 · Charged 12 · Intense 3

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 16 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 10 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 5

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 15 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 1

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 24 · Engaged 3 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
11
Romantic
15
Melancholic
13
Tense
7
Warm
5
Other
19

How their films linger

Feel-good16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy16
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ray Heindorf's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 27 of their 80 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (16).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ray Heindorf's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

110 credits, 80 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • 1776(1972)

    Conductor · Music Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobra (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1971)

    Composer

  • Finian's Rainbow(1968)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Adam-12(1968)

    Show 3 episodes · Music Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • -30-(1959)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Young Philadelphians(1959)

    Music Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Up Periscope(1959)

    Music Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • No Time for Sergeants(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Damn Yankees(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Helen Morgan Story(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The D.I.(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Pajama Game(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Miracle in the Rain(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Serenade(1956)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Sincerely Yours(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Pete Kelly's Blues(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Young at Heart(1954)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • A Star Is Born(1954)

    Composer · Music Director · as Movie Premiere Attendee (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Lucky Me(1954)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Three Sailors and a Girl(1953)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Calamity Jane(1953)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Blowing Wild(1953)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • By the Light of the Silvery Moon(1953)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • I Confess(1953)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • April in Paris(1952)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all films

  • Where's Charley? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • The Big Trees(1952)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Stop, You're Killing Me(1952)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • The Jazz Singer(1952)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films

  • I'll See You in My Dreams(1951)

    Composer · Music Director · as Orchestra Leader at Kahn Benefit (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Come Fill the Cup(1951)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • A Streetcar Named Desire(1951)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Strangers on a Train(1951)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Goodbye, My Fancy(1951)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Lullaby of Broadway(1951)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Storm Warning(1950)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The West Point Story(1950)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Tea for Two(1950)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • The Damned Don't Cry(1950)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Music Director

  • Young Man with a Horn(1950)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Backfire(1950)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • It's a Great Feeling(1949)

    Composer · as Ray Heindorf (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Adventures of Don Juan(1948)

    Music Supervisor

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Romance on the High Seas(1948)

    Conductor · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • April Showers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Composer

  • My Wild Irish Rose (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Composer

  • Love and Learn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Music Arranger

  • The Man I Love(1946)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Cinderella Jones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Orchestrator

  • Rhapsody in Blue(1945)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Wonder Man(1945)

    Conductor · Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Up in Arms(1944)

    Conductor · Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Thank Your Lucky Stars(1943)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • The Hard Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Music Arranger

  • Gentleman Jim(1942)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Yankee Doodle Dandy(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Male Animal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Orchestrator

  • Affectionately Yours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Orchestrator

  • The Great Lie(1941)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Sea Wolf(1941)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Strawberry Blonde(1941)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Flight from Destiny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Music Arranger

  • Honeymoon for Three (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Orchestrator

  • Four Mothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Orchestrator

  • Knute Rockne All American(1940)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Man Who Talked Too Much (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Orchestrator

  • My Love Came Back(1940)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Castle on the Hudson(1940)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • Invisible Stripes(1939)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Four Wives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Orchestrator

  • The Roaring Twenties(1939)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Angels Wash Their Faces(1939)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Daughters Courageous(1939)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Naughty But Nice(1939)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Boy Meets Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer

  • Men Are Such Fools(1938)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Gold Diggers in Paris(1938)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Hotel(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Ready, Willing and Able(1937)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • Varsity Show(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Stage Struck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Music Arranger

  • The Singing Kid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Music Arranger

  • Colleen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Music Arranger

  • Dangerous (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Composer

  • Broadway Gondolier (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Music Arranger

  • Alibi Ike (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Orchestrator

  • Go Into Your Dance(1935)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Gold Diggers of 1935(1935)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • Sweet Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    Music Arranger

  • Murder in the Clouds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Flirtation Walk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Music Arranger

  • A Lost Lady(1934)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Desirable (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • Bulldog Drummond Strikes Back(1934)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Fashions of 1934(1934)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Hi, Nellie(1934)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • The Kennel Murder Case(1933)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Footlight Parade(1933)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Gold Diggers of 1933(1933)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Picture Snatcher(1933)

    Additional Music

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Secrets(1933)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • 42nd Street(1933)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Hallelujah, I'm a Bum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Orchestrator

  • Central Park (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • Three on a Match(1932)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Big City Blues (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • Crooner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1932)

    Composer

  • The Greeks Had a Word for Them(1932)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Arrowsmith(1931)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 103 titles from 1931 to 1972.

Biggest box office

A Star Is Born (1954)

$4.4M worldwide

Highest rated

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

A Star Is Born (1954)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting3 of 103: 0 only acting, 3 with another roleMusic35 of 103: 30 only music, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score56thOther crew72 of 103: 66 only other crew, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score71st

103 titles, 7 with more than one role — other crew and music overlap on 4 of them.

By decade

1930s39 · crew1940s27 · 1 acting · 27 crew1950s33 · 2 acting · 33 crew1960s2 · crew1970s2 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Ray Heindorf's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 79; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

48thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

39thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 80 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up31
  • 50th to 74th28
  • 25th to 49th19
  • Below 25th2

Shape of the crowd

47 of their 80 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser47
  • Broadly Agreed10
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · composer

Sincerely Yours (1955)

71st percentile spread · 31% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

The Roaring Twenties (1939)

Midcredits 97th · 88% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 70/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 51. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Ray Heindorf work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ray Heindorf's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Howard Jackson shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers