Erdody - Biography

Erdödy : Virtuoso Violinist - Composer - Arranger - Conductor - Author

Leo Wald Erdödy was a son of Franz Wald, and Katy Lane Erdody.

Born 17 December 1888, in Chicago, Illinois
Died 05 April 1949, in Los Angeles, California

Leo began playing violin at age six, studying under violinist Joseph Joachim, schooled at the Royal High School of Music in Berlin under composer Max Bruch, and attended summer classes under violinist Otakar Ševčík.
He worked in Europe for an early part of his career, but soon returned to the United States.

Living in New York City in 1921, Leo performed regularly with his Hotel Pennsylvania Orchestra, at the recently opened hotel of the same name across from Penn Station. Erdödy was also writing and recording jazz dance tunes, and releasing them through Otto K.E. Heinemann's newly formed Okeh record label.

As early as 1916, Erdödy was composing cue sheets for silent films, one such piece was entitled "A Little Song" for the film A Man and His Soul released through Metro Pictures.
Erdödy's earliest work as film composer was the 1928 film Lilac Time for First National Pictures.

He maintained an office at 165 West 48th Street at Manhattan's Music Row throughout the late 1920s.
In 1928, his residence was documented as 419 East 57th Street, Manhattan.

In 1936, Erdödy was appointed musical director with the World Broadcasting System in Hollywood, specializing in pre-recorded music on 16" transcription discs for radio stations.

Erdödy scored the film Under Fiesta Stars for Republic Pictures starring Gene Autry in 1941
In 1942, he became musical director with Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC), a small, close-knit Poverty Row film studio. He composed, arranged, and recorded many film scores for them.
In 1943, he scored several films including Jive Junction, Western Cyclone, Wild Horse Rustlers, The Boss of Big Town, Isle of Forgotten Sins and Blonde Savage.

Erdödy had a noted collaboration with motion picture director Edgar G. Ulmer, with Erdödy scoring several of the director's films, including Bluebeard, Girls in Chains, Strange Illusion, and Detour. He continued scoring films for another four years. His final film was the Sam Newfield directed Miraculous Journey.

Erdödy died of arteriosclerosis in 1949, in Los Angeles. It was noted that Erdödy's death was a "tragedy" for Ulmer.

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