Laura' composer David Raksin dies, 92
David Raksin, a film music icon best known for the famed movie song "Laura," died of heart failure on Monday at his home in Van Nuys. He was 92. Raksin was heralded as the grandfather of film music. He began his professional career in the 1930s and served as arranger for Charlie Chaplin on "Modern Times." Chaplin was able to hum the tunes but needed Raksin to write them down and do the orchestration. He went on to score such films as "Forever Amber" and Separate Tables," both of which were nominated for Academy Awards, as well as the classics "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty," "The Bad and the Beautiful," "Carrie," "Apache," "The Redeemer" and "Too Late Blues."
