Exodus

Abstract

The year 1936 would bring the most significant changes in Steiner’s life since his arrival in Hollywood. He was eager to accept an offer to be musical director at David O. Selznick’s new studio—but RKO refused to let him go. After months of intransigence on both sides, Max got his way. Steiner was thrilled to reteam with a producer who emphasized quality over quantity, with each title under Selznick’s personal supervision. For his part, Selznick knew that while his own movies were being shot, Steiner could be loaned—at considerable mark-up—to other studios. This mutually beneficial arrangement led to the happiest year of Max’s life: an Oscar-nominated score for Selznick’s The Garden of Allah; and, most fatefully from a professional perspective, a loan-out to Warner Bros., for its biggest release of 1936.