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Charles Previn

Charles Previn

Composer · Died September 21, 1973, aged 85 · Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Charles Previn (January 11, 1888 - September 21, 1973) was an American film composer who was highly active at Universal in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s. Before going to Hollywood, Previn had arranged music for over 100 Broadway productions. Previn was born in Brooklyn. He was the great-uncle of German-born composer, pianist, conductor André Previn and TV and film director Steve Previn (brothers). He graduated from Brooklyn High School and obtained a bachelor's degree from Cornell University in 1910. He obtained a master's degree from New York College of Music. From 1936 to 1944, Previn was musical director at Universal, overseeing everything from horror pictures to Arabian Nights fantasies. He began working at other studios after 1944 and retired in 1953. He died in Los Angeles, aged 85. He won an Oscar for Best Score in 1937 for One Hundred Men and a Girl. He was nominated for six other Oscars between 1938 and 1944.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
January 11, 1888
Died
September 21, 1973 (aged 85)
From
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Composer
Titles
52 on MovieCove · 84 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 38 days to Oct 27Up 25% in 30 days

What are Charles Previn's films like?

Across their 9 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
33%
Morality
18%
Self
13%
Society
10%
Ideas
10%
Survival
9%
Power
7%
Romantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 9 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 6 · Serious 1 · Dark 2

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

Grounded 3 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

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

A split, not a type: Gentle 5 · Charged 3 · Intense 1

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

Steady 8 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

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

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 4

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

Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0

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

Casual 7 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

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

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
5
Absurd
3
Dread
2
Tense
3
Romantic
3
Other
6

How their films linger

Feel-good6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet2
  • Tragic1

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 Charles Previn's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 14 of their 52 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Charles Previn'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

84 credits, 52 with a MovieCove page.

  • The Black Castle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • Winchester '73(1950)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • That Midnight Kiss (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Composer

  • Hollow Triumph(1948)

    Conductor

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Green Dolphin Street(1947)

    Conductor

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • And Then There Were None(1945)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Jungle Captive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Composer

  • The Mummy's Curse(1944)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • House of Frankenstein(1944)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Three Is a Family(1944)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Mummy's Ghost(1944)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 22nd percentile of all films

  • Song of the Open Road(1944)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • This Is the Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Music Director

  • Crazy House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Music Director

  • We've Never Been Licked (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Music Director

  • All by Myself (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Music Director

  • Captive Wild Woman(1943)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Hit the Ice(1943)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • White Savage(1943)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • It Ain't Hay(1943)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Shadow of a Doubt(1943)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Son of Dracula(1943)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Arabian Nights(1942)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon(1942)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all films

  • Behind the Eight Ball (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Music Director

  • Nightmare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Music Director

  • Who Done It? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Composer · Music Director

  • The Mummy's Tomb(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Get Hep to Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Composer

  • Pardon My Sarong (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Music Director

  • Lady in a Jam(1942)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Spoilers(1942)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Saboteur(1942)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all films

  • The Ghost of Frankenstein(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • The Wolf Man(1941)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Ride 'Em Cowboy(1942)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • South of Tahiti (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Music Director

  • Moonlight in Hawaii (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Music Director

  • It Started with Eve(1941)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Hold That Ghost(1941)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • The Flame of New Orleans(1941)

    Songs

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Riders of Death Valley(1941)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • In the Navy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Music Director

  • The Black Cat(1941)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Horror Island(1941)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • Man Made Monster(1941)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Nice Girl? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    Music Director

  • Never Give a Sucker an Even Break(1941)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Woman(1940)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films

  • The Bank Dick(1940)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • One Night in the Tropics(1940)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Hired Wife (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Music Director

  • International Revels (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Sound

  • It's a Date (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Music Director

  • My Little Chickadee(1940)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Green Hell(1940)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • The Invisible Man Returns(1940)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Destry Rides Again(1939)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Tower of London(1939)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • First Love (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Composer

  • Rio (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Music Director

  • The Witness Vanishes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Music Director

  • When Tomorrow Comes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Music Director

  • The Sun Never Sets(1939)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Ex-Champ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Music Director

  • Three Smart Girls Grow Up(1939)

    as Conductor

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Society Smugglers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Composer

  • Son of Frankenstein(1939)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Phantom Creeps(1939)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Danger on the Air (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Music Director

  • Young Fugitives(1938)

    Music Director

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Rage of Paris(1938)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Wives Under Suspicion(1938)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all films

  • State Police (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer · Music Director

  • Mad About Music (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer

  • Midnight Intruder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Music Director

  • The Jury's Secret (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Music Director

  • One Hundred Men and a Girl(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Night Key(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Mighty Treve (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer · Music Director

  • Four Days Wonder (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • The Luckiest Girl in the World(1936)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • My Man Godfrey(1936)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Postal Inspector(1936)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

Career shape

A full career of 81 titles from 1936 to 1952.

Biggest box office

The Wolf Man (1941)

$1.7K worldwide

Highest rated

My Man Godfrey (1936)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

The Wolf Man (1941)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 81: 1 only acting, 0 with another roleMusic32 of 81: 23 only music, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score47thOther crew57 of 81: 48 only other crew, 9 with another role · typical Midcredits score63rd

81 titles, 9 with more than one role — other crew and music overlap on 9 of them.

By decade

1930s26 · 1 acting · 25 crew1940s53 · crew1950s2 · 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 Charles Previn's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 59th percentile, the median of all 52; across their 9 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 68th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Reach · how many have seen their films

54thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 9

Midcredits score across 52 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up13
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th15
  • Below 25th8

Shape of the crowd

26 of their 52 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Crowd Pleaser26
  • Broadly Agreed10
  • Mixed10

Most divisive · composer

The Luckiest Girl in the World (1936)

82nd percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · composer

My Man Godfrey (1936)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 64/100 in their films, across 7 reviewed titles; fans 67, detractors 47. 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.

Is Charles Previn's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 0 · minimalMedian of all films: 32
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 33 · mildMedian of all films: 33

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Charles Previn work with?

People who share at least 2 of Charles Previn's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank Skinner shares the most, 6.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers

Mixed roles