Alexandre Tansman
Composer
Virtuoso Polish-French pianist and neoclassical composer who was encouraged early on by Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel.
He studied music at the Łódź Conservatory and law at the University of Warsaw.
He composed the music for 'Flesh and Fantasy,' starring Barbara Stanwyck, and 'Paris Underground,' starring Constance Bennett and Gracie Fields, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score.
He was born into a wealthy Jewish family in Poland. His father passed away when Tansman was young.
He was able to escape Europe as Hitler's tyranny widened thanks to Charlie Chaplin, who managed to secure him a visa.