Bronislaw Kaper was a Polish-born composer who became one of Hollywood's most successful film composers while also writing enduring jazz standards. Born in Warsaw in 1902, he studied classical music before emigrating to the United States and joining MGM in the 1930s. Kaper composed over 200 film and television scores across four decades, initially writing popular songs for musicals before transitioning to full background scores around 1940. His most significant contributions to the jazz repertoire came through film themes that transcended their cinematic origins: "On Green Dolphin Street" from the 1947 film of the same name and "Invitation," written in 1952 with lyricist Paul Francis Webster, both became widely performed standards. He also wrote "While My Lady Sleeps" and collaborated with lyricist Gus Kahn on songs for Marx Brothers films. His gift for memorable melody and sophisticated harmony made his film themes particularly suited to jazz interpretation. Kaper died in Beverly Hills in 1983.
