Ralph Benatzky

Injured while serving in the military, Benatzky abandoned that path to earn a doctorate in German philology and train in music under Mottl. Song lyrics soon occupied his attention; he also worked as a conductor in Munich and later directed a cabaret in Vienna, supplying songs and lyrics there for Josma Selim, who became his wife. His output for the stage included several operettas, among them the revue-style works Casanova and Im weissen Rössl (White Horse Inn). Apart from theatrical pieces, Benatzky created numerous film scores and more than 5000 songs.