Gus Arnheim (Philadelphia, 1897 - september 4, Los Angeles January 19, 1955) was an American bandleader, pianist and composer who was popular in the 1920s and 1930s. He was co-composer of the standard "I Cried For You" and played a role in the early years of Bing Crosby.
Arnheim grew up in Chicago. He accompanied Sophie Tucker vaudevilleartist and played in 1919 at the Sunset Inn in Santa Monica with two later become famous band leaders, Abe Lyman (drums) and Henry Halstead (violin). Gus Arnheim played piano itself. At one point put Lyman a dance Orchestra, of which Arnheim was the pianist. In 1923 wrote Lyman, Arnheim and Arthur Freed the hit "I Cried For You", a song over the years by numerous pop and jazz musicians is included. Around 1927 left the band to a group of Lyman Arnheim starting, with which he toured in Europe. With the Orchestra until 1931 he had a solid game in the famous Coconut Grove at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Two short films were made during that period. In 1930, the Orchestra was expanded with the singing trio 'The Rhythm Boys', consisting of Bing Crosby, Harry Barris and Al Rinker, a brother of Mildred Bailey. With this trio took Arnheim and his band, only one song on "Them There Eyes", but with Bing Crosby made the Orchestra many successful plates for Victor Records. These hits and the radio broadcasts of Arnheim formed the beginning of Crosby's popularity as a crooner. Not only Crosby worked in the 1930s at Arnheim. Other singers and musicians in his Orchestra included Fred MacMurray, singer Russ Columbo, Jimmy Grier, Woody Herman and Stan Kenton. Eddie Cantor and Joan Crawford names in 1931 one song with Arnheim on.
In those years played Arnheim in some movies: he and his Orchestra appeared in 1929 in "Half Marriage" and in 1931, he played himself in "Flying High."Arnheim played the role of Orchestra leader in the gangster movie "Scarface"
After the Second World War went on and the band doekte Arnheim concentrate on writing music for the movie studios.