Douglass Fake, the influential film music producer known for his extensive contributions to movie and TV soundtracks, has died at the age of 72 following a prolonged illness.
Fake’s notable achievements include the first complete restoration of Leonard Bernstein’s On the Waterfront and the premiere of several iconic Henry Mancini scores, such as Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As the founder of Intrada Records, Fake was instrumental in releasing over 700 albums, averaging 40 new titles each year. He celebrated the 30th anniversary of his label in 2015 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.
Born in Massachusetts in 1952 to an Air Force colonel, Fake began his musical journey playing trumpet in high school before studying music at the University of Colorado. His early work included composing for symphonic bands and scoring the 1998 film Holly vs. Hollywood. Fake later sold soundtrack LPs at a San Francisco movie-poster shop, laying the groundwork for his future career.
In 1985, Fake co-founded Intrada, which has become a cornerstone in the film and TV soundtrack industry. The label is known for expanding incomplete recordings such as John Williams’ Jaws, Alan Silvestri’s Back to the Future, and Jerry Goldsmith’s Alien. Intrada also licensed soundtracks from Disney, including 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Black Hole, and The Avengers, and supervised the re-recording of classic albums like The Man Who Knew Too Much and Miklós Rózsa’s Ivanhoe, Spellbound, and Julius Caesar.
At Intrada’s 30th anniversary celebration, Fake recounted a formative college experience where he defended the significance of film music against traditional concert music. “I vowed then to prove that film music was as substantial as any classical composition and deserved to be brought from the background into the foreground,” he said.
Intrada’s VP of Business Affairs, Roger Feigelson, paid tribute, stating, “We plan to continue operation of the store and label well into next year to celebrate Intrada’s 40th anniversary. The business is healthy, the market is stable — it just won’t be as much fun without Doug.”
Fake is survived by his wife, daughters, sister, and granddaughter. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends, and colleagues.
