Herman Stein contributed music to more than 200 films, including some of the 1950s’ best-known monster movies: Creature From The Black Lagoon, This Island Earth, It Came From Outer Space, The Mole People, Tarantula and The Incredible Shrinking Man. He also composed for television, most memorably the Family Theme for “Lost In Space.” He was a prodigy who took up piano at 3, first performed in public at 6, arranged for Count Basie at 16, was a colleague of Henry Mancini on the music staff at Universal-International Pictures at 35, was forgotten at 60. And then, according to his friend and musical executor David Schecter, he simply withdrew from the world. He cared for his wife, fretted over his legacy. And waited.

Here’s a story of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and after; of a minor player who should have been major; and of a house that became a home, and then just a house, and then, again, a home.

All music by Herman Stein. For more information: Monstrous Movie Music

Photos: The Stein house from the Flynn house, 2015

Thanks to David Schecter, Suzanne Flynn, Mark Knowles and Mark Perry.