Samuel Hoffman

The foot doctor whose nervous theremin style defined the sound of ghosts, goblins, and space invaders started his musical career as a violin player in New York. Starting at the age of 14, Hoffman became the youngest musician to play at Loew's New York Roof Garden, and later formed his own orchestra. He studied podiatry at Long Island University and became a foot doctor by day and band leader by night (under the stage name Hal Hope). He obtained his theremin in a barter with another musician and integrated it into his act as a novelty. In the 1940's Dr. Hoffman transferred his medical practice to Los Angeles. In keeping with his habits as a union musician, he registered as violinist and, under "other instruments," as thereminist. When film composer Miklos Rozsa was looking for a thereminist to play in Hitchcock's Spellbound (1945), Hoffman was the only one listed and he was hired on the spot when Rozsa heard him quickly sight-read his developing score. Hoffman went on to play theremin in dozens of Hollywood films in the 1940's and 1950's, usually for scenes of fear, madness, drunkenness, and emotional distress. He performed on three successful record albums for composer Harry Revel, concertized in Los Angeles, and appeared on television. Hoffman's theremin career effectively ended in 1959 when trombonist Paul Tanner invented the mechanical "Electro-Theremin" which, in the 1960's, replaced the space-controlled theremin in movies, TV shows, and recordings.