Before André Previn became an acclaimed conductor of symphonies, he stood before some of the greatest sight-readers in the world, who made up the Hollywood studios’ crackerjack orchestras. From Lassie to “My Fair Lady” to “Rollerball,” Previn worked on over 50 films.

He was nominated for 11 Academy Awards, and won four – in 1958, 1959, 1963 and 1964. He is one of the few composers to be recognized with back-to-back Oscars, and only one of two to have been so twice.

This week on “Picture Perfect,” we’ll focus on this comparatively neglected aspect of a supremely talented musical polymath, through selections from his scores to “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse,” “Irma la Douce,” “Dead Ringer,” and “Elmer Gantry.”

Previn’s Hollywood career began when he was still in high school, as he was brought in by his great uncle, Charles Previn, one-time music director for Universal Studios, to transcribe jazz improvisations for José Iturbi. Soon young André was writing and recording his own scores. His first official screen credit was for “The Sun Comes Up,” an entry in the Lassie series, in 1949. The same year, he scored “Challenge to Lassie.”

He went on to compose music for “Kim,” “Bad Day at Black Rock,” “The Fastest Gun Alive,” “Designing Woman,” “The Subterraneans,” “Long Day’s Journey into Night,” and “Inside Daisy Clover,” among others. He won Oscars for his work on “Gigi,” “Porgy and Bess,” “Irma la Douce,” and “My Fair Lady.”

I hope you’ll join me for André Previn at the movies, this Friday evening at 6:00 EST, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.

PLEASE NOTE: Of perhaps related interest, I’ll be sharing an hour of Previn’s concert works on “The Lost Chord,” this Sunday night at 10:00 EDT.

Regardless of what the Academy would have us believe, the notorious Best Picture snafu of 2017 was not the first time such a mix-up occurred. Here’s an earlier episode that momentarily delayed Previn from collecting his third Oscar, well-fielded by Sammy Davis, Jr.

Note the other nominees in both categories and weep over just how far civilization has declined in the past 50 years.

PHOTO (left to right): André Previn, Sammy Davis, and Elmer Bernstein