Steve Maslow dies at 81; acclaimed sound mixer and three-time Oscar winner for The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Speed
According to the CinemaDrame News Agency, Steve Maslow, one of the most prominent figures in film sound, who over a career spanning more than five decades won three Academy Awards for The Empire Strikes Back, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and Speed, along with four additional nominations, has died. He was 81.
The Cinema Audio Society announced that Maslow passed away on April 27 in West Hills, California, after battling cancer.
In addition to his consecutive Oscar wins for the 1980 Star Wars sequel, the 1981 Indiana Jones film, and the 1994 action hit starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, he was also nominated for Dune (1984), Waterworld (1995), Twister (1996), and U-571 (2000). His extensive filmography includes hundreds of titles such as More American Graffiti, Ordinary People, Poltergeist, Airplane II: The Sequel, Christine, Starman, Gremlins, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Children of a Lesser God, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Edward Scissorhands, Batman Returns, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Conjuring, and many more.
Maslow also worked on numerous concert films and music documentaries, beginning with The Last Waltz by The Band. He spent about six months working as a re-recording mixer on the film directed by Martin Scorsese, which captured the band’s legendary farewell concert in 1976 and was released in 1978. He later contributed to many major music projects, including The Kids Are Alright (The Who), Rust Never Sleeps (Neil Young), No Nukes, This Is Elvis, Beatlemania, Stop Making Sense (Talking Heads), Synchronicity Concert (The Police), Sign o’ the Times (Prince), and Michael Jackson’s iconic Black or White video.
He also worked on music-driven films such as Great Balls of Fire! about Jerry Lee Lewis, The Jazz Singer starring Neil Diamond, and the 1986 musical Little Shop of Horrors.
Maslow’s passion for rock music ran deep. He was born on October 17, 1944, in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles. During college, he received an unexpected invitation from a friend—keyboardist of the band Strawberry Alarm Clock and co-writer of “Incense and Peppermints.”
In a 2018 interview, he said he had no clear direction at the time and was attending college mainly to avoid military service. After meeting Mark Weitz at a birthday party, he was invited to join the band’s tour as a road crew member—a role he enthusiastically accepted.
He soon dropped out of college and entered the music industry as a recording engineer. Among his notable early works was “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)” by The Four Seasons and “Boogie Oogie Oogie” by A Taste of Honey, which earned the group a Grammy Award for Best New Artist, beating competitors including The Cars, Elvis Costello, and Toto.
However, he later felt his career in music was slowing down, obtained an IATSE union card, and transitioned into film work. He eventually joined Samuel Goldwyn Studios, where he worked for nearly 15 years.
Throughout his career, Maslow collaborated with major directors including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Robert Redford, John Carpenter, Tim Burton, Robert Wise, John Hughes, and many others.
He is survived by his wife Rona and his son Travis.
