Musically gifted from an early age, Ralph Erwin was already leading a school orchestra at the age of 11. In 1915, he graduated from high school in Vienna and volunteered for the First World War. After the war, in which he was seriously wounded, he studied music history and philosophy in Vienna and worked as a bar pianist, cabaret and café musician. His first publications, such as the song ''Bar, kleine Bar'' or the ''Revuelied'' for the Apollo Theater, the ragtime ''Du bist so schön'', appeared under the pseudonym "Harry Wright"; on the advice of his publisher, he then adopted the stage name "Ralph Erwin". He moved to Berlin in 1927.
The song ''Ich küsse Ihre Hand, Madame'' (lyrics by Fritz Rotter), which was used in the 1929 film of the same name with Marlene Dietrich, made Erwin widely known. As one of the last silent films, it already contains a short singing scene in which Richard Tauber sings the title song for the leading actor Harry Liedtke. This song quickly became a bestseller as a record. It also became world-famous in 1948 with the film The Emperor Waltz and Bing Crosby.
In dreams I kiss your hand, madame
Your dainty fingertips
And while in slumberland, madame
I'm begging for your lips....
Erwin then undertook guest performances, gave radio appearances and wrote the music for more than 40 German and French sound films, some of which were still joint German-French productions until 1933. The most famous actors of the time appeared in the films, for example in ''Der kleine Seitensprung'' Hermann Thimig, Renate Müller, Otto Wallburg; ''Madame hat Ausgang'' with Liane Haid; ''Das schöne Abenteuer'' (1932) with Alfred Abel, Wolf Albach-Retty, Adele Sandrock, Otto Wallburg, Blandine Ebinger; ''Die drei von der Kavallerie'' (1932) with Paul Hörbiger; Liebe Scherz und Ernst (1932) with Adele Sandrock; ''So ein Mädel vergißt man nicht'' with Willi Forst, Dolly Haas, directed by Fritz Kortner.
After the seizure of power in 1933, Erwin had to emigrate to France because of his Jewish origins. He lived in Paris and continued to compose mainly for films. After the German invasion, he was deported to the Beaune-la-Rolande internment camp, from where the prisoners were transported to Drancy. However, his wife was able to free him. He lived in hiding, where he later died as a result of a bullet wound to the stomach.
