Film Score Daily: Salute to Uncle Walt . . . and Leonard Maltin

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Salute to Uncle Walt . . . and Leonard Maltin

Posted By: Michael Barrett on January 3, 2010 - 10:00 PM

When I was a lad, I saved my nickels and quarters until I had accrued the $6.95 necessary to order Leonard Maltin's "The Disney Films" from Publishers Central Bureau. It was the first film reference book I ever owned, the first I was determined to have. (Because of my Disney obsession, not because of general film buffery.) I still have it, and it's still my idea of a model film reference work. Pages and pages of facts! Credits! Songs! Pictures! Lists! Oh, and text too! Several years ago I had the fortune of interviewing Mr. Maltin telephonically and told him the above. He said "Flattery will get you everywhere."

Of course I'm talking about the first edition of the Disney book, not later editions that drop some of the info on some films. I just retrieved it from a certain bookshelf, not having looked at it, or indeed been able to see it, for years. You must understand, we're talking about a room with things in front of other things and on top of things, so that extracting anything from anywhere is a complex process. This was at the outer (or inner?) layer, so the process seemed daunting and quickly became dangerous. Now that I have it in my hands, I won't try to put it back. Ever.

I wanted to remind myself of the music in Disney features, even those I've never seen. Recently, as you know, Intrada released some scores of post-Walt features like ONE LITTLE INDIAN and SOMETHING WICKED T.W.C., and this has led to speculation and requests in which people discuss things like ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD, THE CAT FROM OUTER SPACE, or ONE OF OUR DINOSAURS IS MISSING. My favorite post-Walt titles are MILLION DOLLAR DUCK (the first movie I ever saw in a theatre except for WIZARD OF OZ--I saw them a week apart, but I'd seen OZ before on TV so I don't really count it), and FREAKY FRIDAY, which was one of the last Disneys I ever saw in a theatre. All this probably dates me pretty accurately.

But today I just want to share the information from this book about all the Walt-era features and their music. I am mostly skipping the animated features b/c the Disney people often have released that material on CD. It's a pleasure to re-acquaint myself with this pioneering work. Thank you Uncle Walt, and thanks again Leonard!

1941

THE RELUCTANT DRAGON. Songs "Oh Fleecy Cloud", "To an Upside Down Cake," "Radish So Red," "Tis Evening" by Frank Churchill & Larry Morey. "I'm a Reluctant Dragon" by Charles Wolcott & Morey.

1943

SALUDOS AMIGOS. Music: Edward H. Plumb, Paul J. Smith. Mus Dir: Charles Wolcott (wrote title song with Ned Washington).

VICTORY THROUGH AIR POWER. Music: Plumb, Smith, Oliver Wallace. Great movie!

1945

THE THREE CABALLEROS. Mus Dirs: Wolcott, Plumb, Smith. Several songs.

1946

MAKE MINE MUSIC. Mus Dir: Wolcott. Associates: Ken Darby, Wallace, Plumb. Many songs ("All the Cats Join In" co-written by Alec Wilder!). Cast includes Nelson Eddy, Dinah Shore, Benny Goodman, Andrews Sisters, Andy Russell, Pied Pipers, King's Men, Ken Darby Chorus

SONG OF THE SOUTH. Mus Dir: Wolcott. Photoplay score: Daniele Amfitheatrof. Cartoon score: Smith. Vocal dir: Darby. Orch: Plumb. Many more songs besides "Zip a Dee Doo Dah".

1947

FUN AND FANCY FREE. Mus Dir: Wolcott. Music: Smith, Wallace, Eliot Daniel. Many songs incl. "I'm a Happy Go Lucky Fellow" by Leigh Harline & Washington. Cast includes Dinah Shore, King's Men, Dinning Sisters, Starlighters.

1948

MELODY TIME. Mus Dirs: Daniel, Darby. Asociate: Smith. Spec arrangements: Vic Schoen, Al Sack. Many songs. Cast includes Sons of the Pioneers, Buddy Clark, Andrews Sisters, Fred Waring, Frances Langford, Dennis Day, Freddy Martin.

SO DEAR TO MY HEART. Mus: Smith. Vocal Dir: Darby. Orch: Plumb. Songs incl. "County Fair" by Robert Wells & Mel Torme.

1949

ICHABOD AND MR. TOAD. Mus Dir: Wallace. Vocal arr: Darby. Orch: Joseph Dubin. Songs: Churchill, Wolcott, Morey, Ray Gilbert.

Now the live-action features begin in earnest.

1950 TREASURE ISLAND. Music: Clifton Parker, Royal Philharmonic/Muir Mathieson.

1952 THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD. Same as above.

1953

THE SWORD AND THE ROSE. Same as above.

THE LIVING DESERT. Mus Dir: Paul J. Smith. Orch: Edward H. Plumb.

1954

ROB ROY, THE HIGHLAND ROGUE. Music: Cedric Thorpe Davie. Mus Dir: Mathieson.

THE VANISHING PRAIRIE. Mus Dir: Smith. Orch: Plumb, Joseph Dubin.

20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA. Music: Smith. Orch: Dubin.

1955

DAVY CROCKETT Music: George Bruns. Orch: Plumb. Songs.

THE AFRICAN LION. Music: Smith. Orch: Dubin.

THE LITTLEST OUTLAW. Music: William Lava. Orch: Charles Maxwell.

1956

THE GREAT LOCOMOTIVE CHASE. Music: Smith. Orch: Franklyn Marks. Song: "Sons of Old Aunt Dinah" by Stan Jones & Lawrence E. Watkin.

DAVY CROCKETT AND THE RIVER PIRATES. As previous Crockett movie.

SECRETS OF LIFE. Mus: Smith. Orch: Marks, Plumb.

WESTWARD HO THE WAGONS. Music: Bruns. Orch: Plumb. (as the Crockett movies)

1957

JOHNNY TREMAIN. Music: George Bruns. Orch: Marks, Plumb.

PERRI. Music: Smith. Song arr: Carl Brandt. Orch: Brandt, Marks. A "True-Life Fantasy".

OLD YELLER. Music: Oliver Wallace. Orch: Clifford Vaughan. Title song: Wallace, Gil George.

1958

THE LIGHT IN THE FOREST. Music: Smith. Orch: Marks. Two songs.

WHITE WILDERNESS. Music: Wallace. Orch: Vaughan.

TONKA. Same as above. Plus title song: Gil George, Bruns. Sal Mineo vehicle.

1959

THE SHAGGY DOG. Music: Smith. Orch: Joseph Mullendore.

DARBY O'GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE. Music: Wallace. Orch: Vaughan. Two songs. Love this brilliant movie.

THIRD MAN ON THE MOUNTAIN. Music: William Alwyn! Cond: Mathieson. Two songs. (See also next year's SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON.)

1960

TOBY TYLER. Music: Buddy Baker. Orch: Walter Sheets. Song "Biddle-dee-dee."

KIDNAPPED. Music: Cedric Thorpe Davie. Cond: Mathieson. (see 1954 ROB ROY).

POLLYANNA. Music: Smith. Orch: Marks. Wonderful movie.

JUNGLE CAT. Music: Wallace. Orch: Vaughan.

TEN WHO DARED. Music: Wallace. Orch: Dubin. Three songs by Watkin & Jones of LOCOMOTIVE CHASE.

THE SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON. Music: Alwyn. Cond: Mathieson. Song: Terry Gilkyson.

THE SIGN OF ZORRO. Music: William Lava.

1961

THE ABSENT-MINDED PROF. Music: Bruns. Orch: Marks. Seems to be first Disney with lyrics by the Sherman Brothers.

THE PARENT TRAP. Music: Smith. Orch: Marks. Songs: Shermans.

NIKKI, WILD DOG OF THE NORTH. Music: Wallace. Orch: Vaughan. 2nd "True-Life Fantasy."

GREYFRIARS BOBBY. Music: Francis Chagrin. (Maltin lists him only as conductor.)

BABES IN TOYLAND. Based on Victor Herbert & Glenn McDonough operetta. Music: Bruns. Orch: Marks. Libretto: Mel Leven. Choral: Jud Conlon. Songs by Bruns & Leven. I love this movie.

1962

MOON PILOT. Music: Smith (per IMDB. Maltin omits credit.) 3 songs by the Shermans.

BON VOYAGE. Music: Smith. Title song by the Shermans.

BIG RED. Music: Wallace. Orch: Sheets. 2 Sherman songs.

THE LEGEND OF LOBO. Same as above, but one Sherman song.

ALMOST ANGELS. Mus Dir: Heinz Schreiter, Wiener Symphoniker/Froschauer. Vienna Boys Choir.

IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS. Music: Alwyn. Cond: Mathieson. 4 Sherman songs. They were hot!

1963

SON OF FLUBBER. Music: Bruns. Orch: Sheets.

MIRACLE OF THE WHITE STALLIONS. Music: Smith. Orch: Marks. One Sherman song.

SAVAGE SAM. Music: Wallace. Orch: Sheets. Song: Terry Gilkyson.

SUMMER MAGIC. Music: Buddy Baker. Orch: Sheets, Bobby Hammack. Vocal sup: Camarata. 7 Shermans songs. Love this movie too.

THE INCREDIBLE JOURNEY. Music: Wallace. Orch: Sheets.

1964

...MERLIN JONES. Music: Baker. Orch: Bob Brunner. Sherman song.

A TIGER WALKS. Same as above, no song.

THE THREE LIVES OF THOMASINA. Music: Smith. Orch. Sheets. Cond: Eric Rogers. Song: Gilkyson. Lovely movie.

THE MOON-SPINNERS. Music: Ron Grainer! Song: Gilkyson! Last film of Pola Negri!

EMIL AND THE DETECTIVES. Music: Heinz Schreiter (of ALMOST ANGELS), Berliner Symphoniker.

(A minor effort called MARY POPPINS was also seen this year.)

1965

THOSE CALLOWAYS. Music: I just want to know who is going up those stairs to die, me or...Max Steiner! Orch: Murray Cutter. Two Sherman songs.

THE MONKEY'S UNCLE. Music: Baker. Orch: Sheets. Love the brilliant Sherman song, perf by Annette & the Beach Boys.

THAT DARN CAT. Music: Bob Brunner. Orch: Marks. Sherman song perf by...wait for it...Bobby Darin!

1966

THE UGLY DACHSUND. Music: Bruns. Orch: Marks.

LT. ROBIN CRUSOE USN. Music: Brunner. Orch: Cecil A. Crandall.

THE FIGHTING PRINCE OF DONEGAL. Music: Bruns. Orch: Sheets.

FOLLOW ME BOYS. Same as above. Sherman song.

1967

MONKEYS GO HOME. Same as ROBIN CRUSOE. Sherman song.

THE ADV. OF BULLWHIP GRIFFIN. Music: Bruns. Orch: Sheets. Songs by Shermans, Bruns, Mel Leven.

THE GNOME-MOBILE. Music: Baker. Orch: Wayne Robinson. Sherman song.

THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE. Music sup/arr/cond: Jack Elliott. Sherman songs.

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Comments (8):

Posted by John B. Archibald on January 4, 2010 9:41 AM

There have been no CD releases of any of the Disney features from the 40's mentioned on your list, and they all have wonderful scores. Curiously, in Mexico City, I believe, I found a Spanish-language lp of THREE CABALLEROS, with Spanish narration, and Clarence Nash babbling in Spanish! But it had all the songs, and the music score.

SO DEAR TO MY HEART is also lovely, and has been largely ignored, perhaps overshadowed by the previous Bobby Driscoll Disney feature, SONG OF THE SOUTH, whose partial score was released on lp for a 1956 reissue, which is when I acquired it. Both scores are great.

Years ago, my brother, who was then a film critic for a New Jersey-based newspaper, took me to a screening hosted by Mr. Maltin of THREE CABALLEROS, in honor of the initial publication of the book of which you write. Maltin stated, and I agree with him, that this is one of the most original, funniest cartoons ever made by Disney, and it still holds up pretty well today, not to mention the still amazing blend of animation and live action, which dazzles!

Not on your list, however, are the wonderful scores for the shorts, most especially the SILLY SYMPHONIES. Decades ago, a magazine about animation and comics in general, called "Funny World, featured an article, in several parts, on the music for the SILLY's, where I first learned that Leigh Harline was the composer for my very favorite film score ever written, THE OLD MILL, as well as for THE PIED PIPER, and numerous others. Needless to say, none of these has been released on CD, and it's unlikely they ever will, as they are mostly wall-to-wall music, and watching the film itself is tantamount to listening to the score. I'd love a new recording of THE OLD MILL, however, as it is a masterpiece.

Perhaps because of the overshadowing influence of Uncle Walt, numerous composers who worked for the studio never got much recognition. I'm thinking particularly of Frank Churchill, composer of much of SNOW WHITE and, as far as I know, all of BAMBI, both gorgeous scores, who committed suicide in the early 40's, and of Paul Smith, who had greater longevity, on a number of levels, but not much credit. It is curious, however, that Smith was nominated for an Oscar for his music for Disney's PERRI, a semi-documentary about the life of a squirrel, something not mentioned on your list. I have yet another lp, also acuired in Mexico, also in Spanish, of the story of PERRI, which has some of the soundtrack in the background, and the score is certainly melodic, though now largely forgotten. (I know this lp was released in the U.S., but I don't think the lp for THREE CABALLEROS was.)

Interestingly, it's been my understanding that the entire soundtrack for any given animated film was created and recorded long before actual pencils were set to paper, so that they'd know to the second how much time need be given each sequence. The Disney people were once active in releasing extended versions of many of the animated features, but practically everything else, especially from earlier eras, still remains locked away. At one point, on the de luxe laser editions, sometimes dozens of demos of songs were included as extras, but that's the only place where they could be heard, and, after hearing them, I often understood very well why they were never used.

But that, as they say, is another story.

Posted by Joe Caps on January 4, 2010 12:55 PM

THere are some scores for the live films that I would love, particularly
Darby O'Gill
In Search of the Castaways
Third man on the mountain

Posted by Michael Barrett on January 4, 2010 2:51 PM

It is curious, however, that Smith was nominated for an Oscar for his music for Disney's PERRI, a semi-documentary about the life of a squirrel, something not mentioned on your list.

PERRI is on the list for 1957, though Oscar nods aren't mentioned. Also not on list: TV productions like THE SCARECROW OF ROMNEY MARSH (music by Gerard Schurmann). It had at least a UK release, but no U.S. theatrical until the '70s (as DR. SYN ALIAS THE SCARECROW), so Maltin doesn't give it a chapter. He does, however, provide a list of the TV productions in another chapter. But that's a whole 'nother can of worms.

Posted by Recordman on January 4, 2010 6:24 PM

[startquote from John Archibald] I have yet another lp, also acuired in Mexico, also in Spanish, of the story of PERRI, which has some of the soundtrack in the background, and the score is certainly melodic, though now largely forgotten. (I know this lp was released in the U.S., but I don't think the lp for THREE CABALLEROS was.).

John
While the original soundtracks for both "Saludos Amigos" and "The Three Caballeros" originally appeared in beautiful separate Decca 78 rpm bound sets in the 1940's, after Disney started its own labels it combined the two films in October 1958 on a 12" LP (Disneyland WDL-3039)[later reissued as budget LP # WDL-1039.]
BTW, as the Disney studio was (is) in Southern California, relatively near Mexico. it ran a special series of "Spanish" equivalent LPs identifiable by the "M" suffix to its record ID numbers - e.g., "Los Tres Caballeros" was issued as Disneyland 1239-M in 1978, distributed throughout the area and US cities with larger ethnic Spanish-American populations
Mike

Posted by Ron Pulliam on January 5, 2010 8:44 AM

THere are some scores for the live films that I would love, particularly
Darby O'Gill
In Search of the Castaways
Third man on the mountain

And I would love a score for "The Sword and the Rose", a film that seems to have disappeared.

Posted by Bob DiMucci on January 5, 2010 10:58 AM

And I would love a score for "The Sword and the Rose", a film that seems to have disappeared.

"The Sword and the Rose" has never made it onto a domestic DVD, but oddly it managed to make it onto laserdisc.

Posted by Great Escape on January 5, 2010 12:13 PM

It surprises me that Sword and the Stone and the animated Robin Hood never had score releases done (only story ones exist) a few years back when Disney was doing all their feature animated score releases.

Posted by John B. Archibald on January 6, 2010 7:32 AM

I don't think they ever brought out a soundtrack album for THE ARISTOCATS either.

At one point, there was a flurry of soundtrack releases, for most of the main animated features, with lots of extended and unreleased cues. Then it petered out. 101 DALMATIANS seems to have been the last of these, though I don't know if it got as much of an organized release as the others; it just seemed to appear. And, it seems 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA was prepared for a commercial release, but was withheld, and only became available eventually as a download.

Chronologically, THE JUNGLE BOOK seems to have been the last animated score to see commercial release.

In the 50's, all sorts of scores appeared on lp, though not as extended as they later were on CD, and some were never released to CD at all, like the 40's films, or the Paul Smith nature scores. You practically have to buy the movies, if you want to hear the music.

I wish they'd release it all. It's all very good stuff.

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