In 1912, the Schuberts hired him to supply songs for some of their shows. He collaborated with Arthur Fields on his first hit "On the Mississippi", with lyrics by Ballard MacDonald (for the show The Whirl of Society).
Among Carroll and MacDonald's best known compositions, are 1913's "There's a Girl in the Heart of Maryland", and "The Trail of the Lonesome Pine," and "It Takes a Little Rain With the Sunshine to Make the World Go Round."
In 1914, he wrote "By the Beautiful Sea", with lyric by Harold Atteridge.
In 1918, Carroll produced his own Broadway musical 'Oh, Look!', and the classic of "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows," was written with the lyric by Joseph McCarthy. It was revived by Perry Como in 1946. (Probably Carroll's name should not appear in the credits...the credits should read Chopin and McCarthy, because Harry 'borrowed' the melody of Chopin's Fantaisie Impromptu in C# minor.) Originally the song sold over a million copies in 1918. It was revived in the 1945 film, The Dolly Sisters.
Harry married Anna Wheaton, and the two starred in vaudeville for many years. After the decline of vaudeville, Harry was a 'single' act in various cafes, where he sang his own songs.
From 1914 thru 1917, Harry was the director of ASCAP.
Doreen's film music encompasses some 35 films including ODTAA (1946), Harvest from the Wilderness (1948), Dim Little Island (late 1940s with Vaughan Williams), Christopher Columbus (1949, "Spanish Dances" with Arthur Bliss), Boys in Brown (1950) and Man in Hiding (1953), Man Trap (1961), Elizabeth is Queen (1953), East Anglian Holiday (1954), Break in the Circle (1955) and On the Twelfth Day (1956).
The Chandos label has issued her orchestral and chamber music.
Ivan had excellent musical credentials. He first studied music with private teachers, and continued at the Liege (Belgium) Conservatory, and finally with Eugene Ysaye and Camille Saint-Saens (France). Ivan first composed for the Paris stage, but later established permanent residence in England, where he adapted some French farces, including La Cigale, which starred Lillian Russell.
In 1893. He had his first big London hit with the operetta Little Christopher Columbus and followed this with hits such as:
Many of his shows had been shown on Broadway, so he was already known
in the U.S. when he emigrated, in 1911, and became a U.S. citizen.
It was in New York City that Ivan found his greatest success.
In chronological order, his hit shows were:
Ivan was just 60 years old when he died in New York, in 1921.
Though he had no technical musical skills, he nevertheless began writing melodies beginning in the 1910s, and even formed the Charlie Chaplin Music Company around 1915. With the help of arrangers and orchestrators, Chaplin composed the scores of all his movies beginning with 'City Lights' in 1931. One of Chaplin's biographers, David Robinson, has written:
"[City Lights] was Chaplin's first film score. Modestly Chaplin
Later, when he restored some of his earlier works he wrote music for them (e.g. The Gold Rush and The Kid). Interestingly, although he couldn't read or write music, he played the piano, organ and violin. His method of scoring films (similar to the technique used by Paul McCartney today) was to sing or play a violin or a piano to a true musician who would write the music down for later orchestration. Afterwards, as the music was being played by 'professional' musicians, Charlie would direct the music, requesting and adding changes.
Another of his biographers, Carl Davis, has written:
During one of his interviews, orchestra leader Skitch Henderson, provided an interesting personal sidelight on Chaplin's character. Ca. 1938, Chaplin had his own private studio on Sunset Boulevard, next to the Schwab Drugstore. One day, MGM told a young Skitch Henderson to go to that address and help Chaplin with some music. After a while, Chaplin came in, elegantly dressed - even with white gloves. Chaplin called him 'Lyle'- Skitch's given name. During these meetings, where the music for some film would be worked out, Chaplin would hand Skitch some 'scratchy' lead sheets, and ask him to play a left hand...etc. He would frequently remind Skitch that 'this is My Music'. Chaplin always demanded his 'billing'.
Many years later, some friends induced Skitch to visit Chaplin at his home in Switzerland, in an effort to get Chaplin to do some film work. Chaplin
came out onto the terrace, elegantly dressed, and greeted him simply with a "hello Lyle". Still calling Skitch by his formal name. That was Chaplin....always 'Charles'...never 'Charlie'.
For his later movie scores, Chaplin conducted the orchestras of such films as 'A King In New York (1957)', and 'A Countess From Hong Kong' (1967 starring Marlon Brando and Sophia Loren). In the early 1970s, for the re-releases of his early films, Charlie re-worked the scores of such pictures as 'A Day's Pleasure'; 'The Kid'; and 'Pay Day'. In 1977, a year before his death, the 88 year old Chaplin composed the score for his 1923 movie 'A Woman Of Paris' (re-released in 1978 - 2 weeks after his death in Dec. 1978), and was working on the music for a film that he still hoped to make, - 'The Freak'.
Among Chaplin's songs are:
Chaplin went on re-scoring the music for his old silent films to the end of his life. As he himself said, he ".....may have had to "la-la" my compositions, but I was a faultless judge of what to use." Though not necessarily warm, Chaplin was always a polite and proper person, and easy enough to get along with.
Another very interesting sidelight on Charlie Chaplin concerns his older brother, Sydney - "Syd". Both boys grew up in poverty in London, England. Syd became an actor and helped his younger brother Charlie to get into the business. Years later, when Charlie was in Hollywood, he returned the favor helping to get Sydney in the Hollywood films. In 1925, Syd was starred in a Silent version of the comedy "Charlie's Aunt" (No - the "Charlie" does not refer to Chaplin.) In 1926, Syd was starred in another Hollywood produced comedy, the "Better 'Ole", based on the British wartime (WWI) comic strip "The Better 'Ole" by artist Bruce Bairnsfather. In between pictures, Syd became Charlie's business manager. He eventually made Charlie the highest paid star of his day.
Probably his three best songs are:
His composing career included the scoring of many Hollywood films,
1933's "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" is perhaps his most famous song.
Among his songs are:
Examples of his film works include:
and for the British Transport Unit:
Among his other works are a symphony (in 1944), and a series of articles on film music in the magazine 'Tempo'. Following Muir Mathieson's lead,
Clifford also helped to popularize film music in the concert hall.
He now began to get some work with small outfits, and he also switched to piano, still intuitively, - no lessons. With some money that he won at the lottery, he put up his own barbershop, withdrawing for a while from music. But soon, he took a little formal musical instruction on the piano, and began performing solo in bars in the La Boca and Barracas areas. In 1908, he made what could be called a professional debut, when he became part of a Trio which also included Francisco Canaro, on violin, and Vicente Loduca on bandoneon, for an engagement at the Royal
Café.
In the mid-'10s. he premiered his own Tango composition "Lita", which would in time turn out to be his biggest success as a composer. A little later Pascual Contursi added lyrics to that song, without asking permission, and even before meeting Castriota. Contursi also changed its name to "Mi Noche Triste" ("My Sad Night"). In 1917, Carlos Gardel sang the song, and it became a huge hit.
Even though Contursi renamed the tune and added the lyric without permission, they did not become enemies, but neither did they become friends as
one might have thought. Trying to repeat the hit, they collaborated, - this time under mutual agreement, on the Tango "Sentate Hermano" (subtitled "Bebé Conmigo") but the tune never had the popularity, or the impact of "Mi Noche Triste". In fact, it is interesting to note that Castriota would go on to compose many other Tangos, - none of which ever become truly popular.
He was also the author of many Instrumental Tangos including:
He also wrote some compositions with lyrics by various playwrights to be sung in musical theater plays, -- but they also failed to gain popularity.
He also added his own lyrics to two of his Tangos "Notas Lejanas" and "Mi Coronel", with the same results, -no success.
When it was all over, only his "Lita" with lyric added, and name changed by Contursi to "Mi Noche Triste", was his one and only real "Hit". His Tango "El Arroyito", with lyrics by Celedonio Esteban Flores, was his only other work to achieve some small measure of success.
Harry Carroll
b. Nov. 28, 1892, Atlantic City, New Jersey
d. 1962, Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania
Self taught, Harry was playing piano in movie houses even while he was still in grade school. He graduated high school and went to New York City, where, during the day, he found work as an arranger in Tin Pan Alley, and, during the night, playing in the Garden Cafe on 7th Avenue and 50th Street.
Carroll is a Songwriters' Hall of Fame member.
Doreen Carwithen
b. 1922
This widow of famed British composer William Alwyn produced several film scores for George K. Arthur. During the 1940s - 50s, she was an assistant to Muir Mathieson at the Denham Film Studios, where she worked with Arnold Bax on the film 'Oliver Twist'. In 1947, under the J. Arthur Rank Apprenticeship program, she studied all aspects of film music. Ivan Caryll
né: Felix Tilken
b. 1861, Liege, Belgium, d. Nov. 28, 1921
Overview.
Ivan first found great fame in England as a highly successful composer of operettas and musicals. Later (1911) he emigrated to the U.S.A., and found additional fame, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in the process.
1897 "The Girl From Paris"
1898 "The Runaway Girl"
1903 "The Girl From Kay's"
1905 "The Earl and the Girl"
1907 "The Orchid"
1911 The Pink Lady, presented at the New Amsterdam Theater - 42nd St.
1912 Oh, Oh Delphine
1914 Chin Chin (Lyricists: Harry Morton; John Golden; Anne Caldwell and James O'Dea)
1917 Jack O'Lantern (Lyric Anne Caldwell)
1918 The Girl Behind the Gun (Lyric P. G. Wodehouse)
1920 Tip Top, His last operetta.)
Charlie Chaplin, (Yes, a composer!)
(This entry is just a little sidelight on Chaplin. His story is too big to present here properly.)
Little remembered today is the fact that Chaplin wrote most of the 'chase' scene music heard in early Hollywood films (not just his own films). If you have ever watched one of the early 'Silents' and listened to the 'chase' scene piano background, chances are excellent that you were listening to music composed by Charlie. Later in his career, Chaplin composed more than just 'chase' music.
once told a reporter, "I really didn't write it down. I la-la-ed
and Arthur Johnson (the arranger) wrote it down."
"For my own part I discovered that Chaplin -- though he was in the
strict sense musically illiterate (he could neither read nor write
music) -- was extremely musical in his understanding of what a score
should be and should do. He had a great melodic gift, largely shaped,
I am sure, in the English music halls in which he spent his early
career. Above all, he possessed an extraordinary sense of rightness
in setting music to his films."
"Limelight", from Film 'Limelight'. Ca. 1973, he won an
Oscar for his music to the film 'Limelight'.
"Foxtrot", from Film 'Idle Days'
"Park Avenue Waltz", from Film 'A
King In New York'
"Novelty Song",
from Film 'The Great Dictator'
"Smile"
Saul Chaplin
b. 1912, Brooklyn, New York
Overview.
Composer Saul Chaplin, whose chief collaborator was Sammy Cahn, was active from the mid-1930's into the 1960's. From the mid-1940's, most of his work was scoring for Hollywood films, followed by producing films. All through the 1920s, composers were often hired to write songs for popular clubs and cafes. In the early '20s, two young musical initiates, Saul Chaplin and Sammy Cahn had started their own dance band called 'Pals of Harmony', they had written a successful Swing tune called "Rhythm Is Our Business" which was a big hit for the Jimmy Lunceford band. They were then asked to write a song for Louis Armstrong, - the result was "Shoe Shine Boy". Chaplin went on to become a successful producer of films, while Cahn went on to become a very successful writer of tunes for movies. While they were together, the team collaborated on a number of hit songs including "Please Be Kind", "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" (a huge Andrews Sisters hit), and "Until The Real Thing Comes Along".
1936 "Until the Real Thing Comes Along"
1937 "Bei Mir Bist du Schoen". - This tune was originally composed by
SholemSecunda and Jacob Jacobs for the 1933 Yiddish show "I Would If I Could"
The English lyric was added ca. 1937 by Saul Chaplin and Sammy Cahn
1947 "Anniversary Song"
1946 'The Jolson Story'
1949 'On the Town'
1951 'An American in Paris'
1953 'Kiss Me Kate'
1954 'Seven Brides for Seven Brothers'
1956
'High Society'
'The Teahouse of the August Moon'
1961 'West Side Story'
Morris I. "Moose" Charlap
b. Dec. 19, 1928, Philadelphia, PA, USA, d. July 8, 1974 (Heart attack)
aka: Mark Charlap.
aka: Moose Charlap
This composer was educated at the University of Pennsylvania (where he wrote Mask & Wig shows), the University of Wisconsin and the Philadelphia Conservatory. He subsequently studied music with Tibor Serly. Charlap and lyricist Carolyn Leigh, (b. August 21, 1926, New York, NY, USA, d. Nov. 19, 1983, New York, NY, USA) wrote the score for the Broadway show 'Peter Pan', starring Mary Martin (with additional lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden). Among the other stage scores he wrote are "Whoop-Up", "The Conquering Hero", and the ballet "So This Is New York". In 1954, he joined ASCAP, and began to collaborate with Carolyn Leigh and
Bob Hilliard. Among Charlap's popular song compositions are "You, Only You" (his best known), "I'm Flying", "Love Eyes", "I Gotta Crow", "I Won't Grow Up", "Mademoiselle", "Great Day in the Morning", "Wrong Joe", "Soft In the Heart", "Young Ideas", and "When the Tall Man Talks".
Newell Chase
Currently no information available
In mid-1930's, Chase wrote some tunes with Irving Caesar lyrics.
1931 "My Ideal", lyric by Leo Robin, music Chase and Richard Whiting.
Francis Chagrin aka: Alexander Paucker
b. 1905, Rumania. d. 1972, London, England, UK
Just as with so many other musician, Chagrin first started in a non musical position, - as an engineer in Zurich, Switzerland. During the early 1930s, he studied first with Paul Dukas and Nadia Boulanger, and later worked with Matyas Seiber in London. His first British film was shot in 1937., but Chagrin had scored his first French film in 1934. During World War 2 years, he was responsible for the music that the BBC beamed to the French Resistance fighters.
Over his career, Chagrin provided scores for over 200 films (not including advertising and publicity films), among which are:
Law and Disorder (1940)
Picture Paper (1946)
The Bridge (1946)
Helter Skelter (1949)
Last Holiday (1950)
The Beachcomber (1955)>
Simba (1955)
The Colditz Story (1957)
The Snorkel (1958)
Greyfriar's Bobby (1961)
In the Cool of the Day (1963)
Clue of the Twisted Candle (1968)
In the Cool of the Day (1963)
"Doctor Who" (1963. A TV Series for which he wrote the incidental music. aka
"Dr. Who")
Greyfriars Bobby (1961)
Marriage of Convenience (1961 aka Edgar Wallace Mysteries: Marriage of Convenience UK: series title)
Monster of Highgate Ponds, The (1961)
Clue of the Twisted Candle, The (1960 aka Edgar Wallace Mysteries: The Clue of the Twisted Candle UK: series title)
Danger Within (1959 aka Breakout in USA)
Snorkel, The (1958)
No Time for Tears (1957)
Scamp, The (1957 aka Strange Affection in USA)
Charley Moon (1956)
Colditz Story, The (1955)
Simba (1955 aka Simba - Mark of Mau Mau! (1955)
Beachcomber, The (1954)
Inspector Calls, An (1954)
Intruder, The (1954)
Castle in the Air (1952)
Last Holiday (1950)
Helter Skelter (1949)
Easy Money (1948)
Castings (1944 for the Dutch government)
Near Home (1945 for the Dutch government)
Home for the People (1945).
Telefootlers (1941)
A-Tish-oo (1941)
Canteen on Wheels (1941)
La Lutte pour le Vie
Le Grande Croisiere
Behind the Guns (1940)
Silent Battle, The (1939 aka Continental Express in USA)
Britain's Youth (1939)
Animal Legends (1938)
Behind the Maginot Line (1938)
Five Faces (1937)
David et Goliath (1934)
Ce Colle (1934) starring Fernandel
Frank Churchill
b. 1901, Rumford, Maine, d. 1942, Castaic, CA
Overview
Composer Frank Churchill was most active during the 1930's and early 1940's. His chief lyricists were Ann Ronell, Larry Morey, and Ned
Washington.
Among his best remembered film scores are:
1938 feature-length cartoon 'Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs'.
1941 'Dumbo'
1942 'Bambi'
Sidney Clare
Currently No Information available.
b. Aug, 15, 1892, d. Aug. 29, 1972
Overview
Lyricist Sidney Clare wrote with a number of different composers, including Peter De Rose, Richard Whiting and Sam Stept.
"Lovely Annabelle Lee", music by Oscar Levant.
"Nobody Cares If I'm Blue", music Harry Akst.
Grant Clarke
b. 1891, d. 1931
Currently No Information Available.
1921 Second Hand Rose", music by James F. Hanley. Big Fanny Brice hit in 1921, and again in 1994 for Barbra Streisand
Gordon Clifford
b, March 21, 1902
Currently no information available.
Among the songs for which Clifford wrote lyrics are:
1930 "It Must Be True"
1931 "I Surrender Dear"
1932 "Paradise", Nacio Herb Brown Music.
Tristram Cary
b. 1925, Oxford, England, UK
Currently No Information on this British Composer.
Taught at London's Royal Academy of Music. In his later years, Tristram emigrated to Australia. He is best known today as an early experimenter in 'electronic' music. Episodes of the BBC-TV show 'Dr. Who', had some of his 'electronic' music.
Among the films to which he contributed are:
The Ladykillers (1956)
Time Without Pity (1957)
Town on Trial (1957)
The Boy Who Stole a Million (1960)
A Lecture on Man (1962)
A Boy Ten Feet Tall (1965)
5,000,000 Miles to Earth (1968)
A Twist of Sand (1968)
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)
Herbert Chappell
Currently No Information on this British Composer.
Known to have contributed music to the 1953 film The Beacons and Beyond, and the 1978 film England's North Country.
Fred E. Cliffe
Currently No Information on this British Composer.
This tunesmith composed for some Ealing Studios films' George Formby episodes, including Come on George, and Let George Do It.
Hubert Clifford
b: 1904, Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia d: 1954
This Australian composer and conductor, who studied at the Royal College of Music, under Vaughan Williams, did much of his work in England, and in particular, the English Film industry. In 1946, Alexander Korda's London Film Production company employed him as Music Director, and in 1947, sent him to Hollywood to study American film music production and methods. He also composed music for (3) British Transport Film Unit's short documentaries. He worked for the Korda studios until 1950, during which time he also conducted the London Film Symphony orchestra at concerts.
Power on the Land (1943)
The Second Freedom (1943)
Road to Moscow (1944)
Battle of Britain (1944)
Left of the Line (1944)
Steel (1944)
Shakespeare's Country (1945)
General Election (1945)
Letter from Britain (1945)
Their Invisible Inheritance (1945)
An Ideal Husband (1948)
Fallen Idol, The (1948 musical director. aka: Lost Illusion, The)
Winslow Boy, The (1948 musical director)
Anna Karenina (1948 conductor as Dr. Hubert Clifford)
Night Beat (1948 musical director)
Mine Own Executioner (1947 conductor)
Ideal Husband, An (1947 musical director as Dr. Hubert Clifford)
That Dangerous Age (1949 musical director. aka in USA: If This Be Sin)
The Dark Man (1950)
Seven Days to Noon (1950 conductor)
Happiest Days of Your Life, The (1950 conductor)
Dark Man, The (1951 Composer.)
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951 Musical Director)
Cry, the Beloved Country (1951 musical director. aka: African Fury)
The Stranger in Between (1952)
Hunted (1952 Composer. aka in USA: Stranger in Between, The)
River Beat (1954 Composer)
House of Secrets (1956)
The One That Got Away (1957)
Triple Deception (1957)
Hell Drivers (1957. aka in USA: Hard Drivers)
The One That Got Away (1958)
Bachelor of Hearts (1958 Composer)
West Country Journey (1953) - used music from Devon and Cornwall counties.
London's County (1954)
Round the Island (1956)
House of Secrets (1956 Composer. aka in USA: Triple Deception)
Samuel Castriota
b: Nov. 2, 1895, Bs. As., Argentina; d: July 8, 1932, Bs. As. Argentina.
Pianist, composer and Leader.
Although born in Buenos Aires,he spent his childhood in San Miguel, where he served an apprenticeship as barber. He was also learning to play the guitar "by ear". At age 16, he returned to Buenos Aires, and he continued to practice with his guitar.
"La Yerra" ("The cattle branding") composed in 1913,
"El gorrión" ("The Sparrow"),
"Mi Noche Alegre" ("My Joyful Night")
"Como Quieras" ("As You Like It"),
"La Cotorrita",
"Flor de Cardo",
"Como brilla",
"La Ma�nita",
"Campero",
"El Gaucho",
"El Loco de Los Inventos",
"Nido de Amor",
"Dolor de ausencia", with Carlos R. De Paoli;
"El ciruja de Sorrento", with Juan Andr� Caruso;
"Patio Olvidado", with Carlos Cabral
"Chica Moderna", with Enrique Pedro Maroni.