Herbert Stothart
|
|
Herbert Stothart (11 September 1885 - 1 February 1949) was a composer, born of Scottish and Bavarian descent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He studied music in Europe and at the University of Wisconsin, where he also later taught. He was hired by the producer Arthur Hammerstein to be the musical director for touring companies of Broadway shows, and was soon writing music for the producer's nephew, Oscar Hammerstein. This successful collaboration led to Stothart's teaming with Vincent Youmans, Otto Harbach, Rudolph Friml, George Gershwin and Franz Lehár. In 1929 Stothart was signed to a Hollywood contract by Louis B. Mayer.
The composer spent his remaining 20 years at MGM, composing, arranging, adapting, and conducting scores for over 100 feature films. He served as music director for the Jeanette MacDonald/Nelson Eddy musicals and also wrote music for After the Thin Man, Anna Karenina, China, David Copperfield, The Good Earth, The Green Years, Idiot's Delight, Madame Curie, Mrs. Miniver, Mutiny On The Bounty, National Velvet, Naughty Marietta, The Picture of Dorian Gray, Pride and Prejudice, Rasputin And The Empress, A Tale of Two Cities, Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo, What Every Woman Knows, The White Cliffs Of Dover, The Yearling and many other pictures.
Stothart was nominated for a number of Oscars, winning for The Wizard Of Oz. He died in Los Angeles, California.