Paul J. Smith (October 30, 1906 – January 25, 1985) was an American music composer and violinist best known for his work at Disney.Disney's Complete "Silly Symphony" Soundtrack Collection-Cartoon Research
Life and career
Smith was born in Calumet, Michigan on October 30, 1906. Upon graduating high school, he studied music at The College of Idaho from 1923 to 1925 before he was accepted into the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago, Illinois. His abilities in theory and composition earned him a scholarship to study music theory at Juilliard, however, it is unclear if he ever pursued this invitation.
Smith joined Disney in 1934 and spent much of his life working as composer for many of its films' scores, animated and live-action alike, movie and television alike.
He received an Oscar nomination for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). He won an Academy Award for Best Original Score with Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Pinocchio, which was his first and only Oscar win. He received six more nominations for Saludos Amigos (1942), Victory Through Air Power (1943), The Three Caballeros (1945), Song of the South (1946), Cinderella (1950) and Perri (1957).
In Fantasia, he is one of the studio employees in the orchestra. He also composed the scores for most of the True-Life Adventures episodes and over 70 animated shorts.
He left Disney in 1962 and from 1962 to 1963 he composed music for Leave It to Beaver.
Smith's main collaborator and partner was Hazel "Gil" George, who wrote the song title for The Light in the Forest with him and Lawrence Edward Watkin. Another one of Smith's collaborator was George Bruns who worked with him on films like Westward Ho the Wagons!. Smith also did the stock music for the Blondie series of the late 1940s and early 1950s.
Death
Smith died on January 25, 1985, in Glendale, California, from Alzheimer's disease at age 78. In 1994, he was posthumously honored as a Disney Legend.
Animation scores
Thru the Mirror, 1936 Don Donald, 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937When Cinderella Played "Snow White" on Records-Cartoon Research Donald's Nephews, 1938 The Practical Pig, 1939 Pinocchio, 1940Paul Joseph Smith, Composer Of Scores for Disney Movies-NY Times Bone Trouble, 1940 Fantasia, 1940 (violinist in orchestra) Fire Chief, 1940 Pluto's Playmate, 1941 Canine Caddy, 1941 A Gentleman's Gentleman, 1941 The Reluctant Dragon, 1941 Donald Gets Drafted, 1942 Bambi, 1942 (orchestration) Saludos Amigos, 1942 Fall Out Fall In, 1943 Victory Through Air Power, 1943 The Old Army Game, 1943 Donald's Off Day, 1944 Tiger Trouble, 1945 The Three Caballeros, 1945 The Eyes Have It, 1945 Californy'er Bust, 1945 Hockey Homicide, 1945 The Lady Said No, 1946 Song of the South, 1946 (cartoon segments) Fun and Fancy Free, 1947 Mail Dog, 1947 Melody Time, 1948 (Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed) So Dear to My Heart, 1949The Cartoon Music Book-Google Books (pg.33) Toy Tinkers, 1949 Cinderella, 1950 Trailer Horn, 1950 Puss Cafe, 1950 Motor Mania, 1950 Pests of the West, 1950 Food For Feudin, 1950 Hook, Lion and Sinker, 1950 Camp Dog, 1950 Hold That Pose, 1950 Lion Down, 1951 Dude Duck, 1951 Test Pilot Donald, 1951 Lucky Number, 1951 R'Coon Dawg, 1951 Get Rich Quick, 1951 Cold Turkey, 1951 Fathers Are People, 1951 Out of Scale, 1951 No Smoking, 1951 Two-Gun Goofy, 1952 Susie the Little Blue Coupe, 1952 The Little House, 1952 Father's Day Off, 1953 The Simple Things, 1953The Cartoon Music-Google Books (pg. 35) The Jounery Mistery Of Boob, 1963
Live-action theatrical film scores
Glamour Girl, 1948 The Strange Mrs. Crane, 1948 Love Happy, 1949 (conductor) In Beaver Valley, 1950 includes "Jing-a-Ling", lyrics added by Don Raye Pecos River, 1951 About Face, 1952 Water Birds, 1952 The Living Desert, 1953 The Vanishing Prairie, 1954 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, 1954 The Great Locomotive Chase, 1956 Secrets of Life, 1956 Westward Ho, the Wagons!, 1956 Perri, 1957 The Light in the Forest, 1958 The Shaggy Dog, 1959 Pollyanna, 1960 Swiss Family Robinson, 1960 The Parent Trap, 1961 Moon Pilot, 1962 Bon Voyage!, 1962 In Search of the Castaways, 1962 Miracle of the White Stallions, 1963 Yellowstone Cubs, 1963 The Three Lives of Thomasina, 1963
References
Film Composers in America, A. Filmography 1911- 1970 by Clifford McCarthy
External links