Herbert Stothart | |
|---|---|
| Born | Herbert Pope Stothart (1885-09-11)September 11, 1885 Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Died | February 1, 1949(1949-02-01) (aged 63) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale) |
| Spouse | Mary Wolfe |
| Children | 3 |
| Awards | Best Original Score 1939The Wizard of Oz |
Herbert Pope Stothart (September 11, 1885 – February 1, 1949) was an Americansongwriter,arranger,conductor, andcomposer. He was nominated for tenAcademy Awards and wonBest Original Score forThe Wizard of Oz. Stothart was widely acknowledged as a prominent member of the top tier ofHollywood composers during the 1930s and 1940s.
Herbert Stothart was born inMilwaukee,Wisconsin. He studied music in Europe and at theUniversity of Wisconsin–Madison, where he later taught.
Stothart was initially hired by producerArthur Hammerstein to serve as amusical director for touring companies ofBroadway shows. He soon began composing music forOscar Hammerstein II, the producer's nephew. Notably, Stothart composed music for the famousoperetta,Rose-Marie. He collaborated with renowned composers such asVincent Youmans,George Gershwin andFranz Lehár. Stothart achieved success on thepopcharts with standards like "Cute Little Two by Four", "Wildflower", "Bambalina", "The Mounties", "Totem Tom-Tom", "Why Shouldn't We?", "Fly Away", "Song of the Flame", "The Cossack Love Song", "Dawn", "I Wanna Be Loved by You", "Cuban Love Song", "The Rogue Song" and "The Donkey Serenade".
The year 1929 marked the final year ofsilent films, the end of the era. Shortly after completing his latest musical,Golden Dawn, withEmmerich Kálmán, Oscar Hammerstein, andOtto Harbach, Stothart received an invitation fromLouis B. Mayer to move to Hollywood, an invitation which he accepted. In 1929, Stothart signed a substantial contract withMGM.
The next twenty years of his life were spent atMGM Studios, where he was part of elite group of Hollywood composers. Among the many films he worked on was the famous1936 version ofRose-Marie, starringJeanette MacDonald andNelson Eddy. He conducted and composed songs and scores for films such asThe Cuban Love Song,The Good Earth,Romeo and Juliet,Mutiny on the Bounty,Mrs. Miniver,The Green Years andThe Picture of Dorian Gray. His notable contributions also include theMarx Brothers'Night at the Opera, the romantic dramaAnna Karenina based onLeo Tolstoy's novel, and twoCharles Dickens adaptations (A Tale of Two Cities andDavid Copperfield). He ultimately won anOscar for his musical score in the 1939 filmThe Wizard of Oz.
Herbert Stothart dedicated his entire Hollywood career to MGM. In 1947, while visiting Scotland, he suffered aheart attack. Afterward, he composed an orchestral piece titledHeart Attack: A Symphonic Poem, inspired by his personal tribulations. Additionally, he worked on another composition,Voices of Liberation, commissioned by theRoger Wagner Chorale. Stothart died two years later at the age of 63.
Two of Stothart’s scores,Mutiny on the Bounty andMaytime, were also nominated. Prior to 1938 nominations in the scoring category went to the heads of studio music departments regardless of the credited composer.
| Year | Film | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | Marie Antoinette | Best Music (Original Score) | Nominated |
| Sweethearts | Best Music (Scoring) | Nominated | |
| 1939 | The Wizard of Oz | Best Music (Original Score) | Won |
| 1940 | Waterloo Bridge | Best Music (Original Score) | Nominated |
| 1941 | The Chocolate Soldier | Best Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) | Nominated |
| 1942 | Random Harvest | Best Music (Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) | Nominated |
| 1943 | Madame Curie | Best Music (Score of Dramatic or Comedy Picture) | Nominated |
| Thousands Cheer | Best Music (Scoring of a Musical Picture) | Nominated | |
| 1944 | Kismet | Best Music (Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) | Nominated |
| 1945 | The Valley of Decision | Best Music (Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) | Nominated |
Herbert Stothart produced over 100 film scores including:
"The Donkey Serenade": Adapted from a melody byRudolf Friml and featuring lyrics byRobert Wright andGeorge Forrest, this song became well-known from the1937 film version ofThe Firefly.
"Wildflower": (1923): A successful Broadway hit where Stothart collaborated with Vincent Youmans andHammerstein-Harbach.
"Rose Marie": (1924): An extremely successful show written by Rudolf Friml, contributing to Stothart's career momentum.
"The Rogue Song": Featured in the1930 film of the same name.
"Cuban Love Song": A hit from the 1931 filmThe Cuban Love Song.
"I Wanna Be Loved By You":Helen Kane first performed the song in 1928 and included a "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" tag that inspired the cartoon characterBetty Boop.Marilyn Monroe famously performed the song in the 1959 comedy filmSome Like It Hot.
Herbert Stothart died ofcancer inLos Angeles,California at the age of 63. He is interred atGlendale'sForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.[1]
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Academics | |
| Artists | |
| People | |
| Other | |
