Edward Holcomb Plumb (June 6, 1907,

Streator, Illinois Streator is a city in LaSalle and Livingston counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The city is situated on the Vermilion River approximately southwest of Chicago in the prairie and farm land of north-central Illinois. As of the 2020 censu ...

– April 18, 1958,

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

) was a

film composer A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to e ...

and

orchestrator Orchestration is the study or practice of writing music for an orchestra (or, more loosely, for any musical ensemble, such as a concert band) or of adapting music composed for another medium for an orchestra. Also called "instrumentation", orch ...

best known for his work at Walt Disney Studios. He served as musical director of '' Fantasia'' and orchestrated and co-composed the score for ''

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...

'', and orchestrated and expanded the film's Main composer Frank Churchill's menacing but simple three-note theme.

Life and career

Plumb was born in

. His grandfather, Colonel

Ralph Plumb Ralph Plumb (March 29, 1816 – April 8, 1903) was a U.S. Representative from Illinois. Biography Ralph Plumb was born in Busti, New York on March 29, 1816. He attended the common schools. He engaged in mercantile pursuits, and moved to Ohio. ...

founded the city of Streator in 1866. In the 1930s, Plumb moved to California and began work as a composer and orchestrator in the film industry. In addition to his work for Disney, Plumb frequently worked on titles for other studios, including Republic,

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...

and

20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...

. In 1953, he wrote the music for MGM's ''

Tom and Jerry ''Tom and Jerry'' is an American Animated cartoon, animated media franchise and series of comedy short films created in 1940 by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Best known for its 161 theatrical short films by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the series c ...

'' short called ''

The Missing Mouse This is a complete list of the 164 shorts in the ''Tom and Jerry'' series produced and released between 1940 and 2014. Of these, 162 are theatrical shorts, one is a made-for-TV short, and one is a 2-minute sketch shown as part of a telethon. ...

'' because Scott Bradley was on vacation. Back at Disney, Plumb orchestrated the music for the Whale Chase sequence in ''

Pinocchio Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...

'', ''

Dumbo ''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, ...

'', ''

Make Mine Music ''Make Mine Music'' is a 1946 American animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. It is the eighth Disney feature animated film, released on April 20, 1946. During World War II, much of Walt Disn ...

'', '' Song of the South'', Beanero in ''

Fun and Fancy Free ''Fun and Fancy Free'' is a 1947 American animated musical fantasy package film produced by Walt Disney and released on September 27, 1947 by RKO Radio Pictures. It is the ninth Disney animated feature film and the fourth of the package films th ...

'', ''

So Dear to My Heart ''So Dear to My Heart'' is a 1948 American live-action/animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Its world premiere was in Chicago, Illinois, on November 29, 1948. Like 1946's ''Song of the South'', the film comb ...

'', some subsidiary cues for ''

Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...

'', ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'', and ''

Lady and the Tramp ''Lady and the Tramp'' is a 1955 American animated musical romance film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Film Distribution. The 15th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and ...

''. He also orchestrated a number of television programs for ''

Walt Disney Presents The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The p ...

'', a number of '' Davy Crockett'' films and on ''

Westward Ho, the Wagons! ''Westward Ho the Wagons!'' is a 1956 American Western film starring Fess Parker and Kathleen Crowley and produced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on Mary Jane Carr's novel ''Children of the Covered Wagon'', the film was produced by Bill Wa ...

'', starring

Fess Parker Fess Elisha Parker Jr. (born F. E. Parker Jr.;Weaver, Tom.Sci-Fi Swarm and Horror Horde: Interviews with 62 Filmmakers p. 148 (McFarland 2012). August 16, 1924 – March 18, 2010),(March 18, 2010Daniel Boone Actor Fess Parker Dies at 85" ''CBS ...

. His final film project was ''

Johnny Tremain ''Johnny Tremain'' is a work of historical fiction written in 1943 by Esther Forbes that is set in Boston prior to and during the outbreak of the American Revolution. Intended for teen-aged readers, the novel's themes include apprenticeship, co ...

'' for Disney in 1957. Plumb died from

long-term effects of alcohol consumption The long-term heavy consumption of alcohol (alcohol use disorder) can cause severe detrimental effects. Health effects associated with alcohol intake in large amounts include an increased risk of developing an alcohol use disorder, malnutrition, ...

on April 18, 1958. He was 50. He received

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

nominations for ''Bambi'', ''

Victory Through Air Power ''Victory Through Air Power'' is a 1942 non-fiction book by Alexander P. de Seversky. It was made into a 1943 Walt Disney animated feature film of the same name. Theories De Seversky began his military life at a young age. After serving in ...

'', '' Saludos Amigos'' and ''

The Three Caballeros ''The Three Caballeros'' is a 1944 American live-action/animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film premiered in Mexico City on December 21, 1944. It was released in the United States on ...

''. In the Tom and Jerry cartoon "The Missing Mouse" he is credited as "Edward Plumb" without the H. initial.

Disney credits

* 1940 ''

'' - additional music - uncredited * 1940 '' Fantasia'' - musical director * 1941 '' The Reluctant Dragon'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1941 ''

'' - orchestrator * 1942 ''

'' - orchestrator/co-composer * 1942 '' Saludos Amigos'' - score * 1943 ''

'' - score * 1944 ''

'' - associate music director * 1945 '' Donald's Crime'' - score * 1946 ''

'' - associate music director * 1946 '' Song of the South'' - orchestration * 1947 ''

'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1949 ''

'' - orchestration as Ed Plumb * 1950 ''

'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1950 ''

In Beaver Valley ''In Beaver Valley'' is a 1950 American short documentary film directed by James Algar. The film was produced by Walt Disney as part of the '' True-Life Adventures'' series of nature documentaries. It won an Oscar in 1951 for Best Short Subjec ...

'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1951 ''

Nature's Half Acre ''Nature's Half Acre'' is a 1951 American short documentary film directed by James Algar. In 1952, it won an Oscar at the 24th Academy Awards for Best Short Subject (Two-Reel). The film was produced by Walt Disney as part of the '' True-Life A ...

'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1952 ''

The Olympic Elk ''The Olympic Elk'' is a 1952 American short documentary film directed by James Algar and produced by Walt Disney as part of the '' True-Life Adventures'' series of nature documentaries. Summary A photographic study of the Olympic elk which abo ...

'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1952 ''

Water Birds A water bird, alternatively waterbird or aquatic bird, is a bird that lives on or around water. In some definitions, the term ''water bird'' is especially applied to birds in freshwater ecosystems, although others make no distinction from seabi ...

'' - orchestration * 1953 ''

'' - orchestration * 1953 '' Bear Country'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1953 ''

The Alaskan Eskimo ''The Alaskan Eskimo'' is a 1953 American short documentary film produced by Walt Disney. It was the initial film in Disney's People & Places series. In 1954, it won an Oscar for Documentary Short Subject at the 26th Academy Awards The ...

'' - orchestration - uncredited * 1953 '' The New Neighbor'' - score * 1953 ''

The Living Desert ''The Living Desert'' is a 1953 American nature documentary film that shows the everyday lives of the animals of the desert of the Southwestern United States. The film was written by James Algar, Winston Hibler, Jack Moffitt (uncredited) and T ...

'' - orchestration * 1953 '' How to Sleep'' - score * 1954 ''

Donald's Diary Donald's Diary is a Donald Duck short film which was produced in Technicolor and released February 13, 1954 by RKO Radio Pictures. Plot In San Francisco, Donald meets Daisy Duck and the two fall in love. They date, get engaged, and finally m ...

'' - score * 1954 ''

The Vanishing Prairie ''The Vanishing Prairie'' is a 1954 American documentary film directed by James Algar and released by Walt Disney Productions. The theme music was given a set of lyrics by Hazel "Gil" George. It was rechristened as "Pioneer's Prayer" in '' Wes ...

'' - orchestration * 1955 '' Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier'' - orchestration * 1955 ''

'' - orchestration * 1956 ''

Davy Crockett and the River Pirates ''Davy Crockett and the River Pirates'' is a 1956 American Western film produced by Walt Disney Productions. A prequel to '' Davy Crockett: King of the Wild Frontier'', the feature film is an edited and recut compilation of the last two episode ...

'' - orchestration * 1956 ''

Secrets of Life ''Secrets of Life'' is a 1956 American documentary film written and directed by James Algar. The documentary follows the changing world of nature, the sky, the sea, the sun, planets, insects and volcanic action. The documentary was released on No ...

'' - orchestration * 1956 ''

Westward Ho the Wagons! ''Westward Ho the Wagons!'' is a 1956 American Western film starring Fess Parker and Kathleen Crowley and produced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on Mary Jane Carr's novel ''Children of the Covered Wagon'', the film was produced by Bill Wal ...

'' - orchestration * 1957 ''

'' - orchestration

Works outside of the Disney Studio

* 1942 ''

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

'' - orchestrator * 1942 '' Careful, Soft Shoulders'' - orchestrator * 1942 '' Girl Trouble'' - orchestrator * 1942 ''

You Were Never Lovelier ''You Were Never Lovelier'' is a 1942 American musical romantic comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Fred Astaire and Rita Hayworth. The supporting cast also features Adolphe Menjou, Xavier Cugat and Adele Mara. The music was co ...

'' - orchestrator * 1944 '' Ever Since Venus'' * 1945 ''

The Phantom Speaks ''The Phantom Speaks'' is a 1945 American supernatural film noir directed by John English and written by John K. Butler. The film stars Richard Arlen, Stanley Ridges, Lynne Roberts, Tom Powers, Charlotte Wynters and Jonathan Hale. The film ...

'' - score * 1945 ''

The Woman Who Came Back ''The Woman Who Came Back'' is a 1945 horror film directed by Walter Colmes and starring John Loder, Nancy Kelly, and Otto Kruger. The film concerns an offbeat woman who becomes convinced that she is a witch, a conclusion which eventually lea ...

'' - score * 1945 ''

Doll Face ''Doll Face'' is a 1945 American film released by 20th Century Fox and directed by Lewis Seiler starring Vivian Blaine as "Doll Face" Carroll. It also stars actor Dennis O'Keefe and singers Carmen Miranda and Perry Como. The film is based on th ...

'' - orchestrator * 1946 '' Murder in the Music Hall'' - additional music - uncredited * 1946 '' Valley of the Zombies'' * 1946 ''

Centennial Summer ''Centennial Summer'' is a 1946 musical film directed by Otto Preminger. Starring Jeanne Crain and Cornel Wilde, the film is based on a novel by Albert E. Idell. It was produced in response to the hugely successful 1944 MGM musical film ''Meet ...

'' * 1946 '' Monsieur Beaucaire'' * 1947 ''

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

'' - orchestrator * 1947 ''

Variety Girl ''Variety Girl'' is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by George Marshall and starring Mary Hatcher, Olga San Juan, DeForest Kelley, Frank Ferguson, Glenn Tryon, Nella Walker, Torben Meyer, Jack Norton, and William Demarest. It was ...

'' - composer "Puppetoon" sequence * 1948 '' The Sainted Sisters'' - orchestrator * 1949 ''

The Accused Accused or The Accused may refer to: * A person suspected with committing a crime or offence; see Criminal charge ** Suspect, a known person suspected of committing a crime * The Accüsed, a 1980s Seattle crossover thrash band *''The Accused'', a ...

'' - orchestrator * 1949 '' The Great Lover'' - orchestrator * 1950 ''

The Happy Years ''The Happy Years'' is a 1950 film based on the 1910 novel ''The Varmint'' by Owen Johnson. It concerns the adventures of Dink Stover, a boy attending the Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. Plot Expelled from other preparatory schools, most rec ...

'' - orchestrator * 1950 '' Fancy Pants'' - orchestrator * 1951 ''

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

'' * 1951 ''

The Painted Hills ''The Painted Hills'', also known as ''Lassie's Adventures in the Goldrush'', is a 1951 drama western film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and directed by Harold F. Kress. Adapted by True Boardman from Alexander Hull's novel ''Shep of t ...

'' - orchestrator * 1951 '' That's My Boy'' - orchestrator * 1951 '' Angels in the Outfield'' - orchestrator * 1953 ''

References

Notes The library of Congress Film Composers in America 1911 - 1970 by Clifford McCarthy Bibliography * * Care, Ross B. (January 1983) "Threads of Care: The Evolution of a Major Film Score - Walt Disney's Bambi," ''The Quarterly Journal of the Library of Congress'' v. 40, n. 2, p. 100 * Tietyan, Dave (1990) ''The Musical World of Walt Disney''. New York: Harry N. Abrams.

External links

* 1907 births 1958 deaths American film score composers Animation composers People from Streator, Illinois Walt Disney Animation Studios people 20th-century classical musicians 20th-century American composers Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer cartoon studio people Alcohol-related deaths in California {{US-film-bio-stub