Bretton Byrd (30 November 1904 – 27 September 1959) was a British composer and musician known for his work on

film score 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 ...

s between 1932 and 1956. Born in Ramsgate, Kent, his real name was James Thomas Bird.Hantley, John. ''British film Music'' (1947), pp. 198-9

Career

Byrd was largely self-taught as a singer and pianist, and made his living as a performer from the age of 16. This led to work as conductor and composer for travelling revues and pantomimes around the UK. He accompanied

Hetty King Winifred Emms (4 April 1883 – 28 September 1972), best known by her stage name Hetty King, was an English entertainer who performed in the music halls as a male impersonator over some 70 years. Early life She was born in New Brighton, Ches ...

, Harry Jolson (brother of Al) and other variety acts. After an introduction to

Louis Levy Louis Levy (20 November 1894 – 18 August 1957) was an English film music director and conductor, who worked in particular on Alfred Hitchcock and Will Hay films. He was born in London and died in Slough, Berkshire. Early life As a child Louis ...

in 1930 he was employed by

British Gaumont The Gaumont-British Picture Corporation was a British company that produced and distributed films and operated a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. It was established as an offshoot of France's Gaumont. Film production Gaumont-British was fou ...

, then the largest British production company. He began writing scores for films such as ''

It's Love Again ''It's Love Again'' is a 1936 British musical film directed by Victor Saville and starring Jessie Matthews, Robert Young and Sonnie Hale. In the film, a chorus girl masquerades as a big game hunter to try to boost her showbiz career. The f ...

'' (1936).Mundy, John. ''The British Musical Film'' (2007), p. 68 Byrd worked for the company's musical department both as a composer and

arranger In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orchestrat ...

. After leaving British Gaumont, he was employed by a variety of other production companies including

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and the main namesake subsidiary of Warner Bro ...

RKO Radio RKO General Inc. (previously General Teleradio Inc. and RKO Teleradio Pictures Inc.) was an American broadcasting company that, from 1952 through 1991, served as the main holding company for the noncore businesses of the General Tire and Rubber C ...

, and

Twentieth Century The 20th century began on 1 January 1901 (MCMI), and ended on 31 December 2000 (MM). It was the 10th and last century in the 2nd millennium and was marked by new models of scientific understanding, unprecedented scopes of warfare, new modes of ...

. In the 1950s also worked in television, as the musical director for Douglas Fairbanks' series of 160 television films, for 35 of which he also composed the music. He was also the musical director for the Monte Cristo and Charlie Chan series.

Selected filmography

* ''

Jack's the Boy ''Jack's the Boy'' is a 1932 British comedy film directed by Walter Forde and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Francis Lister and Peter Gawthorne. It became well known for its song " The Flies Crawled Up the Window", sung by Hulbert, ...

'' (1932) * '' Love on Wheels'' (1932) * ''

Sleeping Car The sleeping car or sleeper (often ) is a railway passenger car (rail), passenger car that can accommodate all passengers in beds of one kind or another, for the purpose of sleeping. George Pullman was the main American innovator and owner of sl ...

'' (1933) * '' Friday the Thirteenth'' (1933) * ''

Britannia of Billingsgate ''Britannia of Billingsgate'' is a 1933 British musical comedy film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Violet Loraine, Gordon Harker, Kay Hammond and John Mills. A family who work in the fish trade at Billingsgate Market encounter a film c ...

'' (1933) * '' Jack Ahoy'' (1934) * '' Jew Süss'' (1934) * '' Road House'' (1934) * ''

Oh, Daddy! ''Oh, Daddy!'' is a 1935 British comedy film directed by Graham Cutts and Austin Melford and starring Leslie Henson, Frances Day, Robertson Hare, and Barry MacKay. It was made at Islington Studios. The film's sets were designed by the art ...

'' (1935) * '' Boys Will Be Boys'' (1935) * '' First a Girl'' (1935) * ''

'' (1936) * ''

Jack of All Trades "Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person who has dabbled in many skills, rather than gaining expertise by focusing on only one. The original version, "a jack of all trades", is often used as a com ...

'' (1936) * ''

Take My Tip ''Take My Tip'' is a 1937 British musical comedy film directed by Herbert Mason (who stage managed some musical revues in the past), produced by Michael Balcon and starring Jack Hulbert, Cicely Courtneidge, Harold Huth and Frank Cellier. It wa ...

'' (1937) * '' Head over Heels'' (1937) * ''

Follow Your Star ''Follow Your Star'' is a 1938 British musical film directed by Sinclair Hill and starring Arthur Tracy, Belle Chrystall and Mark Daly. It was made at Pinewood Studios.Wood p.94 Cast * Arthur Tracy as Arthur Tee * Belle Chrystall as Mary ...

'' (1938) * ''

We're Going to Be Rich ''We're Going to Be Rich'' is a 1938 British historical musical comedy film directed by Monty Banks and starring Gracie Fields, Victor McLaglen and Brian Donlevy. Plot During the 1880s Kit Dobson, an English music hall singer performing in Aus ...

'' (1938) * '' Keep Smiling'' (1938) * '' Just like a Woman'' (1939) * '' The Midas Touch'' (1940) * '' Hoots Mon!'' (1940) * '' The Good Old Days'' (1940) * '' The Briggs Family'' (1940) * ''

That's the Ticket ''That's the Ticket'' is a 1940 British comedy film directed by Redd Davis and starring Sid Field, Hal Walters and Betty Lynne.Murphy p.166 It was shot at Teddington Studios. The sets were designed by the art director Norman G. Arnold. Synops ...

'' (1940) * '' His Brother's Keeper'' (1940) * ''

Two for Danger ''Two for Danger'' is a 1940 British crime film directed by George King and starring Barry K. Barnes, Greta Gynt and Ian McLean. It was made at Teddington Studios as a second feature by Warner Brothers.Chibnall & McFarlane p.3 Cast * Barry ...

'' (1940) * '' George and Margaret'' (1940) * '' The Saint's Vacation'' (1941) * ''

Turned Out Nice Again ''Turned Out Nice Again'' is a 1941 British comedy film directed by Marcel Varnel and starring the Lancashire-born comedian George Formby. Made at Ealing Studios, ''Turned Out Nice Again'' premiered at the London Pavilion Cinema on 29 June 19 ...

'' (1941) * ''

The Goose Steps Out ''The Goose Steps Out'' is a British film released in 1942, starring Will Hay, who also co-directed with Basil Dearden. It is a comedy of mistaken identity, with Hay acting as a German spy and also an Englishman who is his double. It was the fil ...

'' (1942) * ''

Time Flies Time Flies may refer to: * ''Tempus fugit'', a Latin phrase usually translated as "time flies"; an admonition against procrastination Film * ''Time Flies'' (1944 film), a British comedy directed by Walter Forde * ''Time Flies'' (2013 film), a C ...

'' (1944) * '' Bothered by a Beard'' (1946) * '' Root of All Evil'' (1947) * ''

The White Unicorn ''The White Unicorn'' is a 1947 British drama film directed by Bernard Knowles and starring Margaret Lockwood, Joan Greenwood, Ian Hunter and Dennis Price. Kyra Vayne appeared as the singer. It was made at Walton Studios by the independent prod ...

'' (1947) * ''

Look Before You Love ''Look Before You Love'' is a 1948 British drama film directed by Harold Huth and starring Margaret Lockwood, Griffith Jones and Maurice Denham. The screenplay was by Reginald Long based on the story ''I Know You'' by Ketti Frings. Plot summ ...

'' (1948) * '' My Sister and I'' (1948) * ''

Police Dog A police dog, also known as a K-9 (phonemic abbreviation of canine), is a dog that is trained to assist police and other law enforcement officers. Their duties may include searching for drugs and explosives, locating missing people, findin ...

'' (1955) * ''

Port of Escape ''Port of Escape'' is a 1956 British thriller film directed by Tony Young and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum, Bill Kerr and Joan Hickson. The screenplay was by Barbara S. Harper and Young based on a short story by Harper. Plot Two sai ...

'' (1956)

References

External links

* 1904 births 1959 deaths English film score composers English male film score composers 20th-century British classical musicians 20th-century English composers 20th-century English male musicians Musicians from Kent {{UK-composer-stub