Frank Alfred Marsales (31 August 188614 August 1975) was a

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best known for his work scoring many classic animated films by Warner Bros. Cartoons in the 1930s. He also worked with Walter Lantz Studios in the mid to late 1930s.

Cartoon career

Marsales was a symphony musician who became the music director for Warner Bros. Cartoons under the direction of former Disney animators

Hugh Harman Hugh Harman (August 31, 1903 – November 25, 1982) was an American animator. He was known for creating the Warner Bros. Cartoons and MGM Cartoons studios and his collaboration with Rudolf Ising during the Golden Age of American animation. ...

(1903–1982) and

Rudolf Ising Rudolf Carl "Rudy" Ising ( ; August 7, 1903 – July 18, 1992) was an American animator best known for collaborating with Hugh Harman to establish the Warner Bros. and MGM Cartoon studios during the early years of the golden age of American a ...

(1903–1992), scoring many classic cartoons in the 1930s, including every Harman & Ising

Looney Tunes ''Looney Tunes'' is an American media franchise produced and distributed by Warner Bros. The franchise began as a series of animated short films that originally ran from 1930 to 1969, alongside its spin-off series ''Merrie Melodies'', during t ...

and

Merrie Melodies ''Merrie Melodies'' is an American animated comedy short film series distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was part of the ''Looney Tunes'' franchise and featured many of the same characters. Originally running from August 2, 1931, to Septem ...

. His first credit was for '' Sinkin' in the Bathtub'', released in May 1930 and animated by

Friz Freleng Isadore "Friz" Freleng (; August 21, 1905May 26, 1995), credited as I. Freleng early in his career, was an American animator, cartoonist, Film director, director, Film producer, producer, and composer known for his work at Warner Bros. Cartoons ...

. He composed the music to the 1931 Merrie Melody '' Lady, Play Your Mandolin!''. His last credit for Warner Brothers was in 1933 with '' Bosko's Picture Show''. Frank Marsales
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Toonzone
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website He left Warner Brothers when Harman and Ising left the studio (but not with them), missing out on scoring their work at Paramount for the 1933 animated ''Alice in Wonderland''. Marsales may also have had a hand injury at that time that precluded his composing any music at all.Goldmark, Daniel (2005) "Tunes for 'Toons: Music and the Hollywood Cartoon" University of California Press, , page 179 In the mid-1930s, Marsales began work at Walter Lantz Studios as musical director for the Andy Panda cartoons, among others. Marsales's last credited musical score at Walter Lantz Studios was for '' Knock Knock'', released 25 November 1940 (although he may also have scored some parts of ''Syncopated Sioux'', released 30 December 1940, which the musical director was uncredited). Music from Marsales's work for Lantz also found its way into the 1957 animated television series '' The Woody Woodpecker Show'', which contained not only new cartoons, but also Woody's (and other) theatrical Lantz cartoons from the previous twenty years. The Woody Woodpecker Show
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Internet Movie Database
website

Personal life

Marsales was born in Yonker,

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, on 31 August 1886, the son of Robert Lambert Marsales and Lena Burns. He lived most of his life in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. Marsales married Catherine Elizabeth Murset (30 April 188913 January 1971). They had no children. He died on 14 August 1975 in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Marsales, Frank 1886 births 1975 deaths Place of birth missing Canadian television composers Canadian film score composers Canadian male film score composers 20th-century Canadian composers 20th-century Canadian male musicians Canadian expatriate musicians in the United States