Paul J. Smith (October 30, 1906 – January 25, 1985) was an American music composer and violinist best known for his work at

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

Life and career

Smith was born in

Calumet, Michigan Calumet ( or ) is a Village (United States), village in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. The village is located within Calumet Charter Township, Michigan, Calumet Township, Houghton County, Michiga ...

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 The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named aft ...

, however, it is unclear if he ever pursued this invitation. Smith joined

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 "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

'' (1937). He won an

Academy Award for Best Original Score The Academy Award for Best Original Score is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to the best substantial body of music in the form of dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by ...

with

Leigh Harline Leigh Adrian Harline (March 26, 1907 – December 10, 1969) was an American film composer and songwriter. He was known for his "musical sophistication that was uniquely 'Harline-esque' by weaving rich tapestries of mood-setting underscores and p ...

and

Ned Washington Ned Washington (born Edward Michael Washington, August 15, 1901 – December 20, 1976) was an American lyricist born in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Life and career Washington was nominated for eleven Academy Awards from 1940 to 1962. He won the Be ...

for ''

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 poor man named Geppetto in a Tuscan vil ...

'', which was his first and only Oscar win. He received six more nominations for ''

Saludos Amigos ''Saludos Amigos'' (Spanish for "Greetings, Friends") is a 1942 American live-action/animated anthology film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Set in Latin America, it is made up of four different segments; Donald Duck ...

'' (1942), ''

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 t ...

'' (1943), ''

The Three Caballeros ''The Three Caballeros'' is a 1944 American live-action and animated musical propaganda 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 ...

'' (1945), ''

Song of the South ''Song of the South'' is a 1946 American Live-action animated film, live-action/animated musical film, musical comedy-drama film directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson, produced by Walt Disney, and released by RKO Pictures, RKO Radio Pi ...

'' (1946), ''

Cinderella "Cinderella", or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a Folklore, folk tale with thousands of variants that are told throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsin Press, 1988. The protagonist is a you ...

'' (1950) and '' Perri'' (1957). In ''

Fantasia Fantasia may refer to: Film and television * ''Fantasia'' (1940 film), an animated musical film produced by Walt Disney ** '' Fantasia 2000'', a sequel to the 1940 film * ''Fantasia'' (2004 film), a Hong Kong comedy film * ''Fantasia'' (201 ...

'', he is one of the studio employees in the orchestra. He also composed the scores for most of the ''

True-Life Adventures ''True-Life Adventures'' is a series of short and full-length nature documentary films released by Walt Disney Productions between the years 1948 and 1960. The first seven films released were thirty-minute shorts, with the subsequent seven film ...

'' episodes and over 70 animated shorts. He left Disney in 1962 and from 1962 to 1963 he composed music for ''

Leave It to Beaver ''Leave It to Beaver'' is an American television sitcom that follows the misadventures of a suburban boy, his family and his friends. It starred Barbara Billingsley, Hugh Beaumont, Tony Dow and Jerry Mathers. CBS first broadcast the show ...

''. 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 Lawrence Edward Watkin (December 9, 1901 – December 16, 1981) was an American writer and film producer. He was known primarily as a scriptwriter for a series of 1950s Walt Disney films. Life Watkin was born in Camden (town), New York in 1901. ...

. Another one of Smith's collaborator was

George Bruns George Edward Bruns (July 3, 1914 – May 23, 1983) was an American composer of music for film and television. His accolades include four Academy Award nominations and three Grammy Award nominations. He is mainly known for his compositions fo ...

who worked with him on films like ''

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 Walsh ...

''. Smith also did the

stock music Production music (also known as stock music or library music) is recorded music that can be licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media. Often, the music is produced and owned by production music libraries. Backgrou ...

for the '' Blondie'' series of the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Death

Smith died on January 25, 1985, in

Glendale, California Glendale is a city located primarily in the Verdugo Mountains region, with a small portion in the San Fernando Valley, of Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is located about north of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, Glendale ha ...

, from

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

at age 78. In 1994, he was posthumously honored as a

Disney Legend Disney Legends is a Hall of Fame award that is awarded by The Walt Disney Company to individuals who " avemade a significant impact on the Disney legacy." The honor was established in 1987, and was traditionally awarded annually during a speci ...

Animation scores

*''

Thru the Mirror ''Thru the Mirror'' is a 1936 American animated short film directed by David Hand (director), David Hand from a story by William Cottrell and Joe Grant. In this cartoon short, Mickey Mouse has a ''Through the Looking-Glass''-parody-like dream t ...

'', 1936 *''

Don Donald ''Don Donald'' is a 1937 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. The cartoon follows Donald Duck attempting to woo a female Mexican duck named Donna. It was directed by Ben Sharpsteen and ...

'', 1937 *''

Donald's Nephews ''Donald's Nephews'' is a 1938 Donald Duck animated cartoon which features Donald being visited by his three nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. This cartoon is Huey, Dewey, and Louie's first appearance in animation. Al Taliaferro, the artist ...

'', 1938 *''

The Practical Pig ''The Practical Pig'' is a ''Silly Symphonies'' animated short film produced by Walt Disney. It was released on February 24, 1939, and was directed by Dick Rickard. It was the fourth and final cartoon starring The Three Pigs.

'', 1939 *''

'', 1940 *''

Bone Trouble ''Bone Trouble'' is a 1940 animated short produced by Walt Disney, and directed by Jack Kinney. It stars Pluto (Disney), Pluto and Butch the Bulldog, in the latter's first appearance. Plot The short begins with Pluto waking up in his dog hous ...

'', 1940 *''

'', 1940 (violinist in orchestra) *''

Fire Chief A fire chief or fire commissioner is a top executive rank or commanding officer in a fire department. Nomenclature Various official English-language titles for a fire chief include ''fire chief'', ''chief fire officer'' and ''fire commissioner ...

'', 1940 *''

Pluto's Playmate ''Pluto'' is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1937 with '' Pluto's Quin-puplets'' and ended in 1951 with '' Cold Turkey''. The series stars the titular character Pluto, int ...

'', 1941 *''

Canine Caddy ''Mickey Mouse'' (originally known as ''Mickey Mouse Sound Cartoons'') is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1928 with ''Steamboat Willie'' and ended with 2013’s '' Get a ...

'', 1941 *''

A Gentleman's Gentleman ''A Gentleman's Gentleman'' is a 1939 British comedy film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Eric Blore, Marie Lohr and Peter Coke. It was made at Teddington Studios and was based on a play by Philip MacDonald. Cast * Eric Blore as H ...

'', 1941 *'' The Reluctant Dragon'', 1941 *''

Donald Gets Drafted ''Donald Gets Drafted'' is a 1942 American animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The cartoon has Donald Duck being drafted into the U. S. Army during World War II and follows his introducti ...

'', 1942 *''

Bambi ''Bambi'' is a 1942 American Animated film, animated Coming of age, coming-of-age drama film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. Loosely based on Felix Salten's 1923 novel ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'', the ...

'', 1942 (orchestration) *''

'', 1942 *'' Fall Out Fall In'', 1943 *''

'', 1943 *'' The Old Army Game'', 1943 *''

Donald's Off Day ''Donald's Off Day'' is a 1944 Walt Disney animated short by Jack Hannah starring Donald Duck and Huey, Louie and Dewey. It stars the nephews tricking Donald into thinking that he is seriously ill. This cartoon was Hannah's debut as an animati ...

'', 1944 *''

Tiger Trouble ''Goofy'' is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1939 with ''Goofy and Wilbur'' and ended in 1953 with '' How to Sleep''. An additional short, ''How to Hook Up Your Home The ...

'', 1945 *''

'', 1945 *'' The Eyes Have It'', 1945 *'' Californy'er Bust'', 1945 *''

Hockey Homicide ''Hockey Homicide'' is a cartoon made by Walt Disney Productions in 1945, featuring Goofy. Plot Narrator Doodles Weaver explains the rules of ice hockey in satirical format. The narration's emphasis on good sportsmanship is countered by the vi ...

'', 1945 *'' The Lady Said No'', 1946 *''

'', 1946 (cartoon segments) *''

Fun and Fancy Free ''Fun and Fancy Free'' is a 1947 American animated musical fantasy anthology film produced by Walt Disney and Ben Sharpsteen and released on September 27, 1947, by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is a compilation of two stories: ''Bongo'', narrate ...

'', 1947 *''

Mail Dog ''Pluto'' is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1937 with '' Pluto's Quin-puplets'' and ended in 1951 with ''Cold Turkey''. The series stars the titular character Pluto, intr ...

'', 1947 *''

Melody Time ''Melody Time'' is a 1948 American live-action and animated musical anthology film produced by Walt Disney. It was released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on May 27, 1948. Made up of seven segments set to popular music and folk music, the f ...

'', 1948 (''Pecos Bill'' and ''Johnny Appleseed'') *''

So Dear to My Heart ''So Dear to My Heart'' is a 1948 American live-action/animated comedy-drama 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'', ...

'', 1949 *''

Toy Tinkers ''Toy Tinkers'' is an American animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions and released to theaters on December 16, 1949 by RKO Radio Pictures. Set during Christmas time, the film shows Chip 'n' Dale trying to steal ...

'', 1949 *''

'', 1950 *'' Trailer Horn'', 1950 *''

Puss Cafe ''Pluto'' is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1937 with '' Pluto's Quin-puplets'' and ended in 1951 with ''Cold Turkey''. The series stars the titular character Pluto, intr ...

'', 1950 *'' Motor Mania'', 1950 *'' Pests of the West'', 1950 *''Food For Feudin'', 1950 *'' Hook, Lion and Sinker'', 1950 *'' Camp Dog'', 1950 *''

Hold That Pose ''Hold That Pose'' is a 1950 American animated cartoon produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film's plot centers on Goofy trying to get a job as a wildlife photographer but ending up causing trouble in a gri ...

'', 1950 *'' Lion Down'', 1951 *''

Dude Duck ''Dude Duck'' is a 1951 American animated short film featuring Donald Duck, directed by Jack Hannah and produced by Walt Disney. In the short film, Donald goes on vacation to a dude ranch and gets a totally uncooperative horse as a mount. Plot ...

'', 1951 *'' Test Pilot Donald'', 1951 *''

Lucky Number In number theory, a lucky number is a natural number in a set which is generated by a certain " sieve". This sieve is similar to the sieve of Eratosthenes that generates the primes, but it eliminates numbers based on their position in the rema ...

'', 1951 *''R'Coon Dawg'', 1951 *''Get Rich Quick'', 1951 *''

Cold Turkey "Cold Turkey" is a song written by John Lennon, released as a single in 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, catalogue Apples 1001 in the United Kingdom, Apple 1813 in the United States. It is the second solo single issued by Lennon ...

'', 1951 *'' Fathers Are People'', 1951 *''

Out of Scale ''Out of Scale'' is a 1951 American animated short film directed by Jack Hannah and produced by Walt Disney. In the short, Donald Duck has a ride-on sized train layout in his backyard. There is a large tree (home to Chip 'n Dale) that is out ...

'', 1951 *'' No Smoking'', 1951 *''

Two-Gun Goofy ''Goofy'' is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1939 with ''Goofy and Wilbur'' and ended in 1953 with '' How to Sleep''. An additional short, ''How to Hook Up Your Home The ...

'', 1952 *''

Susie the Little Blue Coupe ''Susie the Little Blue Coupe'' is an animated short film produced by Walt Disney Productions and originally released by RKO Radio Pictures on June 6, 1952. The eight-minute film was directed by Clyde Geronimi and based on an original short-stor ...

'', 1952 *'' The Little House'', 1952 *''

Father's Day Off ''Goofy'' is a series of American animated comedy short films produced by Walt Disney Productions. The series started in 1939 with ''Goofy and Wilbur'' and ended in 1953 with '' How to Sleep''. An additional short, ''How to Hook Up Your Home The ...

'', 1953 *''

The Simple Things ''The Simple Things'' is an animated short film, part of the ''Mickey Mouse'' series, produced by Walt Disney Productions. Released by RKO Radio Pictures on March 27, 1953, the short is notable as the 126th and final regular entry in the ''Mick ...

'', 1953The Cartoon Music-Google Books (pg. 35)
/ref> *''The Jounery Mistery Of Boob'', 1963

Live-action theatrical film scores

*''

Glamour Girl Glamour photography is a genre of photography Photography is the visual arts, art, application, and practice of creating images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensiti ...

'', 1948 *''The Strange Mrs. Crane'', 1948 *''

Love Happy ''Love Happy'' is a 1949 American musical comedy film released by United Artists, directed by David Miller and starring the Marx Brothers ( Groucho, Harpo and Chico) in their 13th and final feature film. The screenplay was written by Frank Tas ...

'', 1949 (conductor) *'' In Beaver Valley'', 1950 includes "Jing-a-Ling", lyrics added by

Don Raye Don Raye (born Donald MacRae Wilhoite Jr., March 16, 1909 – January 29, 1985) was an American songwriter, best known for his songs for The Andrews Sisters such as "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar", " The House of Blue Lights", "Just for a Thr ...

*''Pecos River'', 1951 *'' About Face'', 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 ecosystem Freshwater ecosystems are a subset of Earth's ...

'', 1952 *''

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 ...

'', 1953 *''

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 '' W ...

'', 1954 *''

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea ''Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas'' () is a science fiction adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne. It is considered a classic within its genres and world literature. It was originally serialised from March 1869 to June 1870 i ...

'', 1954 *''

The Great Locomotive Chase ''The Great Locomotive Chase'' is a 1956 American adventure western film produced by Walt Disney Productions, based on the Great Locomotive Chase that occurred in 1862 during the American Civil War. Filmed in CinemaScope and in color, the film ...

'', 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, space and animals. The documentary was released on November 6, 1956, by Buena Vista Distribution. S ...

'', 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 Walsh ...

'', 1956 *'' Perri'', 1957 *'' The Light in the Forest'', 1958 *'' The Shaggy Dog'', 1959 *''

Pollyanna ''Pollyanna'' is a 1913 novel by American author Eleanor H. Porter, considered a classic of children's literature. The book's success led to Porter soon writing a sequel, ''Pollyanna Grows Up'' (1915). Eleven more ''Pollyanna'' sequels, known a ...

'', 1960 *'' Swiss Family Robinson'', 1960 *'' The Parent Trap'', 1961 *''

Moon Pilot ''Moon Pilot'' is a 1962 American Technicolor science fiction comedy film from Walt Disney Productions, released through Buena Vista Distribution, directed by James Neilson, and starring Tom Tryon, Brian Keith, Edmond O'Brien, Dany Saval, an ...

'', 1962 *'' Bon Voyage!'', 1962 *''

In Search of the Castaways ''In Search of the Castaways'' () is a novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1867–68. The original edition, published by Hetzel, contains illustrations by Édouard Riou. In 1876, it was republished by George Routledge & Son ...

'', 1962 *''

Miracle of the White Stallions ''Miracle of the White Stallions'' is a 1963 American adventure film, adventure war film released by Walt Disney starring Robert Taylor (American actor), Robert Taylor (playing Alois Podhajsky), Lilli Palmer, and Eddie Albert. It is based on ...

'', 1963 *''Yellowstone Cubs'', 1963 *''

The Three Lives of Thomasina ''The Three Lives of Thomasina'' is a 1963 fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey about a cat's influence on a family. Patrick McGoohan and Susan Hampshire star alongside child actors Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber. Based on Paul Gallico's 195 ...

'', 1963

References

Film Composers in America, A. Filmography 1911- 1970 by Clifford McCarthy

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Paul 1906 births 1985 deaths American film score composers American male film score composers Animated film score composers Best Original Music Score Academy Award winners College of Idaho alumni Walt Disney Animation Studios people People from Calumet, Michigan Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in California Deaths from dementia in California Musicians from Michigan 20th-century American composers 20th-century American male musicians