David Snell
- Known for
- Sound
- Born
- September 10, 1897
- Died
- March 27, 1967 (aged 69)
- Birthplace
- Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia David L. Snell (10 September 1897, Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 27 March 1967, Glendale, California) was a pianist, conductor, composer and music director. He composed the music for over 170 shorts, series or feature films. Snell studied at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, Wisconsin College and the Meyer Conservatory of Music. He formed his own orchestra, and was the musical director for several stage productions. He joined Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's music department in 1937, turning out music for a range of films from low-cost "B" movies to expensive features. He would spend his entire film career with MGM. He was conductor, composer, and music director for MGM for twenty-one years. The work could be high pressure. In November 1938 Franz Waxman had just five days to put together the fifty-minute score for A Christmas Carol so it could be released in time for the holiday season. Snell helped out, writing the opening and closing credit cues and half a dozen other cues based on themes provided by Waxman. Snell wrote music for many full-length films, shorts and B-movie series such as Dr. Kildare, Maisie and The Thin Man. His songs include Under The Stars, Downstream Drifter, Come Back Little Girl Of Mine and Once Over Lightly. His scores often showed first-rate craftsmanship, but his work has generally been ignored, perhaps because in most cases he chose to simply underscore the dialog as opposed to contributing complementary musical ideas. However, for the 1947 Lady in the Lake, based on the Raymond Chandler novel and set around Christmas time, Snell chose to use a choir singing a cappella, providing an austere and effective "black and white" score to accompany the stark black and white cinematography. The moody music echoed Christmas carols. David L. Snell died in 1967.
Known For
Filmography
Mr. Wakefield's Crusade
Movie · Conductor
Accident
Movie · Musician
Alias a Gentleman
Movie · Music
My Old Town
Movie · Music, Music Director
Killer McCoy
Movie · Original Music Composer
Dark Delusion
Movie · Music
Song of the Thin Man
Movie · Music
Undercover Maisie
Movie · Original Music Composer
Lady in the Lake
Movie · Original Music Composer
Up Goes Maisie
Movie · Original Music Composer
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy
Movie · Music
Bad Bascomb
Movie · Music
Twice Blessed
Movie · Music Director
Dangerous Partners
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Hidden Eye
Movie · Music
Between Two Women
Movie · Original Music Composer
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
Movie · Music
See Here, Private Hargrove
Movie · Music
Twenty Years After
Movie · Music
The Thin Man Goes Home
Movie · Music
Maisie Goes to Reno
Movie · Original Music Composer
Gentle Annie
Movie · Music
Rationing
Movie · Music
Swing Fever
Movie · Music Director
The Man from Down Under
Movie · Original Music Composer
Grand Central Murder
Movie · Original Music Composer
Kid Glove Killer
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Courtship of Andy Hardy
Movie · Music
The War Against Mrs. Hadley
Movie · Music
Nazi Agent
Movie · Music
Sunday Punch
Movie · Original Music Composer
Jackass Mail
Movie · Music
We Must Have Music
Movie · Music
Acro-Batty
Movie · Music
Tarzan's New York Adventure
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Vanishing Virginian
Movie · Music Score Producer
Flag of Mercy
Movie · Music
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
Movie · Music
Washington Melodrama
Movie · Music
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Movie · Music
Third Dimensional Murder
Movie · Original Music Composer
Ringside Maisie
Movie · Original Music Composer
Love Crazy
Movie · Original Music Composer
Billy the Kid
Movie · Original Music Composer
Football Thrills of 1940
Movie · Original Music Composer
Shadow of the Thin Man
Movie · Music
Maisie Was a Lady
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Wild Man of Borneo
Movie · Original Music Composer
Gallant Sons
Movie · Music
A Way in the Wilderness
Movie · Music
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
Movie · Original Music Composer
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
Movie · Music
The Golden Fleecing
Movie · Music
Wyoming
Movie · Music
Phantom Raiders
Movie · Music
20 Mule Team
Movie · Music
Third Finger, Left Hand
Movie · Music
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
Movie · Music
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
Movie · Music
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Movie · Music
The Ghost Comes Home
Movie · Original Music Composer
Sky Murder
Movie · Original Music Composer
Gold Rush Maisie
Movie · Original Music Composer
Thunder Afloat
Movie · Music
The Hardys Ride High
Movie · Music
Judge Hardy and Son
Movie · Original Music Composer
Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever
Movie · Music
Calling Dr. Kildare
Movie · Music
These Glamour Girls
Movie · Original Music Composer
Henry Goes Arizona
Movie · Music
Blackmail
Movie · Music
The Women
Movie · Original Music Composer
Angel of Mercy
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
Movie · Music
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
Movie · Original Music Composer
Radio Hams
Movie · Music
The Story of Alfred Nobel
Movie · Music
Stronger Than Desire
Movie · Music
Somewhat Secret
Movie · Music
Prophet Without Honor
Movie · Music
The Giant of Norway
Movie · Music
Yankee Doodle Goes to Town
Movie · Music
Heroes at Leisure
Movie · Music
The Story of Dr. Jenner
Movie · Original Music Composer
Captain Spanky's Show Boat
Movie · Music Arranger
Out West with the Hardys
Movie · Music
What Do You Think? Tupapaoo
Movie · Music
What Do You Think? (Number Three)
Movie · Music
Billy Rose's Casa Mañana Revue
Movie · Music
Young Dr. Kildare
Movie · Music
The Forgotten Step
Movie · Music
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
Movie · Music
Hollywood Goes to Town
Movie · Sound Director
The Magician's Daughter
Movie · Original Music Composer
Nostradamus
Movie · Music
The Man on the Rock
Movie · Music
The Great Heart
Movie · Music
Once Over Lightly
Movie · Music
It's in the Stars
Movie · Music
Bravest of the Brave
Movie · Original Music Composer
Party Fever
Movie · Music
Joaquin Murrieta
Movie · Music
Snow Gets in Your Eyes
Movie · Original Music Composer
Anaesthesia
Movie · Music
Football Thrills of 1937
Movie · Music
Grid Rules
Movie · Music
The Canary Comes Across
Movie · Music
Love Finds Andy Hardy
Movie · Original Music Composer
Judge Hardy's Children
Movie · Original Music Composer
That Mothers Might Live
Movie · Original Music Composer
Married Before Breakfast
Movie · Music
My Dear Miss Aldrich
Movie · Music
You're Only Young Once
Movie · Original Music Composer
A Family Affair
Movie · Original Music Composer
Carnival in Paris
Movie · Music
Madame X
Movie · Original Music Composer
Song of Revolt
Movie · Music
Mad Love
Movie · Original Music Composer
The Thin Man
Movie · Orchestrator
Faithless
Movie · Original Music Composer