Who scored the early Happy Harmonies?

[frizfrelengfan]

Some of these have wonderful scores (for example "The Old Mill Pond"). Frank Marsales was credited as music director for all of the Harman-Ising Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies. When Harman and Ising switched to MGM, Marsales' name disappeared from the WB cartoons, replaced by Norman Spencer and Bernard Brown.

One would think that since both the early WB cartoons and the Happy Harmonies were subcontracted to Harman and Ising, that when they switched to MGM they would retain most of their staff (except for the ones that Leon Schlesinger hired back such as Friz Freleng). Happy Harmonies have no credits other than Harman and Ising themselves, so is it possible that Marsales scored these? Or was Scott Bradley there from the beginning?

[Bugsmer]

That's a good question. It's something I've never thought about. When I think MGM, Scott Bradley pops into my head and I cease to think any more on the matter. All I can tell you is that it wasn't me.

[David Gerstein]

Marsales turned up at Lantz shortly after the MGM studio got going, so evidently he didn't stick with Harman and Ising.
I seem to recollect reading that Bradley was the MGM music guy from the start, but I wouldn't put money on it—MGM isn't my specialty, and my reference materials aren't nearby.
:shame:

[Sogturtle]

Welllll in my researches I found that quite clearly Scott Bradley was the music director for the Happy Harmonies right from the beginning:).

[Heresy though it is, I actually like Frank Marsales work for them on the LTs and MMs better:eek:].

[dandu]

Welllll in my researches I found that quite clearly Scott Bradley was the music director for the Happy Harmonies right from the beginning:).

[Heresy though it is, I actually like Frank Marsales work for them on the LTs and MMs better:eek:].

Me too, sogturtle. Marsale's work is very pleasing to my ears, his music bodes well with whatever happens in the cartoons, and I really enjoy his loud arrangement.

[Ray Pointer]

The scores seem very similar to those done for the Disney Silly Symphonies. The quality of the recordings also adds to this similar sound. While both were using the RCA "High Fidelity" system, I have wondered if Harmon-Ising used Disney's recording facilities, which were rented out to others.

A relationship with Harmon and Ising seemed to have continued since Disney subcontracted some production work to them. WATER BABIES has now been confirmed as having been done at H-I, and parts of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS were aslo done at H-I because they were the only other studio in Los Angeles capbable of producing animation of Disney's quality at that time.

[rex racer]

To me it's really apples and oranges. I like and appreciate Marsales work and the brasher tonalities of the Warner Brothers/ Schlesinger cartoon films. Bradley's work offers more depth and orchestral range to my ears, but then MGM had that wondrous sound during the mid 1930's, mixing choral notes & occasional verse with woodwinds, and lots of strings!! The sound was similar in approach to how Disney wanted his films scored, but it was certainly no carbon copy. Bradley's work speaks for itself, and I'd be first in line to purchase his scores/soundtracks from the 1930's and 40's, should they ever appear, as those few 1950's works did recently.

[Jack G.]

... and parts of SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS were aslo done at H-I ...:eek: I didn't know that.

[Sogturtle]

:eek: I didn't know that.

Masked Stinker~

Well, the precise story was that the Disney ink and paint dept. was just not able to churn out the "Snow White" workload fast enough to meet the deadline... Sooooo with Harman-Ising on hiatus from MGM, Walt asked Hugh and Rudy if he could borrow THEIR ink and paint department and they complied (bills and salaries to pay).

THAT then led Walt to offer them a stack of "conceptual drawings" and an offer, which they then turned into "Merbabies" (with Rudy Ising and George Stallings directing) under periodic inspection by Disney-ites.

[Fibber Fox]

Welllll in my researches I found that quite clearly Scott Bradley was the music director for the Happy Harmonies right from the beginning:).

[Heresy though it is, I actually like Frank Marsales work for them on the LTs and MMs better:eek:].

Sog, who hired Bradley? I'm presuming it was Hugh Harman.

Marsales' work is one of the highlights of the early Schlesinger cartoons. The scores aren't complex but they are a lot of fun.

FF