This article is about the American composer. For the British harpist, composer and conductor, see
David Snell (musician).
David L. Snell |
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Born | (1897-09-10)10 September 1897
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Died | 27 March 1967(1967-03-27) (aged 69)
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Nationality | American |
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Occupation | Composer |
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Known for |
Shadow of the Thin Man |
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David L. Snell (10 September 1897 – 27 March 1967) was a pianist, conductor, composer and music director. He composed the music for over 170 shorts, series or feature films.
Early years
David L. Snell was born on 10 September 1897 in
Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
He became a pianist, and 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.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer music director
Snell 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.
Snell's scores often showed first-rate craftmanship, 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 without musical accompaniment, 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 at home in
Glendale, California on March 27, 1967.
Filmography
Snell is credited as composer in many films, including:
- 1935 Prince, King of Dogs (Documentary short, uncredited)
- 1935 Windy (Short, uncredited)
- 1937
A Family Affair
- 1937 Bars and Stripes (Short)
- 1937 Candid Cameramaniacs (Short, uncredited)
- 1937 Carnival in Paris (Short)
- 1937
Dangerous Number
- 1937 Equestrian Acrobats (Documentary short, uncredited)
- 1937
Madame X
- 1937
Married Before Breakfast
- 1937
My Dear Miss Aldrich
- 1937 Some Time Soon (Short, musical score)
- 1937 Song of Revolt (Short, musical score)
- 1937
The Thirteenth Chair
- 1937
You're Only Young Once
- 1938
Aladdin's Lantern (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 Anaesthesia (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 Billy Rose's Casa Mañana Revue (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 Bravest of the Brave (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 Captain Kidd's Treasure (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 Electrical Power (Documentary short, as Dave Snell)
- 1938 Football Thrills of 1937 (Documentary short, uncredited)
- 1938 Grid Rules (Documentary short, uncredited)
- 1938 Hollywood Goes to Town (Short documentary)
- 1938 Joaquin Murrieta (Short)
- 1938
Judge Hardy's Children
- 1938
Love Finds Andy Hardy (musical score by)
- 1938 Men of Steel (Short, musical score)
- 1938 Music Made Simple (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 Nostradamus (Short)
- 1938 Once Over Lightly (Short, musical score)
- 1938
Out West with the Hardys
- 1938
Party Fever (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 Passing Parade (Short)
- 1938 Snow Gets in Your Eyes (Short, musical score by)
- 1938 Strange Glory (Short)
- 1938
That Mothers Might Live (Short)
- 1938 The Canary Comes Across (Short)
- 1938 The Forgotten Step (Short, uncredited)
- 1938
The Great Heart (Short)
- 1938 The Historical Mystery: Miracle of Salt Lake (Documentary short)
- 1938
The Little Ranger (Short, uncredited)
- 1938 The Magician's Daughter (Short)
- 1938 The Man on the Rock (Short)
- 1938 The World Is Ours (Short, music score)
- 1938 They Live Again (Documentary short)
- 1938 Tracking the Sleeping Death (Short)
- 1938 What Do You Think? (Number Three, Short, uncredited)
- 1938 What Do You Think?: Tupapaoo (Short, as Dave Snell)
- 1938
Young Dr. Kildare
- 1939
Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever
- 1939 Angel of Mercy (Short)
- 1939
Blackmail
- 1939
Burn 'Em Up O'Connor
- 1939
Calling Dr. Kildare
- 1939
Captain Spanky's Showboat (Short)
- 1939
Dancing Co-Ed
- 1939 Football Thrills of 1938 (Short, uncredited)
- 1939 Happily Buried (Short)
- 1939
Henry Goes Arizona
- 1939 Heroes at Leisure (Documentary short)
- 1939 Ice Antics (Short)
- 1939
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
- 1939
Judge Hardy and Son
- 1939 Marine Circus (Documentary short, uncredited)
- 1939 Miracle at Lourdes (Short)
- 1939
Prophet Without Honor (Short)
- 1939 Radio Hams (Short, uncredited)
- 1939 Somewhat Secret (Short)
- 1939
Stronger Than Desire
- 1939 The Giant of Norway (Short)
- 1939 The Greener Hills (Short, uncredited)
- 1939
The Hardys Ride High
- 1939
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
- 1939 The Story of Alfred Nobel (Short)
- 1939 The Story of Dr. Jenner (Short)
- 1939 The Story That Couldn't Be Printed (Short)
- 1939
The Women
- 1939
These Glamour Girls
- 1939 They All Come Out (uncredited)
- 1939
Thunder Afloat
- 1939 Yankee Doodle Goes to Town (Short)
- 1940
20 Mule Team
- 1940 A Way in the Wilderness (Short)
- 1940
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
- 1940
Dr. Kildare Goes Home (musical score)
- 1940
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
- 1940
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
- 1940 Football Thrills of 1939 (Short)
- 1940
Gallant Sons
- 1940
Gold Rush Maisie
- 1940 Hollywood: Style Center of the World (Documentary short)
- 1940
Phantom Raiders
- 1940
Sky Murder
- 1940 Stuffie (Short)
- 1940
The Big Premiere (Short, uncredited)
- 1940
The Ghost Comes Home
- 1940
The Golden Fleecing
- 1940 The Hidden Master (Short)
- 1940
The Man from Dakota
- 1940
Third Finger, Left Hand
- 1940
Wyoming
- 1941
Billy the Kid
- 1941
Down in San Diego
- 1941 Football Thrills of 1940 (Short)
- 1941
Love Crazy
- 1941
Main Street on the March! (Short)
- 1941
Maisie Was a Lady
- 1941
Murder in 3-D (Short, uncredited)
- 1941
Ringside Maisie
- 1941
Shadow of the Thin Man
- 1941
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
- 1941
The Penalty
- 1941
The People vs. Dr. Kildare
- 1941
The Wild Man of Borneo
- 1941
Unholy Partners
- 1941
Washington Melodrama
- 1942 Acro-Batty (Short, uncredited)
- 1942
Born to Sing (uncredited)
- 1942 Flag of Mercy (Short)
- 1942 Football Thrills of 1941 (Short)
- 1942
Grand Central Murder
- 1942
Jackass Mail
- 1942
Kid Glove Killer
- 1942
Melodies Old and New (Short, uncredited)
- 1942
Nazi Agent (uncredited)
- 1942
Northwest Rangers
- 1942
Pacific Rendezvous
- 1942
Sunday Punch (uncredited)
- 1942
Tarzan's New York Adventure
- 1942
The Courtship of Andy Hardy
- 1942 The Greenie (Short, uncredited)
- 1942
The Omaha Trail
- 1942
The Vanishing Virginian
- 1942
The War Against Mrs. Hadley (musical score)
- 1942
Tish
- 1942 Victory Vittles (Short, uncredited)
- 1942 What About Daddy? (Short, uncredited)
- 1943 First Aid (Short, uncredited)
- 1943
The Man from Down Under
- 1943
The Youngest Profession
- 1944
Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble
- 1944
Barbary Coast Gent
- 1944
Gentle Annie
- 1944
Maisie Goes to Reno
- 1944
Rationing
- 1944
See Here, Private Hargrove
- 1944 Twenty Years After (Short)
- 1945
Between Two Women
- 1945
Dangerous Partners
- 1945
Keep Your Powder Dry
- 1945
The Hidden Eye
- 1945
The Thin Man Goes Home
- 1945
Twice Blessed (uncredited)
- 1945
What Next, Corporal Hargrove?
- 1946
Bad Bascomb
- 1946
Love Laughs at Andy Hardy
- 1946
The Cockeyed Miracle
- 1946
The Show-Off
- 1946
Up Goes Maisie
- 1947
Dark Delusion
- 1947
Killer McCoy
- 1947
Lady in the Lake
- 1947
Merton of the Movies
- 1947
Song of the Thin Man
- 1947
The Mighty McGurk
- 1947
Undercover Maisie
- 1948
A Southern Yankee
- 1948
Alias a Gentleman
- 1948 It Can't Be Done (Short, uncredited)
- 1948 My Old Town (Short, uncredited)
References
Sources
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