John D. H. Greenwood

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For other persons named John Greenwood, see John Greenwood (disambiguation).

John Danforth Herman Greenwood (b. London 26 June 1889 d. Ditchling 15 April 1975). Learned piano and viola from his parents and at 18 entered the Royal College of Music to study viola and horn.

He was a classical composer who also wrote music scores for nearly 50 films from the 1930s to 1950s. He will be found on the credits of films from Man of Aran (1934) to Grand National Night (1954). Whilst he no doubt gained considerable satisfaction from these compositions - and access to a large audience - there were also frustrations as the film editing process frequently required the removal or addition of a bar quite regardless of the overall theme of the piece. Whether his compositions of incidental music for Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice and Midsummer Nights Dream were intrinsically more satisfying is not known. Serious works include La Belle Dame Sance Merci, Pippa Passes, Puncinello, and Salute to Gustav Holst which was premiered at the Sir Henry Wood Promenade Concerts in 1936.

During the War he worked on the staff of the BBC European Service as Assistant Music Supervisor.

[edit] Archives

Many of his manuscripts are held in the archives of

McMaster University
1280 Main Street West,
Hamilton, Ontario
L8S 4L8
McMaster University Library

[edit] Filmography

  • Grand National Night (1954) aka Wicked Wife (USA);
  • The Gentle Gunman (1952);
  • Another Man's Poison (1952);
  • Family Portrait (1950) aka A Film on the Theme of the Festival of Britain 1951 (UK: subtitle);
  • Trio (1950);
  • The Lost People (1949);
  • The Last Days of Dolwyn; (1949) aka Dolwyn aka Women of Dolwyn (USA) ;
  • Quartet; (1949)
  • Eureka Stockade; (1949) aka Massacre Hill ;
  • Broken Journey; (1948)
  • School for Danger; (1947)
  • Frieda; (1947)
  • Hungry Hill; (1947)
  • They Knew Mr. Knight; (1946)
  • Painted Boats; (1945) aka The Girl of the Canal; (USA) ;
  • San Demetrio, London; (1943)
  • The Lamp Still Burns; (1943)
  • The Gentle Sex; (1943)
  • Nine Men; (1943)
  • 'Pimpernel' Smith; (1941) aka Mister V (USA: reissue title) aka The Fighting Pimpernel;
  • Contraband; (1940) aka Blackout; (USA);
  • 21 Days; (1940) aka 21 Days Together; (USA) aka The First and the Last; aka Twenty-One Days; aka Twenty-One Days Together; (USA);
  • Prison Without Bars; (1938)
  • The Drum; (1938) aka Drums; (USA);
  • Elephant Boy; (1937)
  • The Invader; (1935) aka An Old Spanish Custom;
  • Man of Aran (1934)

[edit] Authorities