Herbert Stothart

Herbert Stothart
Born September 11, 1885
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died February 1, 1949 (aged 63)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Resting place
 Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Spouse(s) Mary Wolfe
Children Carol, Herbert, Constance

Herbert P. Stothart (September 11, 1885 – February 1, 1949) was a songwriter, arranger, conductor, and composer. He was also nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning Best Original Score for The Wizard of Oz.

Life and career

Stothart was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He studied music in Europe and at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he later taught.

Stothart was first hired by producer Arthur Hammerstein to be a musical director for touring companies of Broadway shows, and was soon writing music for the producer's nephew Oscar Hammerstein II. He composed some of the music in the famous operetta, Rose-Marie. Stothart soon joined with many famous composers including Vincent Youmans, George Gershwin and Franz Lehár. In 1929, Stothart was signed to a large Hollywood contract by MGM studio head Louis B. Mayer.

The last twenty years of his life were spent at MGM Studios, where he was under contract as a composer. Among the many films that he worked on was the famous 1936 version of Rose-Marie, starring Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. He won an Oscar for his musical score for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

Death

He died of cancer in Los Angeles, California at the age of 63.

Works

Herbert Stothart is credited as the composer of:

References

External links