David Snell
Known For: Sound
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: September 10, 1897
Day of Death: March 27, 1967 (70 years old)
Place of Birth: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
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.
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Original Music Composer
Grand Central Murder
Original Music Composer
Kid Glove Killer
Music
The Courtship of Andy Hardy
Music
The War Against Mrs. Hadley
Music
Nazi Agent
Original Music Composer
Sunday Punch
Music
Jackass Mail
Music
We Must Have Music
Music
Acro-Batty
Original Music Composer
Tarzan's New York Adventure
Music Score Producer
The Vanishing Virginian
Music
Flag of Mercy
1941
Music
Tarzan's Secret Treasure
Music
Washington Melodrama
Music
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Original Music Composer
Third Dimensional Murder
Original Music Composer
Ringside Maisie
Original Music Composer
Love Crazy
Original Music Composer
Billy the Kid
Original Music Composer
Football Thrills of 1940
Music
Shadow of the Thin Man
Original Music Composer
Maisie Was a Lady
1940
Music
Gallant Sons
Music
A Way in the Wilderness
Original Music Composer
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
Music
Andy Hardy Meets Debutante
Music
The Golden Fleecing
Music
Wyoming
Music
Phantom Raiders
Music
20 Mule Team
Music
Third Finger, Left Hand
Music
Dr. Kildare Goes Home
Music
Dr. Kildare's Strange Case
Music
Hollywood: Style Center of the World
Original Music Composer
The Ghost Comes Home
Original Music Composer
Sky Murder
Original Music Composer
Gold Rush Maisie
1939
Music
Thunder Afloat
Music
The Hardys Ride High
Original Music Composer
Judge Hardy and Son
Music
Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever
Music
Calling Dr. Kildare
Original Music Composer
These Glamour Girls
Music
Henry Goes Arizona
Music
Blackmail
Original Music Composer
The Women
Original Music Composer
Angel of Mercy
Music
The Secret of Dr. Kildare
Original Music Composer
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
Music
Radio Hams
Music
The Story of Alfred Nobel
Music
Stronger Than Desire
Music
Somewhat Secret
Music
Prophet Without Honor
Music
The Giant of Norway
Music
Yankee Doodle Goes to Town
Music
Heroes at Leisure
Original Music Composer
The Story of Dr. Jenner
Music Arranger
Captain Spanky's Show Boat
1938
Music
Out West with the Hardys
Music
What Do You Think? Tupapaoo
Music
What Do You Think? (Number Three)
Music
Billy Rose's Casa Mañana Revue
Music
Young Dr. Kildare
Music
The Forgotten Step
Music
Another Romance of Celluloid: Electrical Power
Sound Director
Hollywood Goes to Town
Original Music Composer
The Magician's Daughter
Music
Nostradamus
Music
The Man on the Rock
Music
The Great Heart
Music
That Mothers Might Live
Music
It's in the Stars
Music
Once Over Lightly
Original Music Composer
Bravest of the Brave
Music
Party Fever
Music
Joaquin Murrieta
Original Music Composer
Snow Gets in Your Eyes
Music
Anaesthesia
Music
Football Thrills of 1937
Music
Grid Rules
Music
The Canary Comes Across
Original Music Composer
Love Finds Andy Hardy
Original Music Composer
Judge Hardy's Children