Milt Franklyn
Known For: Sound
Gender: Male
Date of Birth: September 16, 1897
Day of Death: April 24, 1962 (65 years old)
Place of Birth: New York City, New York, USA
Milton J. "Milt" Franklyn (September 16, 1897 – April 24, 1962) was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoons. Franklyn moved from New York to Salt Lake City at the age of three, where he went to high school and finished one year at the University of Utah. He was the state junior tennis champion in Utah for six years. The next two years were spent at the University of California, Berkeley, then he began a term at Pennsylvania University when he was called to service in World War One. Franklyn did not serve overseas; he trained as a naval officer for three months and then the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. He returned to Berkeley to finish his education. As Franklyn could play a number of instruments, he joined a band in San Francisco and for the next few years played at the Palace and St. Francis hotels. He began his own nine-piece orchestra, known at various times as the Peninsula Band, the Super Soloists, and the Merrimakers, and appeared in San Mateo (1926 to June 1927), where he also owned a music store, and San Jose (1928 to January 1929), where he was Master of Ceremonies and wrote revues for the California Theatre before moving on to Fresno and Oakland. For two years he was emcee with Fanchon and Marco at Fox West Coast in San Diego; musical director and emcee with Paramount Publix Corporation, travelling to Seattle, Denver, Houston and Toledo; and finally worked on the Loew's circuit in Providence, Rhode Island and New York City from 1933 to 1935. Franklyn quit vaudeville to go to Hollywood in 1935 and spent a year doing occasional work. In early 1936, he joined Warner Bros. as music arranger to Carl Stalling, becoming music director in 1953. The first cartoon with Franklyn credited as a composer was Bugs and Thugs, released in 1954, though Franklyn estimated at the time his 599th cartoon for Warners was Past Perfumance. Franklyn always composed his scores at home early in the morning; he only went to the studio to watch the 30-piece Warner Bros. Orchestra record the music or to view the finished cartoon. Among the songs Franklyn is said to have composed with director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese is The Michigan Rag for the 1955 cartoon One Froggy Evening, featuring Michigan J. Frog. However, the ASCAP database lists only Maltese as the composer. He became the sole composer in 1958 upon Stalling's retirement. Franklyn died of a heart attack on April 24, 1962. At the time of his death, Franklyn was composing the score for a Tweety cartoon, The Jet Cage. The first two minutes of the cartoon were scored by Franklyn, the rest by William Lava, who had been working on the Warner Bros. main lot and replaced him as musical director. The Jet Cage opening credits lists Franklyn and not Lava, while the ASCAP database credits Franklyn with composing the opening title, with no mention of Lava, but a change in composing style in the cartoon is noticeable. Franklyn joined ASCAP in 1954 and was a member of the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. After his death, Franklyn's music also appeared in Bugs Bunny on Broadway.
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Music
The Rebel Without Claws
Music
The Abominable Snow Rabbit
Original Music Composer
The Last Hungry Cat
Music
Nelly's Folly
Music
The Pied Piper of Guadalupe
Music
Beep Prepared
Original Music Composer
Cannery Woe
Original Music Composer
Zip 'n Snort
Original Music Composer
Hoppy Daze
Original Music Composer
The Mouse on 57th Street
Original Music Composer
Strangled Eggs
Original Music Composer
Birds of a Father
Original Music Composer
D' Fightin' Ones
Music
A Scent of the Matterhorn
Music
Prince Violent
Original Music Composer
Compressed Hare
1960
Original Music Composer
Fastest with the Mostest
Original Music Composer
West of the Pesos
Original Music Composer
Horse Hare
Original Music Composer
Wild Wild World
Original Music Composer
Goldimouse and the Three Cats
Original Music Composer
Person to Bunny
Original Music Composer
Who Scent You?
Original Music Composer
Hyde and Go Tweet
Original Music Composer
From Hare to Heir
Original Music Composer
Rabbit's Feat
Original Music Composer
Crockett-Doodle-Do
Original Music Composer
Mouse and Garden
Original Music Composer
Ready, Woolen and Able
Original Music Composer
Mice Follies
Original Music Composer
The Dixie Fryer
Original Music Composer
Hopalong Casualty
Original Music Composer
Trip for Tat
Original Music Composer
Dog Gone People
Music
High Note
Music
Lighter Than Hare
1959
Original Music Composer
The Mouse That Jack Built
Music
Baton Bunny
Music
A Witch's Tangled Hare
Music
Mexicali Shmoes
Music
Apes of Wrath
Original Music Composer
Wild and Woolly Hare
Music
Bonanza Bunny
Original Music Composer
People Are Bunny
Music
Cat's Paw
Music
A Broken Leghorn
Original Music Composer
Mouse-Placed Kitten
1958
1957
Music Arranger
What's Opera, Doc?
Original Music Composer
Bedevilled Rabbit
Original Music Composer
Boyhood Daze
Original Music Composer
Ducking the Devil
Music
Show Biz Bugs
Music
Steal Wool
Original Music Composer
Birds Anonymous
Music
Ali Baba Bunny
Original Music Composer
Scrambled Aches
Original Music Composer
Zoom and Bored
Music
Go Fly a Kit
Music Editor
Rabbit Romeo
Music
Gonzales' Tamales
Music
Tabasco Road
Music
Tweety and the Beanstalk
Original Music Composer
Boston Quackie
1956
Original Music Composer
90 Day Wondering
Original Music Composer
Broom-Stick Bunny
Original Music Composer
Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z
Music
Rocket Squad
Original Music Composer
The Honey-Mousers
Music
Bugs' Bonnets
Music
To Hare Is Human
Music
Heaven Scent
Music
Tugboat Granny
Music
Rocket-bye Baby
Music
Yankee Dood It
Music
A Star Is Bored
Music Director
Rabbitson Crusoe
Music Director
Weasel Stop
Orchestrator
Weasel Stop
Music
Weasel Stop
Music Director
Too Hop to Handle
Music Director
Deduce, You Say
1955
Original Music Composer
One Froggy Evening
Original Music Composer
Lumber Jerks
Music
Heir-Conditioned
Original Music Composer
Pizzicato Pussycat
Music
The Hole Idea
Music Director
Knight-Mare Hare
Music Director
Pests for Guests
Music Director
Rabbit Rampage
Music Director
Stork Naked
Music Director
Roman Legion-Hare
Music
Two Scent's Worth
Music Director
Dime to Retire
Music Director
A Kiddies Kitty
Music Director
Tweety's Circus
