Sound
David Snell
EN cinema · 123 credits
Born
10 September 1897
Died
27 March 1967 (aged 69)
Birthplace
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Also known as David L. Snell · Dave Snell
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.
Known for
Filmography
Mr. Wakefield's Crusade
Conductor
Q
as Attorney
Hanky Panky
as Clerk in Club
Accident
Musician
My Old Town
Music, Music Director
Killer McCoy
Original Music Composer
Undercover Maisie
Original Music Composer
Lady in the Lake
Original Music Composer
Up Goes Maisie
Original Music Composer
Twice Blessed
Music Director
Dangerous Partners
Original Music Composer
Between Two Women
Original Music Composer
Maisie Goes to Reno
Original Music Composer
Swing Fever
Music Director
The Man from Down Under
Original Music Composer
Grand Central Murder
Original Music Composer
Kid Glove Killer
Original Music Composer
Sunday Punch
Original Music Composer
Tarzan's New York Adventure
Original Music Composer
The Vanishing Virginian
Music Score Producer
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
1941
Football Thrills of 1940
Original Music Composer
Maisie Was a Lady
Original Music Composer
The Wild Man of Borneo
Original Music Composer
Dr. Kildare's Crisis
Original Music Composer
Wyoming
Music
The Ghost Comes Home
Original Music Composer
Sky Murder
Original Music Composer
Gold Rush Maisie
Original Music Composer
Judge Hardy and Son
Original Music Composer
These Glamour Girls
Original Music Composer
The Women
Original Music Composer
Angel of Mercy
Original Music Composer
Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President
Original Music Composer
The Story of Dr. Jenner
Original Music Composer
Captain Spanky's Show Boat
Music Arranger
Hollywood Goes to Town
Sound Director
The Magician's Daughter
1938
The Magician's Daughter
Original Music Composer
Bravest of the Brave
Original Music Composer
Snow Gets in Your Eyes
Original Music Composer
Love Finds Andy Hardy
Original Music Composer
Judge Hardy's Children
Original Music Composer
That Mothers Might Live
Original Music Composer
You're Only Young Once
Original Music Composer
A Family Affair
Original Music Composer
Madame X
Original Music Composer
Mad Love
Original Music Composer
The Thin Man
Orchestrator
Hold Your Man
Additional Music
Faithless
Original Music Composer