Paul Smith (composer)

Paul J. Smith (October 30, 1906 – January 25, 1985) was an American music composer.

Life and career
Smith was born in Calumet, Michigan on October 30, 1906. Upon graduating high school, he studied music at The College of Idaho from 1923 to 1925 before he was accepted into the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago, Illinois. His abilities in theory and composition earned him a scholarship to study music theory at Juilliard, however, it is unclear if he ever pursued this invitation.

Smith spent much of his life working at Disney as composer for many of its films' scores, animated and live-action alike, movie and television alike; from 1962 to 1963, he also composed music for Leave It to Beaver. In Fantasia, he is one of the studio employees in the orchestra. He also composed the scores for several of the True-Life Adventures episodes.

Smith's main collaborator and partner was Hazel "Gil" George, who wrote the song title for The Light in the Forest with him and Lawrence Edward Watkin. Smith also did the stock music for the Blondie series of the late 1940s and early 1950s. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Score with Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Pinocchio, which was his first and only Oscar win.

Together with Buddy Baker he scored many Disney films such as The Apple Dumpling Gang in 1975, The Apple Dumpling Gang Rides Again in 1979, The Shaggy D.A. in 1976, and The Fox and the Hound in 1981.

Death
Smith died on January 25, 1985 in Glendale, California, from Alzheimer's Disease at age 78. In 1994, he was posthumously honored as a Disney Legend.

Animation scores

 * Thru the Mirror, 1936
 * Don Donald, 1937
 * Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937
 * The Practical Pig, 1939
 * Pinocchio, 1940
 * Bone Trouble, 1940
 * Fantasia, 1940 (violinist in orchestra)
 * Fire Chief, 1940
 * Pluto's Playmate, 1941
 * Canine Caddy, 1941
 * A Gentleman's Gentleman, 1941
 * Donald Gets Drafted, 1942
 * Bambi, 1942 (orchestrator)
 * Saludos Amigos, 1943
 * Fall Out Fall In, 1943
 * Victory Through Air Power, 1943
 * The Old Army Game, 1943
 * Home Defense, 1943
 * Donald's Off Day, 1944
 * Tiger Trouble, 1945
 * The Three Caballeros, 1945
 * The Eyes Have It, 1945
 * Californy'er Bust, 1945
 * Hockey Homicide, 1945
 * Song of the South, 1946 (cartoon segments)
 * Fun and Fancy Free, 1947
 * Mail Dog, 1947
 * Melody Time, 1948 (Pecos Bill and Johnny Appleseed)
 * So Dear to My Heart, 1949
 * Toy Tinkers, 1949
 * Cinderella, 1950
 * Trailer Horn, 1950
 * Puss Cafe, 1950
 * Motor Mania, 1950
 * Pests of the West, 1950
 * Food For Feudin', 1950
 * Hook, Lion and Sinker, 1950
 * Camp Dog, 1950
 * Hold That Pose, 1950
 * Lion Down, 1951
 * Dude Duck, 1951
 * Test Pilot Donald, 1951
 * Lucky Number, 1951
 * R'Coon Dawg, 1951
 * Get Rich Quick, 1951
 * Cold Turkey, 1951
 * Fathers Are People, 1951
 * Out of Scale, 1951
 * No Smoking, 1951
 * Two-Gun Goofy, 1952
 * Susie the Little Blue Coupe, 1952
 * The Little House, 1952
 * Trick or Treat, 1952
 * Father's Day Off, 1953
 * The Simple Things, 1953

Live-action theatrical film scores

 * Glamour Girl, 1948
 * The Strange Mrs. Crane, 1948
 * Love Happy, 1949 (conductor)
 * In Beaver Valley, 1950 includes "Jing-a-Ling", lyrics added by Don Raye
 * Pecos River, 1951
 * About Face, 1952
 * Water Birds, 1952
 * The Living Desert, 1953
 * The Vanishing Prairie, 1954
 * 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, 1954
 * The Great Locomotive Chase, 1956
 * Secrets of Life, 1956
 * Westward Ho, the Wagons!, 1956
 * Perri, 1957
 * The Light in the Forest, 1958
 * The Shaggy Dog, 1959
 * Pollyanna, 1960
 * Swiss Family Robinson, 1960
 * The Parent Trap, 1961
 * Moon Pilot, 1962
 * Bon Voyage!, 1962
 * Search of the Castaways, 1962
 * Miracle of the White Stallions, 1963
 * Yellowstone Cubs, 1963
 * The Three Lives of Thomasina, 1963