Ken Darby

Ken Darby

Kenneth Lorin Darby (May 13, 1909 – January 24, 1992) was an American composer, vocal arranger, lyricist, and conductor. His film scores were recognized by the awarding of three Academy Awards and one Grammy Award. He provided vocals for the Munchkinland mayor in The Wizard of Oz (1939), who was portrayed in the film by Charlie Becker. Darby is also notable as the author of The Brownstone House of Nero Wolfe (1983), a biography of the home of Rex Stout's fictional detective. Ken Darby's choral group, The Ken Darby Singers, sang backup for Bing Crosby on the original 1942 Decca Records studio recording of "White Christmas." In 1940 they also sang on the first album ever made of the songs from The Wizard of Oz, a film on which Darby had worked. However, the album was a studio cast recording, not a true soundtrack album (although it did feature Judy Garland), and it did not use the film's original arrangements. Darby also performed as part of "The King's Men," a vocal quartet that recorded several songs with Paul Whiteman's orchestra in the mid-1930s and were the featured vocalists on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio program from 1940 through 1953. In the early 1940s, he performed with the King's Men a musical version of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that he wrote called "T'was the Night Before Christmas" which was performed on the Christmas episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly. They also participated on the soundtracks of several MGM films, including The Wizard of Oz and occasional Tom and Jerry cartoons. The King's Men portrayed the Marx Brothers in a musical spoof in the film Honolulu (Darby played one of two 'Grouchos' in the group). He also provided the theme song and the soundtrack for The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, the 1955-61 television series starring Hugh O'Brian, and The Adventures of Jim Bowie starring Scott Forbes. He was a composer and production supervisor for Walt Disney Studios and was the choral and vocal director of the 1946 Disney film classic Song of the South. He was also Marilyn Monroe's vocal coach for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and There's No Business Like Show Business (1954). Darby was also the principal composer of the 1956 Elvis Presley hit "Love Me Tender" for the movie of the same name but signed the rights over to his wife, Vera Matson, whose name appears as co-lyricist and co-composer with Presley. The song was adapted from the Civil War-era song "Aura Lee." Presley's composing credit was mandated by his management, to entice him to record the song. Darby was often asked about his decision to credit the song to his wife along with Presley, and his standard response was an acid, "Because she didn't write it either." An avid fan of Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout's fictional detective genius, Darby wrote a detailed biography of Wolfe's home titled The Brownstone House of Nero Wolfe (1983). Ken Darby died January 24, 1992, in the final stages of production of his last book, Hollywood Holyland: The Filming and Scoring of 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' (1992). He was buried at the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.

  • Popularité : 0.308
  • Connu pour : Acting
  • Anniversaire : 1909-05-13
  • Lieu de naissance : Hebron, Nebraska, USA
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Ken Darby Films

  • 1946
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    La Boîte à musique

    La Boîte à musique

    5.9 1946 HD

    Le film se présente comme une séance dans une salle de spectacle. Il se compose de dix séquences nommées...

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  • 1950
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    The Brave Engineer

    The Brave Engineer

    6.063 1950 HD

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  • 1946
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    The Martins and the Coys

    The Martins and the Coys

    6 1946 HD

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  • 1941
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    La Femme aux deux visages

    La Femme aux deux visages

    6.4 1941 HD

    Larry Blake, directeur d'un magazine new-yorkais, s'éprend d'une monitrice de ski (Karin Borg) qu'il épouse en lui promettant de...

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  • 1953
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    Walt Disney's Halloween Hilarities

    Walt Disney's Halloween Hilarities

    1 1953 HD

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  • 1933
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    Going Hollywood

    Going Hollywood

    5.5 1933 HD

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  • 1939
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    Honolulu

    Honolulu

    6.1 1939 HD

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  • 1939
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    Broadway Serenade

    Broadway Serenade

    6.2 1939 HD

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  • 1930
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    Let's Go Native

    Let's Go Native

    7.5 1930 HD

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  • 1940
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    Stagecoach War

    Stagecoach War

    4 1940 HD

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  • 1946
    imgFilms

    Margie

    Margie

    6.9 1946 HD

    Une mère va raconter à sa fille curieuse ses souvenirs de lycée, vingt ans plus tôt. A cette époque, Margie est une...

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  • 1939
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    Renegade Trail

    Renegade Trail

    5 1939 HD

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  • 1947
    imgFilms

    Le Dilemme de Donald

    Le Dilemme de Donald

    6.5 1947 HD

    Après avoir convaincu Donald qu'il avait un talent pour l'opéra, Daisy se rend compte qu'il n'a plus de place dans son emploi du temps...

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  • 1939
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    Law of the Pampas

    Law of the Pampas

    5 1939 HD

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  • 1940
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    The Showdown

    The Showdown

    6 1940 HD

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  • 1952
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    Donald et la Sorcière

    Donald et la Sorcière

    6.871 1952 HD

    En pleine nuit de Halloween, une vraie sorcière voyant Riri, Fifi et Loulou, alors déguisés en personnages de la fête, se...

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  • 1943
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    The Kansan

    The Kansan

    5.2 1943 HD

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  • 1942
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    Pour Moi et ma Mie

    Pour Moi et ma Mie

    6.4 1942 HD

    Au temps de la Première Guerre Mondiale, Harry Palmer et Jo Hayden forment un duo d'artistes. Pour ne pas partir au front, Harry se blesse...

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  • 1959
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    Porgy and Bess

    Porgy and Bess

    6.146 1959 HD

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  • 1950
    imgFilms

    The Brave Engineer

    The Brave Engineer

    6.063 1950 HD

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  • 1968
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    The Night Before Christmas

    The Night Before Christmas

    4.75 1968 HD

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  • 1954
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    Rivière sans retour

    Rivière sans retour

    6.7 1954 HD

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  • 1953
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    The Girl Next Door

    The Girl Next Door

    4 1953 HD

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  • 1952
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    L'Ange des maudits

    L'Ange des maudits

    6.5 1952 HD

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  • 1952
    imgFilms

    L'Ange des maudits

    L'Ange des maudits

    6.5 1952 HD

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  • 1953
    imgFilms

    Les Hommes préfèrent les blondes

    Les Hommes préfèrent les blondes

    7.3 1953 HD

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  • 1946
    imgFilms

    Mélodie du sud

    Mélodie du sud

    6.4 1946 HD

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  • 1956
    imgFilms

    Arrêt d'autobus

    Arrêt d'autobus

    6.072 1956 HD

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  • 1956
    imgFilms

    Arrêt d'autobus

    Arrêt d'autobus

    6.072 1956 HD

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  • 1946
    imgFilms

    Mélodie du sud

    Mélodie du sud

    6.4 1946 HD

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  • 1958
    imgFilms

    South Pacific

    South Pacific

    6.1 1958 HD

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  • 1957
    imgFilms

    Elle et lui

    Elle et lui

    7.4 1957 HD

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  • 1956
    imgFilms

    Carousel

    Carousel

    5.3 1956 HD

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  • 1962
    imgFilms

    La Conquête de l'Ouest

    La Conquête de l'Ouest

    6.976 1962 HD

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  • 1957
    imgFilms

    La blonde explosive

    La blonde explosive

    6.7 1957 HD

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  • 1952
    imgFilms

    Stars and Stripes Forever

    Stars and Stripes Forever

    6.8 1952 HD

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  • 1955
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    Papa longues jambes

    Papa longues jambes

    6.3 1955 HD

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  • 1962
    imgFilms

    La Conquête de l'Ouest

    La Conquête de l'Ouest

    6.976 1962 HD

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  • 1961
    imgFilms

    Au rythme des tambours fleuris

    Au rythme des tambours fleuris

    6.1 1961 HD

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  • 1953
    imgFilms

    Appelez-moi madame

    Appelez-moi madame

    6.3 1953 HD

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  • 1960
    imgFilms

    Elmer Gantry, le charlatan

    Elmer Gantry, le charlatan

    7.259 1960 HD

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