Known for Sound
“Born in St. Louis, Mo. Played at Philharmonic one year. Scored many pictures such as “Pollyanna,” “Woman,” and others. Organist at various theatres before coming to Walt Disney.” -published in the June 20, 1931 edition of The Motion Picture Daily
Birthplace
St. Louis, Missouri, USA
Filmography
38 films, 2 shows


Mickey's Fire Brigade
1935 · 8m · US
Mickey, Donald and Goofy are a fire department. As you might expect, their attempts at fighting a boardinghouse fire are not particularly effective. They hear Clarabelle singing in the bathtub and rescue her, tub and all, against her will (she won't believe there's a fire).


Old King Cole
1933 · 7m · US
Old King Cole throws party and invites all of the Mother Goose characters. He warns them that they must leave at midnight. Another collection of characters puts on a stage show. The Ten Little Indian Boys get everyone dancing along. The Hickory Dickory Dock mice announce midnight, and everyone leaves, back into their books.


Birds in the Spring
1933 · 7m · US
Two birds rejoice over the hatching of their three eggs; as they grow, the hatchlings are taught to sing and fly. One falls from the nest and has adventures with a rattlesnake and a beehive before finding his way home.


The Mad Doctor
1933 · 7m · US
A dark and stormy night. Pluto is spirited away to the spooky lair of an evil genius for a mad transplant scheme to put his head on the body of a chicken. Mickey gives chase, but find himself threatened severely by the doctor's castle and its denizens.


Mickey's Good Deed
1932 · 7m · US
Mickey is playing Christmas carols on a standup bass for change. Alas, all he gets is screws, rocks, and other useless stuff. He plays outside a rich man's window, and the spoiled brat kid inside decides he wants Pluto. Mickey isn't selling, but when his bass gets destroyed by a passing sleigh and he sees a house full of orphans with no presents, he changes his mind. Mickey plays Santa to the kids. Meanwhile, the brat has been torturing Pluto; his father finally has enough and throws Pluto out and spanks the child. Pluto and Mickey are reunited, and as a bonus, the kid has tied the Christmas turkey to Pluto's tail. (Also included: Chip an' Dale 1947, Lend a Paw 1941)


Bugs in Love
1932 · 7m · US
Insects have made a playground/carnival out of castoffs, featuring "ice skating" on mirrors. Two love bugs head off to a more private area. But their fun is interrupted when a crow comes by. He bottles up the male bug and chases the female into her home. The male bug escapes in the nick of time, and another bug notices the battle and rallies the rest of the bugs to attack, which they do, using false teeth, an eggbeater, a mousetrap, castor oil, and other things.


King Neptune
1932 · 7m · US
After a short introduction, one of Neptune's mermaids is captured by a pirate ship, and their anchor chain entangles King Neptune; the various sea creatures launch a full-on assault on the pirate ship, and eventually the giant King himself gets free and creates major havoc for the ship.


Trader Mickey
1932 · 8m · US
Mickey Mouse and Pluto are traveling up an African river with a cargo of goods (including several musical instruments). They hit land and are captured by cannibals who plan to eat them. As soon as Mickey starts playing on a saxophone, they all start jamming to "The Darktown Strutter's Ball."


The Spider and the Fly
1931 · 7m · US
A kitchen is filled with houseflies. A spider wakes up and plays his web like a harp, attracting a pair of them; the female is trapped, and the male summons the cavalry, which arrives riding horseflies, riding dragonflies to drop pepper bombs, firing champagne bottles, and ultimately setting the web on fire and catching the spider on flypaper when he falls.


Playful Pan
1930 · 7m · US
The mythological satyr plays some tunes on his pipes and gets various flora and fauna dancing to them. Two clouds also dance; they bump into each other, causing lightning strikes that start a forest fire. The animals rush to escape the fire. Finally, an animal comes to tell Pan of the fire; he rushes to it, and gets it to dance to his tune, right into the lake.


Winter
1930 · 7m · US
In the last of the Silly Symphonies season cycle, bears hibernate (or try to), raccoons sneeze, moose swim, and pretty much everyone ice skates. Everyone gathers around the groundhog to see what happens.


Monkey Melodies
1930 · 7m · US
The monkeys are swinging; their song and dance routine has other jungle creatures joining in. And two monkeys in love chase and kiss. But the hungry crocodiles lie in wait (and dance the soft shoe).


Night
1930 · 7m · US
The moon and two owls sing to the Blue Danube Waltz, celebrating the night. Moths dance around a candle flame, fireflies glow, frogs chorus, and so forth.


Midnight in a Toy Shop
1930 · 8m · US
A spider seeks shelter inside an old toy store, where he soon discovers that the merchandise comes to life after dark.


Arctic Antics
1930 · 7m · US
A collection of arctic animals (seals, walruses, polar bears, penguins) float by on ice floes and on shore, performing various musical numbers.


Frolicking Fish
1930 · 6m · US
The title pretty much says it: fish and other marine life dance and frolic to various tunes. An octopus keeps spoiling the fun in various ways.


Fiddling Around
1930 · 7m · US
Mickey comes onstage to the applause of an unseen audience and plays various classical tunes on the violin, after some minor mishaps. During a sad song, he is overcome with emotion and has to stop.


Cannibal Capers
1930 · 6m · US
A group of cannibals gather together for a tribal dance. In the middle of their gala, they are interrupted by a ferocious lion!