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David Snell

David Snell

Known For Sound
Birthday Sep 10, 1897
Died Mar 27, 1967 (69)
Birthplace Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Popularity 0.0 (history)
Updated Aug 09, 2025 (Update)
Entry Date Aug 08, 2025
Links TMDb IMDb
Biography

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 Conservator ... y 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

Q

Q

1982

as Attorney

Hanky Panky

Hanky Panky

1982

as Clerk in Club

The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes

2001

Conductor

Sirens

Sirens

1994

Conductor

Dreams Lost, Dreams Found

Dreams Lost, Dreams Found

1987

Conductor

Accident

Accident

1967

Musician

Alias a Gentleman

Alias a Gentleman

1948

Music

My Old Town

My Old Town

1948

Music Director, Music

Killer McCoy

Killer McCoy

1947

Original Music Composer

Dark Delusion

Dark Delusion

1947

Music

Undercover Maisie

Undercover Maisie

1947

Original Music Composer

Bad Bascomb

Bad Bascomb

1946

Music

Up Goes Maisie

Up Goes Maisie

1946

Original Music Composer

Lady in the Lake

Lady in the Lake

1946

Original Music Composer

Dangerous Partners

Dangerous Partners

1945

Original Music Composer

Twice Blessed

Twice Blessed

1945

Music Director

Between Two Women

Between Two Women

1945

Original Music Composer

The Hidden Eye

The Hidden Eye

1945

Music

Twenty Years After

Twenty Years After

1944

Music

Rationing

Rationing

1944

Music

Gentle Annie

Gentle Annie

1944

Music

Maisie Goes to Reno

Maisie Goes to Reno

1944

Original Music Composer

Swing Fever

Swing Fever

1943

Music Director

The Man from Down Under

The Man from Down Under

1943

Music Score Producer

Nazi Agent

Nazi Agent

1942

Music

Grand Central Murder

Grand Central Murder

1942

Original Music Composer

Sunday Punch

Sunday Punch

1942

Original Music Composer

Jackass Mail

Jackass Mail

1942

Music

Kid Glove Killer

Kid Glove Killer

1942

Original Music Composer

The Vanishing Virginian

The Vanishing Virginian

1942

Music Score Producer

Flag of Mercy

Flag of Mercy

1942

Music

We Must Have Music

We Must Have Music

1942

Music

Tarzan's New York Adventure

Tarzan's New York Adventure

1942

Original Music Composer

Love Crazy

Love Crazy

1941

Original Music Composer

Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid

1941

Original Music Composer

Ringside Maisie

Ringside Maisie

1941

Original Music Composer

Maisie Was a Lady

Maisie Was a Lady

1941

Original Music Composer

Third Dimensional Murder

Third Dimensional Murder

1941

Original Music Composer

Football Thrills of 1940

Football Thrills of 1940

1941

Original Music Composer

Gold Rush Maisie

Gold Rush Maisie

1940

Original Music Composer

Wyoming

Wyoming

1940

Music

Phantom Raiders

Phantom Raiders

1940

Music

Gallant Sons

Gallant Sons

1940

Music

Sky Murder

Sky Murder

1940

Original Music Composer

Dr. Kildare's Crisis

Dr. Kildare's Crisis

1940

Original Music Composer

The Ghost Comes Home

The Ghost Comes Home

1940

Original Music Composer

20 Mule Team

20 Mule Team

1940

Music

The Golden Fleecing

The Golden Fleecing

1940

Music

Thunder Afloat

Thunder Afloat

1939

Music

Blackmail

Blackmail

1939

Music

Calling Dr. Kildare

Calling Dr. Kildare

1939

Music

These Glamour Girls

These Glamour Girls

1939

Original Music Composer

Judge Hardy and Son

Judge Hardy and Son

1939

Original Music Composer

Henry Goes Arizona

Henry Goes Arizona

1939

Music

Angel of Mercy

Angel of Mercy

1939

Original Music Composer

The Story of Dr. Jenner

The Story of Dr. Jenner

1939

Original Music Composer

The Giant of Norway

The Giant of Norway

1939

Music

Heroes at Leisure

Heroes at Leisure

1939

Music

The Women

The Women

1939

Original Music Composer

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

Joe and Ethel Turp Call on the President

1939

Original Music Composer

Young Dr. Kildare

Young Dr. Kildare

1938

Music

Joaquin Murrieta

Joaquin Murrieta

1938

Music

Party Fever

Party Fever

1938

Music

Judge Hardy's Children

Judge Hardy's Children

1938

Original Music Composer

Hollywood Goes to Town

Hollywood Goes to Town

1938

Sound Director

Nostradamus

Nostradamus

1938

Music

Grid Rules

Grid Rules

1938

Music

Once Over Lightly

Once Over Lightly

1938

Music

It's in the Stars

It's in the Stars

1938

Music

Snow Gets in Your Eyes

Snow Gets in Your Eyes

1938

Original Music Composer

The Great Heart

The Great Heart

1938

Music

Anaesthesia

Anaesthesia

1938

Music

The Forgotten Step

The Forgotten Step

1938

Music

The Man on the Rock

The Man on the Rock

1938

Music

Bravest of the Brave

Bravest of the Brave

1938

Original Music Composer

The Magician's Daughter

The Magician's Daughter

1938

Original Music Composer

Love Finds Andy Hardy

Love Finds Andy Hardy

1938

Original Music Composer

Madame X

Madame X

1937

Original Music Composer

You're Only Young Once

You're Only Young Once

1937

Original Music Composer

A Family Affair

A Family Affair

1937

Original Music Composer

Song of Revolt

Song of Revolt

1937

Music

Carnival in Paris

Carnival in Paris

1937

Music

Mad Love

Mad Love

1935

Original Music Composer

The Thin Man

The Thin Man

1934

Orchestrator

Faithless

Faithless

1932

Original Music Composer

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Organization Category Movie
Television Credits

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