Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nathaniel Shilkret (December 25, 1889 – February 18, 1982) was an American composer, conductor, clarinetist, pianist, business executive, and music director.
Shilkret was born in New York City to a musical family of Austrian immigrants. His father played a number of instruments, and made certain that Nat and his three brothers were all accomplished musicians at an early age. Nathaniel Shilkret's brother-in-law, Nathaniel Finston, was violinist in many organizations in his youth and was musical director for Paramount and later for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, at one time being Nathaniel Shilkret's boss.
Shilkret moved to Los Angeles in late 1935 and there contributed music scores and musical direction for a string of Hollywood films for RKO (as musical director from 1935—1937), Walter Lantz Productions (one of the studio's musical directors during 1937) and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (as a musical director from 1942—1946). His films included Mary of Scotland (1936), Swing Time (1936), The Plough and the Stars, and Shall We Dance? (1937) and several films of Laurel and Hardy. He also received an Oscar nomination for his work scoring the film version of Maxwell Anderson's stage drama Winterset (1936).
In 1939, he conducted a group of soloists (including tenor Jan Peerce) and the Victor Symphony Orchestra for RCA Victor's multi-disc tribute to Victor Herbert, which were recorded following a special NBC radio broadcast, and he recorded a number of other albums in 1939 and 1940. Due to a serious abdominal operation for cancer removal, he did not conduct for most of 1941.
In 1944–45, Shilkret led the collaborative project that created Genesis Suite, a work for narrator, chorus, and orchestra based on the events in the biblical Book of Genesis. This collaboration involved Shilkret, plus six other composers who immigrated to the United States from Europe – most of whom were Jewish – contributing one movement each: Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Darius Milhaud, Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, Alexandre Tansman and Ernst Toch. Shilkret tried to involve also Béla Bartók into the collaborative project, but this was unsuccessful.
He worked at RKO-Pathe, making short films from 1946 through the mid-1950s. During this same period he recorded at least 260 transcriptions for SESAC. He was the pit orchestra conductor for the Broadway show Paris '90 in 1952. He lived in his son's home in Franklin Square, NY, from the mid-1950s until his death in 1982 and was a Great Uncle of actress Julie Warner.
Filmography
all 93
Movies 93
Director 11
self 1
Flying Padre (1951)
A Nation Is Born (1947)
Whistle in the Night (1947)
Mr. Bell (1947)
The Big Party (1947)
Passport to Nowhere (1947)
Boys' Ranch (1946)
The Hoodlum Saint (1946)
She Went to the Races (1945)
This Man's Navy (1945)
Nothing But Trouble (1944)
Blonde Fever (1944)
Lost in a Harem (1944)
A Lady Fights Back (1944)
Return from Nowhere (1944)
3 Men in White (1944)
Patrolling the Ether (1944)
Nostradamus IV (1944)
This Is Tomorrow (1943)
To My Unborn Son (1943)
Storm (1943)
Ode to Victory (1943)
Don't You Believe It (1943)
Above Suspicion (1943)
Heavenly Music (1943)
Calling All Kids (1943)
Inca Gold (1943)
Plan for Destruction (1943)
Air Raid Wardens (1943)
A Stranger in Town (1943)
The Falcon Takes Over (1942)
Jungle Cavalcade (1941)
Stolen Paradise (1940)
Yankee Doodle Home (1939)
Singapore and Jahore (1938)
Yokel Boy Makes Good (1938)
The Lamp Lighter (1938)
Hitting a New High (1937)
The Mysterious Jug (1937)
Breakfast for Two (1937)
Music for Madame (1937)
The Toast of New York (1937)
Border Cafe (1937)
Serene Siam (1937)
Shall We Dance (1937)
The Soldier and the Lady (1937)
That Girl from Paris (1936)
The Plough and the Stars (1936)
Walking on Air (1936)
Swing Time (1936)
Mary of Scotland (1936)
The Bohemian Girl (1936)
Los Angeles: 'Wonder City of the West' (1935)
Rainbow Canyons (1935)
Switzerland the Beautiful (1934)
It Happened in Paris (1932)
When the Wind Blows (1930)
Blotto (1930)
The Lady of the Lake (1928)
Lilac Time (1928)
The Battle of the Sexes (1928)
Kentucky Basketeers
The Last Lesson
Information
Known ForSound
GenderMale
Birthday1889-12-25
Deathday1982-02-18 (92 years old)
Birth NameNatan Schüldkraut
Birth PlaceNew York City, United States
CitizenshipsUnited States
Also Known As Naftule Schüldkraut , Nat Shilkret
This article uses material from Wikipedia.
Last updated:
- Nathaniel Shilkret
- Filmography
- Information
- Related Persons