
Biography
Clarence E. Wheeler (September 27, 1885 – December 28, 1966) was an American musician and composer. He created the music for many of Woody Woodpecker series cartoons under Walter Lantz Productions along with films in the 1950s. Wheeler was born in Walnut, Kansas. He formed an orchestra that appeared on the radio in Chicago in the 1930s, playing on The Terminix All-Star Program in May 1933 on WBBM. He was music director of the station from 1935 to 1938 and was replaced by Caesar Petrillo, brother of future American Federation of Musicians boss James Petrillo. He arrived in Hollywood that year and began writing music published by Alberto Colombo. Among his compositions were Cinemaland Parade, Silhouette in Rhythm, Sing For Our Fallen Brave., There Must Be a Way, Hey There, Mr. Labor, That Night in Donegal, Tiny Little Big Shot, Hello Broadway, London Calling, the last four with James J. May.He soon went into scoring short films. His first credit was in the 1941 Columbia Pictures release The Carpenters, directed by former Warner Bros. animator Paul Fennell, where radio commentator Raymond Gram Swing reviewed the history of the invasion of Poland. He was hired in 1944 by George Pal to provide the scores for his Puppetoons and live-action shorts such as This is Oil (1949), released by Paramount Pictures. Wheeler also worked on features, providing orchestrations for Shirley Temple's teen star vehicle, Miss Annie Rooney (1942), the all-star extravaganza Tales of Manhattan (1942), and a number of the Blondie movies released by Columbia in the 1940s.
Wheeler also scored for early television programs, being hired by Jerry Fairbanks to write music for the series Public Prosecutor in 1948. That same year Wheeler also created the original opening and closing theme for the animated series Crusader Rabbit, adapting and arranging the folk melodies The Trail to Mexico (known on cue sheets as "Rabbit Fanfare") and Ten Little Indians (known as "Main Title Rabbit").Some of Wheeler's film music was recompiled as stock music and leased to television producers, for airing on programs such as Topper, The Untouchables, Wyatt Earp and Gumby.
His first animated cartoon score was The 3 Minnies: Sota, Tonka and Ha-Ha! (1949), distributed by Republic Pictures. When Walter Lantz re-opened his studio in 1950 he hired Wheeler to score all his cartoons, almost 140 in total, beginning with Puny Express through The Nautical Nut, which was released in 1967 after Wheeler's death.
Filmography
All 171
Movies 171
Director 1

The Nautical Nut (1967)

Have Gun Can't Travel (1967)

Sissy Sheriff (1967)

Monster of Ceremonies (1966)

The Big Bite (1966)

Hassle in a Castle (1966)

Rough Riding Hood (1966)

Canned Dog Feud (1965)

What's Peckin' (1965)

Sioux Me (1965)

Woodpecker Wanted (1965)

Roamin' Roman (1964)

Get Lost! Little Doggy (1964)

Freeway Fracas (1964)

Deep Freeze Squeeze (1964)

Tepee for Two (1963)

Coy Decoy (1963)

Shutter Bug (1963)

Stowaway Woody (1963)

Calling Dr. Woodpecker (1962)

Crowin' Pains (1962)

Short in the Saddle (1962)

Little Woody Riding Hood (1962)

Tragic Magic (1962)

Rocket Racket (1962)

Room and Bored (1962)

Robin Hoody Woody (1962)

Home Sweet Homewrecker (1962)

Phantom of the Horse Opera (1961)

Tricky Trout (1961)

Busman's Holiday (1961)

Franken-Stymied (1961)

Sufferin' Cats (1961)

St. Moritz Blitz (1961)

Papoose on the Loose (1961)

The Bird Who Came to Dinner (1961)

Fowled Up Falcon (1960)

Ozark Lark (1960)

The Adventures of Sam Space (1960)

Hunger Strife (1960)

Bats in the Belfry (1960)

How to Stuff a Woodpecker (1960)

Pistol Packin' Woodpecker (1960)

Ballyhooey (1960)

Romp in a Swamp (1959)

Space Mouse (1959)

The Tee Bird (1959)

Woodpecker in the Moon (1959)

Bee Bopped (1959)

Panhandle Scandal (1959)

Log Jammed (1959)

Yukon Have It (1959)

Robinson Gruesome (1959)

Witty Kitty (1959)

Truant Student (1959)

Tomcat Combat (1959)

The Bongo Punch (1958)

Little Televillain (1958)

Jittery Jester (1958)

Three-Ring Fling (1958)

Tree's a Crowd (1958)

A Chilly Reception (1958)

Everglade Raid (1958)

Half Empty Saddles (1958)

Polar Pests (1958)

Salmon Yeggs (1958)

Watch the Birdie (1958)

Misguided Missile (1958)

His Better Elf (1958)

Swiss Miss-Fit (1957)

Dopey Dick, the Pink Whale (1957)

Fowled-Up Party (1957)

Fodder and Son (1957)

The Big Snooze (1957)

Round Trip to Mars (1957)

International Woodpecker (1957)

To Catch a Woodpecker (1957)

The Unbearable Salesman (1957)

Box Car Bandit (1957)

Red Riding Hoodlum (1957)

Operation Cold Feet (1956)

Arts and Flowers (1956)

Woody Meets Davy Crewcut (1956)

Niagara Fools (1956)

Calling All Cuckoos (1956)

The Talking Dog (1956)

Hold That Rock (1956)

Woodpecker from Mars (1956)

Room and Wrath (1956)

Chief Charlie Horse (1956)

Get Lost (1956)

After the Ball (1956)

Pigeon Holed (1956)

Bunco Busters (1955)

Hot and Cold Penguin (1955)

Square Shootin' Square (1955)

The Tree Medic (1955)

Flea for Two (1955)

Bedtime Bedlam (1955)

Sh-h-h-h-h-h (1955)

Private Eye Pooch (1955)

The Legend of Rockabye Point (1955)

Witch Crafty (1955)

Crazy Mixed Up Pup (1955)

Helter Shelter (1955)

I'm Cold (1954)

Convict Concerto (1954)

A Fine Feathered Frenzy (1954)

Real Gone Woody (1954)

Pig in a Pickle (1954)

Paw's Night Out (1954)

Broadway Bow Wow's (1954)

Hot Rod Huckster (1954)

Hay Rube (1954)

Under the Counter Spy (1954)

Dig That Dog (1954)

Alley to Bali (1954)

A Horse's Tale (1954)

Socko in Morocco (1954)

Chilly Willy (1953)

Hot Noon or 12 O'Clock for Sure (1953)

Plywood Panic (1953)

Belle Boys (1953)

Hypnotic Hick (1953)

Maw and Paw (1953)

Wrestling Wrecks (1953)

The Flying Turtle (1953)

Operation Sawdust (1953)

The Mouse and the Lion (1953)

Buccaneer Woodpecker (1953)

The Dog That Cried Wolf (1953)

What's Sweepin'? (1953)

Termites from Mars (1952)

The Great Who-Dood-It (1952)

Scalp Treatment (1952)

Woodpecker in the Rough (1952)

Stage Hoax (1952)

Born to Peck (1952)

Destination Meat Ball (1951)

The Woody Woodpecker Polka (1951)

The Redwood Sap (1951)

Slingshot 6 7/8 (1951)

Wicket Wacky (1951)

Sleep Happy (1951)

Puny Express (1951)

The Fighting Stallion (1950)

The Three Minnies: Sota, Tonka & Ha-Ha (1949)

Blondie's Anniversary (1947)

Tubby the Tuba (1947)

Wilbur the Lion (1947)

Blondie's Holiday (1947)

Shoe Shine Jasper (1947)

Easy Does It (1946)

John Henry and the Inky-Poo (1946)

Honesty Is the Best Policy (1946)

Together in the Weather (1946)

Olio for Jasper (1946)

My Man Jasper (1945)

Jasper and the Beanstalk (1945)

Jasper's Close Shave (1945)

Jasper's Minstrels (1945)

Hot Lip Jasper (1945)

Jasper's Boobytraps (1945)

I'm from Arkansas (1944)

Jasper Tell (1944)

A Hatful of Dreams (1944)

Women on the Warpath (1943)

The Miracle Kid (1941)

How War Came (1941)

The Carpenters (1941)

A Busy Day (1940)
Ratings
Information
Known forSound
GenderMale
Birthday1885-09-27
Deathday1966-12-28 (81 years old)
Place of birthWalnut, United States of America
CitizenshipsUnited States of America
- Clarence Wheeler
- Filmography
- Information
- Related Personas