Edward Holcomb Plumb (June 6, 1907, Streator, Illinois – April 18, 1958, Los Angeles, California) was a film composer and orchestrator best known for his work at Walt Disney Studios. He served as musical director of Fantasia and orchestrated and co-composed the score for Bambi, and orchestrated and expanded the film's main composer Frank Churchill's menacing but simple three-note theme.
Plumb was born in Streator, Illinois. His grandfather, Colonel Ralph Plumb founded the city of Streator in 1866. In the 1930s, Plumb moved to California and began work as a composer and orchestrator in the film industry. In addition to his work for Disney, Plumb frequently worked on titles for other studios, including Republic, Paramount and 20th Century Fox. In 1953, he wrote the music for MGM's Tom and Jerry short called The Missing Mouse because Scott Bradley was on vacation.[1] Back at Disney, Plumb orchestrated the music for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937 film), the Whale Chase sequence in Pinocchio,[2] Dumbo, Make Mine Music, Song of the South, Beanero in Fun and Fancy Free,[3] So Dear to My Heart, some subsidiary cues for Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Lady and the Tramp. He also orchestrated a number of television programs for Walt Disney Presents, a number of Davy Crockett films and on Westward Ho, the Wagons!, starring Fess Parker. His final film project was Johnny Tremain for Disney in 1957.
Plumb died from long-term effects of alcohol consumption on April 18, 1958. He was 50.[4][5]
He received Oscar nominations for Bambi, Victory Through Air Power, Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros.[6]
In the Tom and Jerry cartoon "The Missing Mouse" he is credited as "Edward Plumb" without the H. initial.
Notes
The library of Congress
Film Composers in America 1911 - 1970 by Clifford McCarthy
Bibliography
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