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IMDbPro

Ken Darby(1909-1992)

  • Composer
  • Music Department
  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ken Darby
Clip from The Wizard of Oz
Play clip2:12
Nothing But A Coward
6 Videos
10 Photos
Composer ("How the West Was Won"), songwriter ("Make Mine Music"), choral director, conductor, arranger, singer and author, educated at Christian College and a student of Tibor Serly, Ernst Toch, Herman Hand, and Victor Young.

He originated The King's Men male vocal quartet in 1929 and appeared on radio, films, concerts, television and recordings. Later he led and arranged music for the Ken Darby Singers. He was a writer and production supervisor for Walt Disney Studios, and associate producer of many record albums.

Joining ASCAP in 1946, his chief musical collaborator was Gordon Jenkins. His other popular-song compositions include "The Chool Song," "Love Song of Kalua," "Saga of the Ponderosa," "Ports of Paradise," "Merry Christmas Neighbor," "Endless Prairie," and "Whispering Wind".
BornMay 13, 1909
DiedJanuary 24, 1992(82)
BornMay 13, 1909
DiedJanuary 24, 1992(82)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Won 3 Oscars
    • 4 wins & 4 nominations total

Photos10

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Known for

Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner in The King and I (1956)
The King and I
7.4
  • Music Department
  • 1956
How the West Was Won (1962)
How the West Was Won
7.1
  • Music Department(uncredited)
  • 1962
Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dorothy Dandridge in Porgy and Bess (1959)
Porgy and Bess
6.9
  • Music Department
  • 1959
Camelot (1967)
Camelot
6.6
  • Music Department
  • 1967

Credits

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IMDbPro

Composer



  • The Night Before Christmas (1968)
    The Night Before Christmas
    6.8
    TV Movie
    • Composer
    • 1968
  • The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
    The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1955–1961
  • Lawman (1958)
    Lawman
    8.1
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1959
  • Scott Forbes in The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956)
    The Adventures of Jim Bowie
    6.8
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1956–1958
  • Richard Coogan in The Californians (1957)
    The Californians
    6.5
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1958
  • Casey at the Bat (1954)
    Casey at the Bat
    6.7
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1954
  • Eddie Albert, Betty Grable, and Macdonald Carey in Meet Me After the Show (1951)
    Meet Me After the Show
    6.2
    • Composer
    • 1951
  • The Brave Engineer (1950)
    The Brave Engineer
    6.7
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1950
  • Once Upon a Wintertime (1948)
    Once Upon a Wintertime
    6.5
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1948
  • Little Toot (1948)
    Little Toot
    7.0
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1948

Music Department



  • Walt Disney in The Magical World of Disney (1954)
    The Magical World of Disney
    8.3
    TV Series
    • sequence music
    • music
    • 1957–1979
  • Kim Novak, Mako, Zero Mostel, and Clint Walker in The Great Bank Robbery (1969)
    The Great Bank Robbery
    5.6
    • vocal arranger
    • 1969
  • Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Don Francks, and Tommy Steele in Finian's Rainbow (1968)
    Finian's Rainbow
    6.1
    • associate music supervisor
    • 1968
  • The World: Color It Happy (1967)
    The World: Color It Happy
    3.0
    TV Movie
    • music supervisor
    • 1967
  • Camelot (1967)
    Camelot
    6.6
    • music associate
    • 1967
  • The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
    The Greatest Story Ever Told
    6.6
    • choral supervisor
    • 1965
  • How the West Was Won (1962)
    How the West Was Won
    7.1
    • choir
    • music associate (uncredited)
    • 1962
  • Ann-Margret, Pat Boone, Bobby Darin, and Pamela Tiffin in State Fair (1962)
    State Fair
    5.9
    • associate: Alfred Newman
    • 1962
  • Nancy Kwan and Miyoshi Umeki in Flower Drum Song (1961)
    Flower Drum Song
    6.9
    • associate music supervisor
    • 1961
  • The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
    The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
    7.6
    TV Series
    • choral director
    • 1961
  • Burt Lancaster, Jean Simmons, and Shirley Jones in Elmer Gantry (1960)
    Elmer Gantry
    7.7
    • associate music supervisor
    • 1960
  • Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959)
    Journey to the Center of the Earth
    7.0
    • associate conductor: songs
    • 1959
  • Hound-Dog Man (1959)
    Hound-Dog Man
    5.2
    • music associate
    • 1959
  • Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dorothy Dandridge in Porgy and Bess (1959)
    Porgy and Bess
    6.9
    • music associate
    • 1959
  • Scott Forbes in The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956)
    The Adventures of Jim Bowie
    6.8
    TV Series
    • composer: theme music
    • 1956–1958

Actor



  • Trick or Treat (1952)
    Trick or Treat
    7.2
    Short
    • Jack-O'lantern (uncredited)
    • 1952
  • Universal Cartoon Melodies: Song Dreams
    Short
    • Quartet Member
    • 1952
  • Songs That Live
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1952
  • Memory Songs
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1951
  • Sing Your Thanks
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1950
  • Texas Tom (1950)
    Texas Tom
    7.7
    Short
    • Lead Singer (uncredited)
    • 1950
  • The Brave Engineer (1950)
    The Brave Engineer
    6.7
    Short
    • Singer (as The King's Men)
    • 1950
  • Song of the Range
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1949
  • Sailing with a Song
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1949
  • Songs of Romance
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1949
  • Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
    Fun and Fancy Free
    6.3
    • The Bull (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Gloria Blondell and Clarence Nash in Donald's Dilemma (1947)
    Donald's Dilemma
    7.0
    Short
    • Donald Duck's Singing Voice (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Clown of the Jungle (1947)
    Clown of the Jungle
    7.2
    Short
    • Hummingbird Singer (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Old Dog Tray
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1946
  • Jeanne Crain in Margie (1946)
    Margie
    7.1
    • Off-Screen Singer (voice, uncredited)
    • 1946

Videos6

Nothing But A Coward
Clip 2:12
Nothing But A Coward
Munchkinland
Clip 1:57
Munchkinland
Munchkinland
Clip 1:57
Munchkinland
Meeting the Wizard
Clip 2:35
Meeting the Wizard
I'm Melting
Clip 1:18
I'm Melting
No Place Like Home
Clip 0:53
No Place Like Home
Ultimate Collector's Edition Promotional Clip
Promo 2:11
Ultimate Collector's Edition Promotional Clip

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Kenneth Darby
  • Born
    • May 13, 1909
    • Hebron, Nebraska, USA
  • Died
    • January 24, 1992
    • Sherman Oaks, California, USA(heart ailment)
  • Spouse
    • Vera Matson1932 - January 24, 1992 (his death, 2 children)
  • Other works
    Works: "The Lake" (symphonic suite)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His choral group, the Ken Darby Singers, sang backup for Bing Crosby on Crosby's original 78-RPM recording of "White Christmas." This version was not recorded directly from the soundtrack of Holiday Inn (1942), the 1942 movie for which composer Irving Berlin wrote the song. Soundtrack albums for live action films did not come into being until 1947.
  • Quotes
    (When Walt Disney criticized his proposed score for The Legend of Johnny Appleseed (1948)): "That is just a cross section of one man's opinion."

FAQ11

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  • How old was Ken Darby when he died?

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