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Ned Washington(1901-1976)

  • Music Department
  • Composer
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Prolific American lyricist and songwriter, one of the giants of Tin Pan Alley. He contributed numerous popular standards to jazz and to the big band scene. His catalogue includes such titles as "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" (theme song for bandleader Tommy Dorsey), the ballad "I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance With You", the 1940 Oscar-winner "When You Wish Upon a Star" (from Pinocchio (1940)), "The Nearness of You" (made popular by Glenn Miller), "Stella By Starlight", "Green Dolphin Street", "La Cucaracha" and the western classics "Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin" (Oscar-winner for High Noon (1952) and the "Rawhide" theme.

Washington had his roots in vaudeville as a master of ceremonies. Having joined ASCAP in 1930, he started his songwriting career with Earl Carroll's Vanities on Broadway in the late 1920's. In 1934, he was signed by MGM and relocated to Hollywood, eventually writing full scores for feature films. During the 40's, he worked for a number of studios, including Paramount, Warner Brothers, Disney and Republic. During these tenures, he collaborated with many of the great composers of the era, including Hoagy Carmichael, Victor Young, Max Steiner and Dimitri Tiomkin.
BornAugust 15, 1901
DiedDecember 20, 1976(75)
BornAugust 15, 1901
DiedDecember 20, 1976(75)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Add photos, demo reels
  • Won 3 Oscars
    • 6 wins & 10 nominations total

Known for

Mel Blanc, Walter Catlett, Frankie Darro, Cliff Edwards, Dickie Jones, Charles Judels, Clarence Nash, Christian Rub, and Evelyn Venable in Pinocchio (1940)
Pinocchio
7.5
  • Music Department(lyrics by)
  • 1940
Gary Cooper, Lloyd Bridges, Lee Van Cleef, Katy Jurado, Ian MacDonald, Robert J. Wilke, and Sheb Wooley in High Noon (1952)
High Noon
7.9
  • Soundtrack("High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')")
  • 1952
Mel Blanc, Edward Brophy, Cliff Edwards, Verna Felton, Noreen Gammill, Dorothy Scott, Sarah Selby, and Margaret Wright in Dumbo (1941)
Dumbo
7.2
  • Music Department
  • 1941
Nicolas Cage and John Travolta in Face/Off (1997)
Face/Off
7.3
  • Soundtrack("Stella By Starlight")
  • 1997

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Music Department



  • Tom Hanks and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Pinocchio (2022)
    Pinocchio
    5.1
    • composer: original songs
    • 2022
  • Mannecchio (2021)
    Mannecchio
    Short
    • Music Department
    • 2021
  • Erzulie's Tears (2007)
    Erzulie's Tears
    Short
    • Music Department
    • 2007
  • Barbra Streisand: Wild is the Wind
    Music Video
    • Music Department
    • 2003
  • Simply Mad About the Mouse (1991)
    Simply Mad About the Mouse
    6.9
    Short
    • words by (segments "When You Wish Upon A Star", "I've Got No Strings")
    • 1991
  • The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue (1985)
    The Walt Disney Comedy and Magic Revue
    8.7
    Video
    • musical director: archive footage
    • 1985
  • David Bowie in David Bowie: Wild Is the Wind (1981)
    David Bowie: Wild Is the Wind
    7.1
    Music Video
    • stock music
    • 1981
  • Clint Eastwood, Paul Brinegar, and Sheb Wooley in Rawhide (1959)
    Rawhide
    7.9
    TV Series
    • lyricist: theme music
    • 1959–1965
  • Ship of Fools (1965)
    Ship of Fools
    7.0
    • lyrics
    • 1965
  • Temple Houston (1963)
    Temple Houston
    7.8
    TV Series
    • composer: theme music
    • 1963–1964
  • Advise & Consent (1962)
    Advise & Consent
    7.7
    • lyrics: "The Song from Advise and Consent"
    • 1962
  • Gunslinger (1961)
    Gunslinger
    7.9
    TV Series
    • lyricist: theme music
    • composer: theme music
    • 1961
  • Kathryn Grant and Dwayne Hickman in 1001 Arabian Nights (1959)
    1001 Arabian Nights
    6.1
    • special songs
    • 1959
  • Naked City (1958)
    Naked City
    8.2
    TV Series
    • composer: theme music
    • 1958–1959
  • Search for Paradise (1957)
    Search for Paradise
    7.5
    • lyricist
    • 1957

Composer



  • Billy Joel: When You Wish Upon a Star (1991)
    Billy Joel: When You Wish Upon a Star
    5.4
    Music Video
    • Composer (original music by)
    • 1991

Soundtrack



  • Show Time at the Apollo
    • writer: "The Nearness of You"
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 1955



  • Bill Leff and Kevin Fleming in Toon in with Me (2021)
    Toon in with Me
    7.7
    TV Series
    • lyrics: "Rawhide"
    • 2025
  • Lina Schiffer, Jenni Pääskysaari, Asko Kallonen, Mikko Kosonen, and Anna Airola in Levyraati (1961)
    Levyraati
    6.7
    TV Series
    • writer: "Wild Is the Wind"
    • 2025
  • Greg Kinnear and Luke Wilson in You Gotta Believe (2024)
    You Gotta Believe
    5.8
    • writer: "Rawhide"
    • 2024
  • Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat (2024)
    Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
    7.7
    • lyrics: "Wild Is the Wind"
    • 2024
  • Alan Tudyk, Chris Pine, and Ariana DeBose in Wish (2023)
    Wish
    5.6
    • lyrics: "When You Wish Upon A Star"
    • 2023
  • Arja Saijonmaa, Katja Ståhl, Jore Marjaranta, Lauri Mikkola, Suvi Teräsniska, Juha-Pekka Leppäluoto, Diandra Flores, and Tero Vesterinen in Elämäni Biisi (2019)
    Elämäni Biisi
    7.4
    TV Series
    • writer: "When You Wish Upon A Star"
    • 2023
  • Láng Lang in Lang Lang Plays Disney (2023)
    Lang Lang Plays Disney
    6.9
    TV Special
    • writer: "When You Wish Upon a Star"
    • 2023
  • Once Upon a Studio (2023)
    Once Upon a Studio
    8.3
    Short
    • lyrics: "When You Wish Upon a Star"
    • writer: "When You Wish Upon A Star"
    • 2023
  • Tom Hanks, Liev Schreiber, Edward Norton, Jason Schwartzman, Bryan Cranston, Hope Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Steve Park, Aristou Meehan, Maya Hawke, Rupert Friend, Jake Ryan, Ethan Josh Lee, and Sophia Lillis in Asteroid City (2023)
    Asteroid City
    6.4
    • writer: "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)", "Smoke Rings"
    • 2023
  • Jon Øigarden, Agnes Kittelsen, Pål Sverre Hagen, Simon J. Berger, Ine Marie Wilmann, and Tobias Santelmann in Exit (2019)
    Exit
    8.2
    TV Series
    • writer: "Rawhide"
    • 2023
  • Patton Oswalt, Felicia Day, Baron Vaughn, Jonah Ray, and Hampton Yount in Mystery Science Theater 3000 (2017)
    Mystery Science Theater 3000
    8.1
    TV Series
    • lyrics: "Rawhide"
    • lyrics: "When You Wish upon a Star" (uncredited)
    • 2017–2022
  • Steven Spielberg, Judd Hirsch, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Michelle Williams, Keeley Karsten, Tony Kushner, Birdie Borria, Alina Brace, Sophia Kopera, Mateo Zoryan, Gabriel LaBelle, Chloe East, and Julia Butters in The Fabelmans (2022)
    The Fabelmans
    7.5
    • writer: "The Greatest Show on Earth"
    • 2022
  • Tom Hanks and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Pinocchio (2022)
    Pinocchio
    5.1
    • lyrics: "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee (An Actor's Life for Me)", "I've Got No Strings", "When You Wish Upon a Star"
    • 2022
  • Joe Manganiello, Dominic Monaghan, and Emma McDonald in Moonhaven (2022)
    Moonhaven
    5.5
    TV Series
    • writer: "Wild Is the Wind"
    • 2022
  • Andy Samberg and John Mulaney in Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)
    Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
    6.9
    • writer: "When You Wish Upon a Star"
    • 2022

Personal details

Edit
  • Height
    • 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
  • Born
    • August 15, 1901
    • Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA
  • Died
    • December 20, 1976
    • Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA(heart ailment)
  • Spouse
    • Page, Patricia? - December 20, 1976 (his death, 1 child)
  • Other works
    Active on Broadway in the following productions:
  • Publicity listings
    • 2 Articles

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1972.

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