American orchestrator and composer.
Composed and orchestrated background music for numerous films and television shows during his 65-year career in Hollywood. His first film score was for ''Night Life of the Gods'' in 1935. He went on to write or orchestrate music for the films ''Riding on Air'' (1937), ''Turnabout'' (1940), ''The Nevadan'' (1950) and ''Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' (1950).
Born in Duluth, Minn., he graduated from the University of...
more
American orchestrator and composer.
Composed and orchestrated background music for numerous films and television shows during his 65-year career in Hollywood. His first film score was for ''Night Life of the Gods'' in 1935. He went on to write or orchestrate music for the films ''Riding on Air'' (1937), ''Turnabout'' (1940), ''The Nevadan'' (1950) and ''Rogues of Sherwood Forest'' (1950).
Born in Duluth, Minn., he graduated from the University of Minnesota and then studied law and philosophy before working in the music departments of the Hal Roach Studios and Columbia Pictures.
He attended west high school in Minneapolis and graduated from the university of Minnesota (where he played in jazz bands) in 1929. After a year of law school and graduate work in philosophy he moved to Los Angeles. In 1935 he married Emmy Lou Hellman , the daughter of screenwriter Sam Hellman and the sister of editor Verna Fields. In addition to film scores, Morton wrote a number of songs ("My Secret Castle", "As I Live & Breathe") and many scores for television series.
He also orchestrated scores for ''From Here to Eternity,'' ''The Sand Pebbles,'' ''Patton,'' ''Chinatown'' and the ''Star Trek'' movies. His television credits included music for the series ''Peyton Place'' and ''The Waltons.''
As well as exclusively orchestrating every Jerry Goldsmith score in the 70's and 80's, he worked with other orchestrators such as Herbert Spencer - John Williams’ orchestrator - providing additional orchestrations for Star Wars (1977) and Superman The Movie (1978).
less
