Albert Hay Malotte
Encyclopedia
Albert Hay Malotte was an American pianist, organist, composer and educator.
Troop 1, the first Boy Scout troop in Philadelphia. Malotte graduated from Tioga High School and sang at Saint James Episcopal Church in Philadelphia as a choir boy. He studied with Victor Herbert
, W. S. Stansfield, and later in Paris with Gordon Jacob
. His career as an organist began in Chicago where he played for silent pictures and later concertized throughout the US and Europe.
During World War II he held the rank of Captain in the Special Services for two years while he toured with the USO
and entertained troops in New Guinea, Australia and Europe. At one point he sponsored his own troup of entertainers that included Judith Anderson, Ann Triola
and Helen McClure Preister. Malotte was an amateur pilot, avid golfer and even boxed with Jack Dempsey
in Memphis, Tennessee. He spent most of his career as a composer in Hollywood.
Malotte married Marguerite Stevens Hester August 23, 1946.
Malotte composed a number of film scores, including mostly uncredited music for animation
s from the Disney
studios. Although two movies for which he composed scores won best Short Subject Academy Awards (Ferdinand the Bull in 1939 and The Ugly Duckling
in 1940), he is best remembered for a setting of the Lord's Prayer
. Written in 1935, it was recorded by the baritone
John Charles Thomas
, and remained highly popular for use as a solo in churches and at wedding
s in the US for some decades. He composed a number of other religious pieces, including settings of the Beatitudes
and of the Twenty-third Psalm
which have also remained popular as solos. His secular songs, such as "Ferdinand the bull" (from the Disney animated short of the same name), "For my mother" (a setting of a poem by 12-year-old Bobby Sutherland) and "I am proud to be an American" are less well remembered. Some of his works are collected in the library of the University of California Los Angeles and the Library of Congress
.
In addition, Malotte wrote uncredited stock music for many other films in the 1930s and early 1940s, including twenty-two of the Disney Silly Symphonies
and other shorts such Little Hiawatha
as well as Ferdinand the Bull. He also composed cantatas, oratorios
, musicals and ballets. Malotte owned Apple Valley Music.
He died of pneumonia and is buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery
.
Biography and career
Malotte was the son of Charles and Katherine (Donavon) Malotte. He was in Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
Troop 1, the first Boy Scout troop in Philadelphia. Malotte graduated from Tioga High School and sang at Saint James Episcopal Church in Philadelphia as a choir boy. He studied with Victor Herbert
Victor Herbert
Victor August Herbert was an Irish-born, German-raised American composer, cellist and conductor. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is best known for composing many successful operettas that premiered on Broadway from the 1890s to World War I...
, W. S. Stansfield, and later in Paris with Gordon Jacob
Gordon Jacob
Gordon Percival Septimus Jacob was an English composer. He is known for his wind instrument composition and his instructional writings.-Life:...
. His career as an organist began in Chicago where he played for silent pictures and later concertized throughout the US and Europe.
During World War II he held the rank of Captain in the Special Services for two years while he toured with the USO
United Service Organizations
The United Service Organizations Inc. is a private, nonprofit organization that provides morale and recreational services to members of the U.S. military, with programs in 160 centers worldwide. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense , and has provided support and...
and entertained troops in New Guinea, Australia and Europe. At one point he sponsored his own troup of entertainers that included Judith Anderson, Ann Triola
Anne Triola
Anne Triola is an American singer, musician, and actress of stage, film, and television. As a comedienne and supporting actress, she got her start singing in Hollywood night clubs...
and Helen McClure Preister. Malotte was an amateur pilot, avid golfer and even boxed with Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
in Memphis, Tennessee. He spent most of his career as a composer in Hollywood.
Malotte married Marguerite Stevens Hester August 23, 1946.
Malotte composed a number of film scores, including mostly uncredited music for animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
s from the Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
studios. Although two movies for which he composed scores won best Short Subject Academy Awards (Ferdinand the Bull in 1939 and The Ugly Duckling
The Ugly Duckling
"The Ugly Duckling" is a literary fairy tale by Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen . The story tells of a homely little bird born in a barnyard who suffers abuse from his neighbors until, much to his delight , he matures into a beautiful swan, the most beautiful bird of all...
in 1940), he is best remembered for a setting of the Lord's Prayer
Lord's Prayer
The Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
. Written in 1935, it was recorded by the baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
John Charles Thomas
John Charles Thomas
John Charles Thomas was a popular American opera, operetta and concert baritone.-Birth, schooling and stage debut:...
, and remained highly popular for use as a solo in churches and at wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
s in the US for some decades. He composed a number of other religious pieces, including settings of the Beatitudes
Beatitudes
In Christianity, the Beatitudes are a set of teachings by Jesus that appear in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The term Beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beatus which means happy, fortunate, or blissful....
and of the Twenty-third Psalm
Psalm 23
In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
which have also remained popular as solos. His secular songs, such as "Ferdinand the bull" (from the Disney animated short of the same name), "For my mother" (a setting of a poem by 12-year-old Bobby Sutherland) and "I am proud to be an American" are less well remembered. Some of his works are collected in the library of the University of California Los Angeles and the Library of Congress
Library of Congress
The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
.
In addition, Malotte wrote uncredited stock music for many other films in the 1930s and early 1940s, including twenty-two of the Disney Silly Symphonies
Silly Symphonies
Silly Symphonies is a series of animated short subjects, 75 in total, produced by Walt Disney Productions from 1929 to 1939, while the studio was still located at Hyperion Avenue in the Silver Lake district of Los Angeles...
and other shorts such Little Hiawatha
Little Hiawatha
Little Hiawatha is a 1937 animated cartoon produced by Walt Disney.-Synopsis:Over opening narration, Little Hiawatha is seen paddling his canoe down a river—at one point backwards—on his way to hunt game. Upon reaching land, he steps out and immediately falls down a hidden hole in the water,...
as well as Ferdinand the Bull. He also composed cantatas, oratorios
Oratórios
Oratórios is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Zona da Mata and to the microregion of Ponte Nova.-See also:* List of municipalities in Minas Gerais...
, musicals and ballets. Malotte owned Apple Valley Music.
He died of pneumonia and is buried in the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery
Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)
Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...
.
Selected filmography
- Black Magic (Director: George B. SeitzGeorge B. SeitzGeorge Brackett Seitz was an American playwright, screenwriter, film actor and director. He was known for his screenplays for action serials, including:*The Perils of Pauline *The Exploits of Elaine...
, 1929) - Such Men are Dangerous (1930)
- Born RecklessBorn Reckless (1930 film)Born Reckless is a American crime comedy directed by Andrew Bennison and John Ford, from a screenplay written by Donald Henderson Clarke based on his novel Louis Beretti. The film starred Edmund Lowe and Catherine Dale Owen.-Plot:...
(Directors: Andrew BennisonAndrew BennisonAndrew Bennison was an American screenwriter and film director whose career was at its peak in the 1930s....
and John FordJohn FordJohn Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
, 1930) - The Girl from CalgaryThe Girl from CalgaryThe Girl from Calgary is a 1932 American musical comedy film directed by Phil Whitman.- Cast :*Fifi D'Orsay as Fifi Follette*Paul Kelly as Larry Boyd*Robert Warwick as Bill Webster*Edwin Maxwell as Earl Darrell*Astrid Allwyn as Mazie Williams...
(Director: Phil Whitman, 1932) - Hi Gaucho (Director: Thomas Atkins, 1935)
- Dr. CyclopsDr. CyclopsDr. Cyclops is a science fiction horror film directed by Ernest B. Schoedsack, starring Thomas Coley, Victor Kilian, Janice Logan, Charles Halton, Frank Yaconelli, and Albert Dekker, and released by Paramount Pictures.- Plot summary :...
(Director: Ernest B. SchoedsackErnest B. SchoedsackErnest Beaumont Schoedsack was an American motion picture cinematographer, director, and producer.Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Schoedsack is probably best remembered for being the co-director of the 1933 film, King Kong....
, 1940) - Mystery Sea RaiderMystery Sea Raider-Cast:* Carole Landis as June McCarthy* Henry Wilcoxon as Captain Jimmy Madden* Onslow Stevens as Carl Cutler* Kathleen Howard as Maggie Clancy* Wally Rairden as Blake, 3rd Mate * Sven Hugo Borg as Sven* Henry Victor as Cmdr. Bulow...
(Director: Edward DmytrykEdward DmytrykEdward Dmytryk was an American film director who was amongst the Hollywood Ten, a group of blacklisted film industry professionals who served time in prison for being in contempt of Congress during the McCarthy-era 'red scare'.-Early life:Dmytryk was born in Grand Forks, British Columbia, Canada,...
, 1940) - Pirates on Horseback (Director: Lesley SelanderLesley SelanderLesley Selander was a prolific American film director of Westerns and science fiction movies. His career as director, spanning 127 feature films and 15 TV episodes, lasted from 1936 to 1968...
, 1941) - The Enchanted Forest (Director: Lew LandersLew LandersLew Landers was a prolific American film and television director.-Biography:Born Louis Friedlander in New York City, he began his movie career as an actor. In 1914 he appeared in two features, D. W. Griffith's The Escape and the comedy short Admission -- Two Pins, opposite Glen White, under his...
, 1945) - The Big FishermanThe Big FishermanThe Big Fisherman is a 1959 American film directed by Frank Borzage about the later life of Peter, one of the closest disciples of Jesus.The film is adapted from a novel written by Lloyd C. Douglas...
(Director: Frank BorzageFrank BorzageFrank Borzage was an American film director and actor.-Biography:Frank Borzage's father, Luigi Borzaga, was born in Ronzone, in 1859. As a stonemason, he sometimes worked in Switzerland; he met his future wife, Maria Ruegg , where she worked in a silk factory...
, 1959)
Disney scores (incomplete)
- Lonesome GhostsLonesome GhostsLonesome Ghosts is a 1937 Disney animated cartoon featuring the Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy trio as members of the agency "Ajax Ghost Exterminators" .-Plot:...
- Alpine Climbers
- The Brave Little Tailor
- Broken Toys
- Little HiawathaLittle HiawathaLittle Hiawatha is a 1937 animated cartoon produced by Walt Disney.-Synopsis:Over opening narration, Little Hiawatha is seen paddling his canoe down a river—at one point backwards—on his way to hunt game. Upon reaching land, he steps out and immediately falls down a hidden hole in the water,...
- The Moth and the Flame
- Moving DayMoving Day (film)Moving Day is a 1936 American animated short film produced in Technicolor by Walt Disney Productions and released by United Artists. The cartoon, set during the contemporary Great Depression, follows the antics of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as they franticly pack their belongings after...
- Three Blind MouseketeersThree Blind Mouseketeers-TV airings:The cartoon was aired on Good Morning, Mickey! on Disney Channel when it was first launched.-Home Video Release:1.Walt Disney Cartoon Classics Limited Gold Edition II: The Disney Dream Factory: 1933-193819852.More Silly Symphonies2006...
- Magician MickeyMagician MickeyMagician Mickey is a 8-minute 1937 Walt Disney Mickey Mouse cartoon, originally released to theaters on February 6, 1937. This cartoon was directed by David Hand and the animation was done by Ed Love. In this cartoon, Mickey puts on a magic show, but is constantly interrupted by Donald Duck, whom...
- Mickey's Elephant
- Orphan's Picnic
- The Whalers
Musicals (all unpublished)
- Lolama (premiered in Phoenix, AZ)
- The Big Tree - Gee What A Tree (with Rowland Vance Lee)
- Bluebeard (with Rowland Vance Lee)
- Limbo or Ladies from Limbo (with Irving Phillips)
- Fanfare
- Soldiers in Overalls
Songs, sacred and secular (incomplete; published)
- A happily married pair
- A little song of life
- A voice from outer space
- A woman must have love
- After we have kissed (from Ladies from Limbo, 1947)
- All because of love (from Ladies from Limbo, 1947)
- Among the living (1939)
- An Understanding Heart (1959)
- And have not charity
- At the crossroads (setting of Richard HoveyRichard HoveyRichard Hovey was an American poet. Graduating from Dartmouth College in 1885, he is known in part for penning the school Alma Mater, Men of Dartmouth.-Biography:...
poem, 1941) - BeatitudesBeatitudesIn Christianity, the Beatitudes are a set of teachings by Jesus that appear in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The term Beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beatus which means happy, fortunate, or blissful....
, The - Big Fisherman, The
- Blow Me Eyes (1941)
- Bobolink
- Bridal Hymn
- Bring back that old-fashioned waltz ("dedicated to my folks", 1923)
- Brotherhood (1950)
- C'est l'amour
- Chant pastoral
- Cinderella
- Contrary Mary (1936)
- David & Goliath
- Desire (1942)
- Devotedly
- Double crossed by the moon (I'm always)
- Dreamer, The (setting of 1928 Don BlandingDon BlandingDonald Benson Blanding was an American poet who sentimentalized warm climates and was sometimes described as "poet laureate of Hawaii". He was also known as a journalist, author of prose, and speaker....
poem from his "Vagabond's House", 1936) - Faith
- Farewell (1942)
- Ferdinand the Bull
- Fiesta en purchena
- For my mother (setting of Bobby Sutherland poem, 1939)
- Forgive me (1941)
- From a foxhole
- Go, lovely rose (1936)
- Golfer's lament (theme song for the Joe Kirkwood TV show, "Let's play golf")
- Gown of glory
- Great sea, The
- Hast thou not known? (from the oratorioOratorioAn oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists. Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias...
Voice of the Prophet - Heartstrings (1941)
- Hebrew prayer (written for the New Temple Israel, 1951)
- Holy Bible, The
- Homing heart, The
- How shall my heart remember?
- Hymn to the D.A.R.Daughters of the American RevolutionThe Daughters of the American Revolution is a lineage-based membership organization for women who are descended from a person involved in United States' independence....
- I am proud to be an American
- I pledge my love to you (1951 - Dedicated to Mrs. Malotte - 8/23/46)
- If I listen to my heart
- It took me forever to find you
- It's good to know
- I've been here before
- Just an ordinary guy
- Just let me know
- Life eternal
- Lord's PrayerLord's PrayerThe Lord's Prayer is a central prayer in Christianity. In the New Testament of the Christian Bible, it appears in two forms: in the Gospel of Matthew as part of the discourse on ostentation in the Sermon on the Mount, and in the Gospel of Luke, which records Jesus being approached by "one of his...
, The - Lover, The (poem anonymous, 1936)
- Marguerite
- May dance
- Melancholy Moon
- Melody of my heart
- Melody of my love (1939)
- Mimi and her Fifi
- Miracle
- Mister Jim (1944)
- My friend (1939)
- My love for you
- Ninety-first Psalm, The (for solo voice and full chorus, 1941)
- O the fierce delight (1940)
- Ode to liberty
- Old age (1945)
- One, two, three (1939)
- Only with Thine Eyes (Psalm 91 - solo)
- Pledge to the Flag (1940)
- Poor old man, The
- Positive thinking (1960)
- Same old story, The
- Scout Oath, The (written for the Boy Scouts of AmericaBoy Scouts of AmericaThe Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
and Girl Scouts of the USAGirl Scouts of the USAThe Girl Scouts of the United States of America is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. It describes itself as "the world's preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls". It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 and was organized after Low...
) - Separation (1941)
- Sing a Song of Sixpence (1938)
- Someday I'll Forget That I Ever Loved You
- Song of the open road (1935)
- Sound of the trumpet
- Spread your wings (1943)
- Sunday morning on the Rue de la Paix
- Swashbuckler's song (1936)
- Tell the world to move over
- Time-clock, The
- Three songs to poems by Edith
- To a skylark (1940)
- Treat 'em rough, soldier boy! (1942)
- Twenty-third PsalmPsalm 23In the 23rd Psalm in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, the writer describes God as his Shepherd. The text, beloved by Jews and Christians alike, is often alluded to in popular media and has been set to music....
, The - Unto thee, O Lord
- Upstream (setting of 1922 Carl SandburgCarl SandburgCarl Sandburg was an American writer and editor, best known for his poetry. He won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for his poetry and another for a biography of Abraham Lincoln. H. L. Mencken called Carl Sandburg "indubitably an American in every pulse-beat."-Biography:Sandburg was born in Galesburg,...
poem from "Slabs of the Sunburnt West", 1937) - Voice of the Prophet (Chorus, Orchestra, & Soloists)
- We want to see everything
- Wedding day
- Wee Hughie (words by Elizabeth Shane, 1946)
- What can I ask more of life? (words by Rowland Vance Lee, 1948)
- What Would Be the Use of Living?
- When my boy comes home (1944)
- When you fall in love
- Without a man to love
- Yearning Just For You
External links
- The Lied and Art Song Texts Page for Albert Hay Malotte
- Gravesite at Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills CemeteryForest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)Forest Lawn – Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries. It is at 6300 Forest Lawn Drive in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles, California, on the lower north slope at the far east end of the Santa Monica...