Philip Green (composer)
Encyclopedia
Philip Green sometimes credited as Harry Philip Green, was a film and television composer and conductor. His father was Philip Green, a boot clicker, and his mother was Elizabeth Vogel. Green's first credited work was on 1943's The Sky's the Limit. He was a house arranger and conductor for Decca
and accompanied many of their vocalists such as Gracie Fields
, Donald Peers
and Anne Shelton.
He was later appointed resident musical director of the Rank Organisation
. He continued to compose and conduct for film and television until his retirement in 1966. Philip, along with his wife, Dorothy, established the Philip and Dorothy Green Music Trust to help young musicians and composers. He died in 1982 of cerebral metastasis.
(1949), The Yellow Balloon
(1952), One Good Turn
(1954), Carry on Admiral
(1957), The Square Peg
(1958), The League of Gentlemen
(1960), A Stitch in Time
(1963) and The Intelligence Men
(1965). His themes for John and Julie
(1954) and The March Hare
(1956) both won Ivor Novello Awards.
Like many composers of film music and light music
, he also wrote prolifically for production music
libraries and as a result, a number of his compositions are familiar through their use in film, radio and television programmes. Many of these works are now published by Carlin Production Music. His short composition "Horse Feathers" was used for the radio series Meet the Huggets, for example, and a number of his pieces were used in Night of the Living Dead
, Looney Tunes
theatrical shorts (such as in 1958 when the musicians were on strike, or later added as part of TV prints for Freudy Cat
.) After his death, his stock music could again be heard in The Ren and Stimpy Show
, as well as on The World's Greatest Magic
.
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
and accompanied many of their vocalists such as Gracie Fields
Gracie Fields
Dame Gracie Fields, DBE , was an English-born, later Italian-based actress, singer and comedienne and star of both cinema and music hall.-Early life:...
, Donald Peers
Donald Peers
Donald Peers was a popular Welsh singer. His best remembered rendition and signature song was "In a Shady Nook by a Babbling Brook".-Biography:...
and Anne Shelton.
He was later appointed resident musical director of the Rank Organisation
Rank Organisation
The Rank Organisation was a British entertainment company formed during 1937 and absorbed in 1996 by The Rank Group Plc. It was the largest and most vertically-integrated film company in Britain, owning production, distribution and exhibition facilities....
. He continued to compose and conduct for film and television until his retirement in 1966. Philip, along with his wife, Dorothy, established the Philip and Dorothy Green Music Trust to help young musicians and composers. He died in 1982 of cerebral metastasis.
Works
He composed more than 150 film scores including Man on the RunMan on the Run
Man on the Run is a 1949 British drama film directed by Lawrence Huntington and starring Derek Farr, Joan Hopkins, Edward Chapman, Kenneth More and Laurence Harvey.-Synopsis:...
(1949), The Yellow Balloon
The Yellow Balloon (film)
The Yellow Balloon is a 1953 British drama film starring Kenneth More, Bernard Lee, Andrew Ray, Kathleen Ryan and Sid James.-Plot:Playing around the ruins of a devastated bombed-out neighbourhood of London, 12 year old Frankie accidentally leads a boy into his death when he falls from a second...
(1952), One Good Turn
One Good Turn (1955 film)
One Good Turn is a 1955 British comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom, Joan Rice, Shirley Abicair and Thora Hird...
(1954), Carry on Admiral
Carry on Admiral
Carry on Admiral is a 1957 British comedy film directed by Val Guest and featuring David Tomlinson, Ronald Shiner and Joan Sims. It was not part of the Carry On series, which it predates, though it is similar in tone and style to the earliest films in the series...
(1957), The Square Peg
The Square Peg
The Square Peg is a 1958 British comedy film starring Norman Wisdom and directed by John Paddy Carstairs. Norman Wisdom plays two different characters: a man who digs and repairs roads and a Nazi General.-Cast:...
(1958), The League of Gentlemen
The League of Gentlemen (film)
The League of Gentlemen is a 1960 British crime film directed by Basil Dearden and starring Jack Hawkins, Nigel Patrick and Richard Attenborough. It was based on the 1958 novel by John Boland and adapted by Bryan Forbes, who also starred in the film...
(1960), A Stitch in Time
A Stitch in Time (film)
A Stitch in Time is a 1963 Norman Wisdom comedy film set in a children's hospital. It was directed by Robert Asher and edited by Gerry Hambling. The cast includes Edward Chapman, Jeanette Sterke, Jerry Desmonde, Jill Melford, Glyn Houston, Vera Day, Patsy Rowlands, Peter Jones, Ernest Clark,...
(1963) and The Intelligence Men
The Intelligence Men
The Intelligence Men is a 1965 comedy film starring the British comic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise.The film is subtitled "M.I.5 plus 2 equals 0"...
(1965). His themes for John and Julie
John and Julie
John and Julie was a 1955 British comedy film. It featured Peter Sellers and Sid James in early screen roles-Plot:John and Julie are two children who personally want to see The Queen's coronation in spite of the fact that their parents have no intention of going. The two decide to run off to...
(1954) and The March Hare
The March Hare (film)
The March Hare is a 1956 British comedy film directed by George More O'Ferrall and starring Peggy Cummins, Terence Morgan, Martita Hunt and Cyril Cusack. The film follows the efforts in Ireland to turn a seemingly useless racing horse into a Derby-winner. It was based on a novel by T. H...
(1956) both won Ivor Novello Awards.
Like many composers of film music and light music
Light music
Light music is a generic term applied to a mainly British musical style of "light" orchestral music, which originated in the 19th century and had its heyday during the early to mid part of the 20th century, although arguably it lasts to the present day....
, he also wrote prolifically for production music
Production music
Production music is the name given to recorded music produced and owned by production music libraries and licensed to customers for use in film, television, radio and other media.-Introduction:...
libraries and as a result, a number of his compositions are familiar through their use in film, radio and television programmes. Many of these works are now published by Carlin Production Music. His short composition "Horse Feathers" was used for the radio series Meet the Huggets, for example, and a number of his pieces were used in Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead
Night of the Living Dead is a 1968 American independent black-and-white zombie film and cult film directed by George A. Romero, starring Duane Jones, Judith O'Dea and Karl Hardman. It premiered on October 1, 1968, and was completed on a USD$114,000 budget. After decades of cinematic re-releases, it...
, Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes is a Warner Bros. animated cartoon series. It preceded the Merrie Melodies series and was Warner Bros.'s first animated theatrical series. Since its first official release, 1930's Sinkin' in the Bathtub, the series has become a worldwide media franchise, spawning several television...
theatrical shorts (such as in 1958 when the musicians were on strike, or later added as part of TV prints for Freudy Cat
Freudy Cat
Freudy Cat is a 1964 Looney Tunes animated short starring Sylvester and Sylvester Jr.. The cartoon is essentially a clip show, as a paranoid Sylvester flashes back to earlier cartoons such as Who's Kitten Who?, Cats a-Weigh!, and The Slap-Hoppy Mouse while describing to a psychiatrist that he...
.) After his death, his stock music could again be heard in The Ren and Stimpy Show
The Ren and Stimpy Show
The Ren & Stimpy Show, often simply referred to as Ren & Stimpy, is an American animated television series, created by Canadian animator John Kricfalusi for Nickelodeon. The series focuses on the titular characters: Ren Höek, a psychotic chihuahua, and Stimpson J. Cat, a good-natured, dimwitted cat...
, as well as on The World's Greatest Magic
The World's Greatest Magic
The World's Greatest Magic was a series of American television specials showcasing magic acts.The first of five shows was broadcast by NBC in 1994, and continued with annual editions through 1998. These shows were most often first telecast during the Thanksgiving holidays when special programming...
.
External links
- Biography at the Robert Farnon Society