Ken Darby

Ken Darby

Born: May 13, 1909
Died: January 24, 1992
in Hebron, Nebraska, USA
Kenneth Lorin Darby (May 13, 1909 – January 24, 1992) was an American composer, vocal arranger, lyricist, and conductor. His film scores were recognized by the awarding of three Academy Awards and one Grammy Award. He provided vocals for the Munchkinland mayor in The Wizard of Oz (1939), who was portrayed in the film by Charlie Becker. Darby is also notable as the author of The Brownstone House of Nero Wolfe (1983), a biography of the home of Rex Stout's fictional detective.

Ken Darby's choral group, The Ken Darby Singers, sang backup for Bing Crosby on the original 1942 Decca Records studio recording of "White Christmas." In 1940 they also sang on the first album ever made of the songs from The Wizard of Oz, a film on which Darby had worked. However, the album was a studio cast recording, not a true soundtrack album (although it did feature Judy Garland), and it did not use the film's original arrangements.

Darby also performed as part of "The King's Men," a vocal quartet that recorded several songs with Paul Whiteman's orchestra in the mid-1930s and were the featured vocalists on the Fibber McGee and Molly radio program from 1940 through 1953. In the early 1940s, he performed with the King's Men a musical version of "A Visit from St. Nicholas" that he wrote called "T'was the Night Before Christmas" which was performed on the Christmas episodes of Fibber McGee and Molly. They also participated on the soundtracks of several MGM films, including The Wizard of Oz and occasional Tom and Jerry cartoons. The King's Men portrayed the Marx Brothers in a musical spoof in the film Honolulu (Darby played one of two 'Grouchos' in the group). He also provided the theme song and the soundtrack for The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, the 1955-61 television series starring Hugh O'Brian, and The Adventures of Jim Bowie starring Scott Forbes.

He was a composer and production supervisor for Walt Disney Studios and was the choral and vocal director of the 1946 Disney film classic Song of the South.

He was also Marilyn Monroe's vocal coach for Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and There's No Business Like Show Business (1954).

Darby was also the principal composer of the 1956 Elvis Presley hit "Love Me Tender" for the movie of the same name but signed the rights over to his wife, Vera Matson, whose name appears as co-lyricist and co-composer with Presley. The song was adapted from the Civil War-era song "Aura Lee." Presley's composing credit was mandated by his management, to entice him to record the song. Darby was often asked about his decision to credit the song to his wife along with Presley, and his standard response was an acid, "Because she didn't write it either."

An avid fan of Nero Wolfe, Rex Stout's fictional detective genius, Darby wrote a detailed biography of Wolfe's home titled The Brownstone House of Nero Wolfe (1983).

Ken Darby died January 24, 1992, in the final stages of production of his last book, Hollywood Holyland: The Filming and Scoring of 'The Greatest Story Ever Told' (1992).

He was buried at the Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Movies for Ken Darby...

Walt Disney's Halloween Hilarities
Title: Walt Disney's Halloween Hilarities
Character: Jack-o'lantern (voice)
Released: October 30, 1953
Type: Movie
A package film of Halloween-themed cartoons, one of which being Trick or Treat (1952).
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The Brave Engineer
Title: The Brave Engineer
Character: Himself
Released: March 3, 1950
Type: Movie
Casey Jones is one of the best engineers there is and it is his duty to get his cargo to its destination on time via train. He sets off but is set back by a number of unfortunate circumstances such as a rain storm, a cow on the tracks, a mad bomber, and finally, when his train starts falling apart. Worst of all, he is on a collision course with another train coming in the opposite direction. After a terrific crash, the man at the train station assumes the worst when Casey doesn't show up but, to his delight, Casey finally makes it to his destination a total wreck but on time (almost).
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Margie
Title: Margie
Character: Off-Screen Singer (voice) (uncredited)
Released: October 15, 1946
Type: Movie
A woman reminisces about her teenage years in the 1920s, when she fell in love with her teacher.
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The Martins and the Coys
Title: The Martins and the Coys
Character: The King's Men
Released: August 15, 1946
Type: Movie
The Martins and the Coys are two feuding clans. One day, Grandpa Coy gets caught in the Martin henhouse, and a massive battle erupts, leaving only a Martin girl and a Coy boy. Love conquers all for a while, anyhow. Originally released as a segment in Make Mine Music.
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Make Mine Music
Title: Make Mine Music
Character: The King's Men / Choral Director (Ken Darby Chorus) (singing voice) (uncredited)
Released: June 30, 1946
Type: Movie
In the tradition of Fantasia, Make Mine Music is a glorious collection of musically charged animated shorts featuring such fun-filled favorites as "Peter and the Wolf", narrated by the beloved voice behind Winnie the Pooh. In addition you'll enjoy such classic cartoon hits as "Casey at the Bat," "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" and "Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet."
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The Kansan
Title: The Kansan
Character: Member - The King's Men
Released: September 10, 1943
Type: Movie
Wounded while stopping the James gang from robbing the local bank, a cowboy wakes up in the hospital to find that he's been elected town marshal. He soon comes into conflict with the town banker, who controls everything in town and is squeezing the townspeople for every penny he can get out of them.
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For Me and My Gal
Title: For Me and My Gal
Character: Member - The King's Men (uncredited)
Released: October 21, 1942
Type: Movie
Two vaudeville performers fall in love, but find their relationship tested by the arrival of WWI.
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Two-Faced Woman
Title: Two-Faced Woman
Character: Member - The King's Men (uncredited)
Released: December 31, 1941
Type: Movie
A woman pretends to be her own twin sister to win back her straying husband.
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Stagecoach War
Title: Stagecoach War
Character: Outlaw
Released: July 12, 1940
Type: Movie
Hoppy is busy chasing stagecoach bandits who sing as they rob.
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The Showdown
Title: The Showdown
Character: Rider
Released: March 8, 1940
Type: Movie
European bad guy Baron Bendor leads some local townsmen in a plot to obtain horses through theft. Hoppy and his sidekicks Lucky and Speedy must find and expose the horse thieves.
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Law of the Pampas
Title: Law of the Pampas
Character: The King's Men Member
Released: November 3, 1939
Type: Movie
Hoppy and Lucky are headed to South America to deliver a heard of cattle. Bay guy Ralph Merritt gets in their way. For a while.
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Renegade Trail
Title: Renegade Trail
Character: Rider
Released: July 25, 1939
Type: Movie
Hoppy goes to town to help Marshal Windy with some rustlers and winds up helping the widow Joyce when confidence men try to take her herd. King's Men songs include: "Hi Thar Stranger" and "Lazy Rolls the Rio Grande."
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Broadway Serenade
Title: Broadway Serenade
Character: Singers - 'High Flyin' Number (uncredited)
Released: April 7, 1939
Type: Movie
A married singer, pianist/composer team are struggling to hit it big in New York. Finally, they audition before a Broadway producer, but the producer only wants the singer, leaving the husband without a job and feeling a failure.
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Honolulu
Title: Honolulu
Character: Groucho 1 (uncredited)
Released: February 3, 1939
Type: Movie
Wanting a break from his overzealous fans, a famous movie star hires a Hawaiian plantation owner to switch places with him for a few weeks.
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Going Hollywood
Title: Going Hollywood
Character: Member - The King's Men
Released: December 22, 1933
Type: Movie
The film tells the story of Sylvia, a French teacher at an all-girl school, who wants to find love. When she hears Bill Williams on the radio, she decides to go visit and thank him. However, difficult problems lay ahead when Lili gets in the way.
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Let's Go Native
Title: Let's Go Native
Character: Quartet Singer (as The King's Men) (uncredited)
Released: August 15, 1930
Type: Movie
The company of a musical comedy gets shipwrecked on a tropical island inhabited by a "king" from Brooklyn and his coterie of wild native girls.