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{{Short description|American composer (1926–2018)}}
{{Other people|John Morris}}
{{Other people|John Morris}}
{{infobox person
{{infobox person
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|death_place = [[Red Hook, New York]], U.S.
|death_place = [[Red Hook, New York]], U.S.
|death_cause =
|death_cause =
|spouse = Francesca Bosetti (1949-2018; his death)
|spouse = {{marriage|Francesca Bosetti|1949}}
|children = 2
|children = 2
|occupation = film [[composer]]
|occupation = Composer
|years_active = 1963 – 2004
|years_active = 1963–2004
}}
}}


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==Early life==
==Early life==
John Morris was born in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]] to Thomas Morris, an engineer who designed revolving doors for the [[Tiffany & Co.]] flagship store in [[Fifth Avenue]], and Helen Sherratt, a homemaker.<ref name="nytimes obit"/> He became interested in music as early as three years old when he started learning to play the piano and visiting friends in [[The Bronx]] with his parents.<ref name="nytimes obit"/>
John Morris was born in [[Elizabeth, New Jersey]], to Thomas Morris, an engineer who designed revolving doors for the [[Tiffany & Co. flagship store]] in [[Fifth Avenue]], and Helen Sherratt, a homemaker.<ref name="nytimes obit"/> He became interested in music as early as three years old when he started learning to play the piano and visiting friends in [[The Bronx]] with his parents.<ref name="nytimes obit"/>


His family moved to [[Independence, Kansas]] while he was young, and continued studying piano. By the late 1940s, he moved back to New York City, where he studied at both [[Juilliard School]] and at [[The New School for Social Research]].<ref name="variety obit">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/john-morris-blazing-saddles-and-young-frankenstein-composer-dies-at-91-1202679605|title=John Morris, 'Blazing Saddles' and 'Young Frankenstein' Composer, Dies at 91|first=Jon|last=Burlingame|date=January 28, 2018|accessdate=January 29, 2018|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref name="nytimes obit"/>
His family moved to [[Independence, Kansas]], while he was young, and Morris continued studying piano. By the late 1940s, he moved back to New York City, where he studied at both [[Juilliard School]] and at [[The New School for Social Research]].<ref name="variety obit">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/john-morris-blazing-saddles-and-young-frankenstein-composer-dies-at-91-1202679605|title=John Morris, 'Blazing Saddles' and 'Young Frankenstein' Composer, Dies at 91|first=Jon|last=Burlingame|date=January 28, 2018|access-date=January 29, 2018|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref><ref name="nytimes obit"/>


==Career==
==Career==
From the 1950s through the 1970s, Morris helped to compose incidental music and dance numbers for a number of Broadway productions, including ''[[Wildcat (musical)|Wildcat]]'' (1960), ''[[Hot Spot (musical)|Hot Spot]]'' (1963), ''[[Baker Street (musical)|Baker Street]]'' (1965), ''[[Dear World]]'' (1969), ''[[Mack & Mabel]]'' (1974), and ''Hamlet'' (1975).<ref name="playbill obit">{{cite web | url = http://www.playbill.com/article/oscar-nominated-composer-john-morris-dies-at-91 | title = Oscar-Nominated Composer John Morris Dies at 91 | first = Olivia | last = Clement | date = January 29, 2018 | accessdate = January 29, 2018 | work = [[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]] }}</ref><ref name="variety obit"/> He had written and produced his own musical, ''[[A Time for Singing]]'', released in 1966.<ref name="variety obit"/>
From the 1950s through the 1970s, Morris helped to compose incidental music and dance numbers for a number of Broadway productions, including ''[[Wildcat (musical)|Wildcat]]'' (1960), ''[[Hot Spot (musical)|Hot Spot]]'' (1963), ''[[Baker Street (musical)|Baker Street]]'' (1965), ''[[Dear World]]'' (1969), ''[[Mack & Mabel]]'' (1974), and ''Hamlet'' (1975).<ref name="playbill obit">{{cite web | url = http://www.playbill.com/article/oscar-nominated-composer-john-morris-dies-at-91 | title = Oscar-Nominated Composer John Morris Dies at 91 | first = Olivia | last = Clement | date = January 29, 2018 | access-date = January 29, 2018 | work = [[Playbill (magazine)|Playbill]] }}</ref><ref name="variety obit"/> He had written and produced his own musical, ''[[A Time for Singing]]'', released in 1966.<ref name="variety obit"/>


Morris worked with [[Mel Brooks]], starting with Brooks' first film ''[[The Producers (1968 film)|The Producers]]''. Prior to this, the two had worked together on two musicals, ''Shinbone Alley'' (1957) and ''All-American'' (1962).<ref name="nytimes obit">{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/obituaries/john-morris-composer-for-mel-brookss-films-dies-at-91.html | title= John Morris, Composer for Mel Brooks's Films, Dies at 91 | first = Richard | last = Sandomir | date= January 28, 2018 | accessdate = January 29, 2018 | work = [[The New York Times]] }}</ref> Morris did the original arrangement for ''[[Springtime for Hitler]]'' and the rest of the film's underscore.<ref name="variety obit"/> Morris continued to work with Brooks on twenty of his films, including ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'' (for which he received a co-writing credit Oscar nomination with Brooks for the film's opening song), ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'' (for which he scored its famous "Transylvanian Lullaby"), and ''[[The Elephant Man (film)|The Elephant Man]]'' (for which he was nominated for a Grammy for its score).<ref name="variety obit"/> Only two of Brooks' films did not feature Morris' music: ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'' and ''[[Dracula: Dead and Loving It]]'' were both composed by [[Hummie Mann]]. In an interview with ''[[Film Score Monthly]]'', Brooks explained that Morris couldn't do the music for ''Men in Tights'' or ''Dead and Loving It'' due to other commitments.<ref name="filmscore">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/articles/2001/15_Aug---Lost_Issue_Mel_Brooks_Interview.asp|title=Lost Issue Wednesday: Mel Brooks Interview (1997)|author=Jeffrey K. Howard|website=Filmscoremonthly.com|date=August 15, 2001|accessdate=July 12, 2009}}</ref>
Morris worked with [[Mel Brooks]], starting with Brooks' first film ''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]''. Prior to this, the two had worked together on two musicals, ''Shinbone Alley'' (1957) and ''All-American'' (1962).<ref name="nytimes obit">{{cite web | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/28/obituaries/john-morris-composer-for-mel-brookss-films-dies-at-91.html | title= John Morris, Composer for Mel Brooks's Films, Dies at 91 | first = Richard | last = Sandomir | date= January 28, 2018 | access-date = January 29, 2018 | work = [[The New York Times]] }}</ref> Morris did the original arrangement for ''[[Springtime for Hitler]]'' and the rest of the film's underscore.<ref name="variety obit"/> Morris continued to work with Brooks on twenty of his films, including ''[[Blazing Saddles]]'' (for which he received a co-writing credit Oscar nomination with Brooks for the film's theme song), ''[[Young Frankenstein]]'' (for which he scored its famous "Transylvanian Lullaby"), and ''[[The Elephant Man (film)|The Elephant Man]]'' (for which he was nominated for a Grammy and an Oscar for its score).<ref name="variety obit"/> Only two of Brooks' films did not feature Morris' music: ''[[Robin Hood: Men in Tights]]'' and ''[[Dracula: Dead and Loving It]]'' were both composed by [[Hummie Mann]]. In an interview with ''[[Film Score Monthly]]'', Brooks explained that Morris couldn't do the music for ''Men in Tights'' or ''Dead and Loving It'' due to other commitments.<ref name="filmscore">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/articles/2001/15_Aug---Lost_Issue_Mel_Brooks_Interview.asp|title=Lost Issue Wednesday: Mel Brooks Interview (1997)|author=Jeffrey K. Howard|website=Filmscoremonthly.com|date=August 15, 2001|access-date=July 12, 2009|archive-date=September 18, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918053720/http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/articles/2001/15_Aug---Lost_Issue_Mel_Brooks_Interview.asp|url-status=dead}}</ref>


Morris also helped to score films of actors who had worked with Brooks when they produced their own films. These included [[Gene Wilder]]'s ''[[The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother]]'', ''[[The World's Greatest Lover]]'', ''[[The Woman in Red (1984 film)|The Woman in Red]]'' and ''[[Haunted Honeymoon]]'', and [[Marty Feldman]]'s ''[[The Last Remake of Beau Geste]]'' and ''[[In God We Tru$t]]''.
Morris also helped to score films of actors who had worked with Brooks when they produced their own films. These included [[Gene Wilder]]'s ''[[The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother]]'', ''[[The World's Greatest Lover]]'', ''[[The Woman in Red (1984 film)|The Woman in Red]]'' and ''[[Haunted Honeymoon]]'', and [[Marty Feldman]]'s ''[[The Last Remake of Beau Geste]]'' and ''[[In God We Tru$t]]''.


Morris composed the scores for a number of other films and for several television shows, including the themes for ''[[The French Chef]]'' and ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]''.<ref name="variety obit"/> He won a Daytime Emmy for his score for the TV miniseries ''The Tap Dance Kid''<!-- not same as our article-->.<ref name="variety obit"/>
Morris composed the scores for a number of other films and for several television shows, including the themes for ''[[The French Chef]]'' and ''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]''.<ref name="variety obit"/> He won a Daytime Emmy for his score for the TV miniseries ''The Tap Dance Kid''<!-- not same as our article-->.<ref name="variety obit"/>


==Personal life and death==
==Personal life and death==
He was married to Francesca Bosetti, and had two children: his son Evan, who died in 2014 and daughter Bronwen. Morris died on January 25, 2018 in his Red Hook, New York home following complications from a respiratory infection at the age of 91. He was survived by his wife, his daughter, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref name="variety obit"/> Brooks said on Morris' death "He was my emotional right arm. Music tells you what to feel and he knew what I wanted you to feel. He composed it and made it happen."<ref name="nytimes obit"/>
He was married to Francesca Bosetti, and had two children: his son Evan, who died in 2014 and daughter Bronwen. Morris died on January 25, 2018, in his Red Hook, New York, home following complications from a respiratory infection at the age of 91. He was survived by his wife, his daughter, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.<ref name="nytimes obit"/><ref name="variety obit"/> Brooks said on Morris' death "He was my emotional right arm. Music tells you what to feel and he knew what I wanted you to feel. He composed it and made it happen."<ref name="nytimes obit"/>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
*''[[The Blackwater Lightship]]'' (2004) (TV)<ref name="TCM">{{cite web|title=Filmography for John Morris|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/135914%7c86505/John-Morris/filmography.html|website=Turner Classic Movies|accessdate=30 January 2018}}</ref>
*''[[The Blackwater Lightship (film)|The Blackwater Lightship]]'' (2004) (TV)<ref name="TCM">{{cite web|title=Filmography for John Morris|url=http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/135914%7c86505/John-Morris/filmography.html|website=Turner Classic Movies|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref>
*''[[The Lady in Question (1999 film)|The Lady in Question]]'' (1999) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
*''[[The Lady in Question (1999 film)|The Lady in Question]]'' (1999) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
*''[[Murder in a Small Town]]'' (1999) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
*''[[Murder in a Small Town]]'' (1999) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
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*''[[World War II: When Lions Roared]]'' (1994) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
*''[[World War II: When Lions Roared]]'' (1994) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
*''[[Scarlett (miniseries)|Scarlett]]'' (1994) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
*''[[Scarlett (miniseries)|Scarlett]]'' (1994) (TV)<ref name="TCM" />
*''[[Life Stinks]]'' (1991)<ref name="TVG">{{cite web|title=John Morris List of Movies and TV Shows|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-morris/credits/195438/|website=TV Guide|accessdate=30 January 2018}}</ref>
*''[[Life Stinks]]'' (1991)<ref name="TVG">{{cite web|title=John Morris List of Movies and TV Shows|url=http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/john-morris/credits/195438/|website=TV Guide|access-date=30 January 2018}}</ref>
*''[[Stella (1990 film)|Stella]]'' (1990)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[Stella (1990 film)|Stella]]'' (1990)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'' (composer: main theme) (1989–97)<ref name="variety obit" />
*''[[Coach (TV series)|Coach]]'' (composer: main theme) (1989–97)<ref name="variety obit" />
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*''[[The World's Greatest Lover]]'' (1977)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The World's Greatest Lover]]'' (1977)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Last Remake of Beau Geste]]'' (1977)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Last Remake of Beau Geste]]'' (1977)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Adams Chronicles]]'' (1976)<ref name="variety obit" />
*''[[Silent Movie]]'' (1976)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[Silent Movie]]'' (1976)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother]]'' (1975)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother]]'' (1975)<ref name="TVG" />
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*''[[The Twelve Chairs (1970 film)|The Twelve Chairs]]'' (1970)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Twelve Chairs (1970 film)|The Twelve Chairs]]'' (1970)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Gamblers (1970 film)|The Gamblers]]'' (1970)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Gamblers (1970 film)|The Gamblers]]'' (1970)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Producers (1968 film)|The Producers]]'' (1968)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[The Producers (1967 film)|The Producers]]'' (1967)<ref name="TVG" />
*''[[A Time for Singing]]'' (Broadway Musical, 1966)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rnh.com/show/106|title=A Time for Singing|website=Rnh.com|accessdate=28 January 2018}}</ref>
*''[[A Time for Singing]]'' (Broadway Musical, 1966)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rnh.com/show/106|title=A Time for Singing|website=Rnh.com|access-date=28 January 2018}}</ref>
*''[[The French Chef]]'' (second theme) (1963)<ref name="variety obit" />
*''[[The French Chef]]'' (second theme) (1963)<ref name="variety obit" />


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[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:2018 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Elizabeth, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People from Elizabeth, New Jersey]]
[[Category:American male composers]]
[[Category:American film score composers]]
[[Category:American film score composers]]
[[Category:Male film score composers]]
[[Category:American male film score composers]]

Latest revision as of 15:36, 10 July 2024

For other people named John Morris, see John Morris (disambiguation).
John Morris
Morris in 2015
Born
John Leonard Morris

(1926-10-18)October 18, 1926
Elizabeth, New Jersey, U.S.
DiedJanuary 25, 2018(2018-01-25) (aged 91)
Red Hook, New York, U.S.
OccupationComposer
Years active1963–2004
Spouse
Francesca Bosetti
​
(m. 1949)​
Children2

John Leonard Morris (October 18, 1926 – January 25, 2018) was an American film, television, and Broadway composer, dance arranger, conductor, and trained concert pianist. He collaborated with filmmakers Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder.

Early life

[edit]

John Morris was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Thomas Morris, an engineer who designed revolving doors for the Tiffany & Co. flagship store in Fifth Avenue, and Helen Sherratt, a homemaker.[1] He became interested in music as early as three years old when he started learning to play the piano and visiting friends in The Bronx with his parents.[1]

His family moved to Independence, Kansas, while he was young, and Morris continued studying piano. By the late 1940s, he moved back to New York City, where he studied at both Juilliard School and at The New School for Social Research.[2][1]

Career

[edit]

From the 1950s through the 1970s, Morris helped to compose incidental music and dance numbers for a number of Broadway productions, including Wildcat (1960), Hot Spot (1963), Baker Street (1965), Dear World (1969), Mack & Mabel (1974), and Hamlet (1975).[3][2] He had written and produced his own musical, A Time for Singing, released in 1966.[2]

Morris worked with Mel Brooks, starting with Brooks' first film The Producers. Prior to this, the two had worked together on two musicals, Shinbone Alley (1957) and All-American (1962).[1] Morris did the original arrangement for Springtime for Hitler and the rest of the film's underscore.[2] Morris continued to work with Brooks on twenty of his films, including Blazing Saddles (for which he received a co-writing credit Oscar nomination with Brooks for the film's theme song), Young Frankenstein (for which he scored its famous "Transylvanian Lullaby"), and The Elephant Man (for which he was nominated for a Grammy and an Oscar for its score).[2] Only two of Brooks' films did not feature Morris' music: Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Dracula: Dead and Loving It were both composed by Hummie Mann. In an interview with Film Score Monthly, Brooks explained that Morris couldn't do the music for Men in Tights or Dead and Loving It due to other commitments.[4]

Morris also helped to score films of actors who had worked with Brooks when they produced their own films. These included Gene Wilder's The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, The World's Greatest Lover, The Woman in Red and Haunted Honeymoon, and Marty Feldman's The Last Remake of Beau Geste and In God We Tru$t.

Morris composed the scores for a number of other films and for several television shows, including the themes for The French Chef and Coach.[2] He won a Daytime Emmy for his score for the TV miniseries The Tap Dance Kid.[2]

Personal life and death

[edit]

He was married to Francesca Bosetti, and had two children: his son Evan, who died in 2014 and daughter Bronwen. Morris died on January 25, 2018, in his Red Hook, New York, home following complications from a respiratory infection at the age of 91. He was survived by his wife, his daughter, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.[1][2] Brooks said on Morris' death "He was my emotional right arm. Music tells you what to feel and he knew what I wanted you to feel. He composed it and made it happen."[1]

Filmography

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Sandomir, Richard (January 28, 2018). "John Morris, Composer for Mel Brooks's Films, Dies at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Burlingame, Jon (January 28, 2018). "John Morris, 'Blazing Saddles' and 'Young Frankenstein' Composer, Dies at 91". Variety. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  3. ^ Clement, Olivia (January 29, 2018). "Oscar-Nominated Composer John Morris Dies at 91". Playbill. Retrieved January 29, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c Jeffrey K. Howard (August 15, 2001). "Lost Issue Wednesday: Mel Brooks Interview (1997)". Filmscoremonthly.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Filmography for John Morris". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa "John Morris List of Movies and TV Shows". TV Guide. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  7. ^ "A Time for Singing". Rnh.com. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
[edit]
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