Scott Bradley (composer)

Walter Scott Bradley (November 26, 1891 – April 27, 1977) was an American composer, pianist, arranger, and conductor. Bradley is best remembered for scoring MGM’s theatrical cartoons, including those starring Tom and Jerry, Barney Bear, Screwy Squirrel, Droopy, George and Junior and many one-off cartoons. Biography Early life and career In an autobiographical sketch, Bradley noted that he began his career performing with and later conducting theatre orchestras in Houston, Texas. He studied organ and harmony with Horton Corbett, the choir director of Houston’s Christ Church Cathedral, but was “otherwise entirely self-taught in composition and orchestration.” (Years later, when he was already established in Hollywood, he sought to improve his technique by studying privately with MGM colleague Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco). In 1926, Bradley moved to Los Angeles to conduct programs over KHJ Radio, an activity that led to his growing involvement in animation at the start of the talkie era. He was a staff musician for Walt Disney (1929) and the Ub Iwerks studio (1930–1934), then became music director for Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, who were hired to produce cartoon shorts for MGM. After M