Leigh Harline
Leigh Adrian Harline was an Academy Award-winning film composer and songwriter. He was born on 26 March 1907, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He was the son of soldier Charles Härlin and Jahanna Matilda Härlin. He was the youngest of 13 children. His parents came from the village of Härfsta in Simtuna parish, Sweden. They were baptized members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1888, and moved to Salt Lake City, Utah in 1891. Once in the United States, they changed their surname to Harline. Leigh was baptized a member of the Church at age eight.
He attended Granite High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, and later studied at the University of Utah. After graduating from the University of Utah, he studied piano and organ with Mormon Tabernacle Choir conductor, J. Spencer Cornwall.
In 1928, he moved to California and worked as a composer, conductor, arranger, instrumentalist, singer, and announcer at radio stations in San Francisco and Los Angeles. He arranged music for the first transcontinental radio broadcast to originate from the West Coast in 1931, and was then hired by Walt Disney in 1932, where he scored over 50 tunes, including tunes for the Silly Symphonies cartoon series in the 1930s. He became well known for his “musical sophistication that was uniquely ‘Harline-esque’ by weaving rich tapestries of mood-setting underscores and penning memorable melodies for animated shorts and features.”
He won the Academy Award for Best Original Music Score and the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “When You Wish Upon a Star,” featured in Disney’s classic film Pinocchio (1940). The tune later became the theme song for the Disney television series, The Wonderful World of Disney.
Leigh worked with Frank Churchill, Larry Morey, and Paul J. Smith on such Disney film tunes as “I’m Wishing,” “Whistle While You Work,” “Heigh-Ho,” and “Some Day My Prince Will Come” in Disney studio’s first animated feature-length cartoon Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937.
In 1940 he joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). In 1941, he left Disney to compose for other studios. His impeccable list of credits includes Road to Utopia (1945), Nocturne (1946), The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947), The Boy with Green Hair (1948), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Monkey Business (1952), The Desert Rats (1953), Good Morning, Miss Dove (1955), 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956), Ten North Frederick (1958), The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker (1959), The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm (1962), and 7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964).
Leigh was also nominated for Academy Award for Best Original Musical (1943, 1944). He received his first Oscar nomination for “Someday My Prince Will Come.” He was nominated for Oscars for scoring The Pride of the Yankees, Johnny Come Lately, and The Wonderful World of the Brothers Grimm. He also composed for television, including series Ben Casey and Disney’s Daniel Boone. His other popular song compositions include “Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee,” “Give a Little Whistle,” and “Jiminy Cricket.”
He died on 10 December 1969, in Long Beach, California, from complications from throat cancer, and is buried in Valhalla Memorial Park Cemetery. He was inducted into the Disney Legends in 2001.
Follow Leigh Harline
Recent Posts
World Premiere of Jay Osmond’s New Musical – The Osmonds: A New Musical
Jay Wesley Osmond is the sixth progeny of the late George Virl Osmond, Sr., and the late Olive May Davis Osmond. As a member of the performing Osmonds, Jay was a backup singer and the drummer. After more than half a century of entertaining audiences around the world,...
Yahosh Bonner Recognized as One of Utah Valley 360’s 40 Under 40
Yahosh Bonner comes from an accomplished musical heritage and so he has been surrounded by music ever since he was a child. His love of music is deeply rooted in his love for the gospel. He states, “I look forward to sharing the gift of music that God has given me to...
David Archuleta Performs with an All-Male Choir for the First Time
Throughout his incredible career, world renown singer-songwriter, David James Archuleta, has performed with orchestras and choruses, including the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square during a Christmas special in 2010. However, he has never performed a...
Even As a Part of the LGBTQIA+ Community, David James Archuleta Remains True to His Faith
“People in the church think they need to choose one or the other, because you can’t do both. So, a lot of people who are gay, bisexual, etc., they want to fit in, they have a testimony and want to belong, but they don’t know how, so they leave. I was at that point...
The Joyous Sounds of Christmas are in the Air
It’s Christmastime and time for a carol! To help spread good cheer and joy, Latter-day Saint music artists have already begun releasing their new Christmas music videos. Music artists like Mat and Savanna Shaw go beyond the music videos to bring good tidings to you...
Jay Osmond’s New Musical Gives Osmond Fans a New Reason to Love Them
For more than half a century, the performing Osmonds (Alan, Wayne, Merril, Jay, Donny, Marie, and Jimmy) have graced stages around the world with their spectacular performances and have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. America’s first family of music...