Laurel and Hardy and Shield

Synopsis

Today we celebrate the birthday of Leroy Bernard Shield, an American composer whose name might not ring a bell, but whose music you might instantly recognize — and with a smile.

Shield’s name rarely appeared on the credits for the classic Our Gang and Laurel & Hardy comedies from the 1930s, but his music was used in most of them.

Shield was born in Waseca, Minnesota, on today’s date in 1893. At five he was already an accomplished pianist and organist, and by 15 a professional arranger, composer and concert pianist.

In 1923, he joined the staff of the Victor Talking Machine Company, supervising their East Coast recording sessions. Then in 1930, he was appointed Victor’s Musical Director in charge of Hollywood, California, Activities, and it was in this capacity that he wrote and oversaw the recording of music for the famous comedies produced by the Hal Roach Studios.

In 1945, Shield moved back to New York and became the orchestral contractor for the NBC radio network and worked closely with the famous conductor Arturo Toscanini and his NBC Symphony. He retired in 1955, moved to Florida, and died in Fort Lauderdale in 1962.

Music Played in Today's Program

Leroy Shield (1893-1962): Good Old Days and Hide and Go Seek; Beau Hunks Orchestra; Koch 8702

On This Day

Births

• 1893 - American composer and pianist Leroy Shield, in Waseca, Minnesota. He wrote much of the uncredited film music for the Hal Roach studios in the 1930s (including many classic Laurel & Hardy and Our Gang comedies)

• 1929 - British composer Kenneth Leighton, in Wakefield, Yorkshire

Deaths

• 1920 - German composer Max Bruch, 82, in Friedenau (near Berlin)

• 1943 - Canadian-born American composer R. Nathaniel Dett, 60, in Battle Creek, Michigan

• 1996 - Finnish composer Joonas Kokkonen, 74, in Jarvenpaa

Premieres

• 1913 - Butterworth: A Shropshire Lad, at the Leeds Festival, with Artur Nikisch conducting

• 1960 - Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet

• 2001 - Steven Heitzeg: Nobel Symphony at Gustavus Adolpus College in St. Peter, Minn., by the Gustavus Orchestra, soloists and choirs, conducted by Warren Friesen

Others

• 1828 - Two weeks before his death, Schubert writes a letter to a music publisher offering them his latest work, the String Quintet. The publisher declined the offer. The work was first performed in public in 1850, and was not published until 1853.

• 1849 - Johann Strauss, Jr. takes over his father’s orchestra one week after his death