[go: up one dir, main page]

    Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsPride MonthAmerican Black Film FestivalSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Ken Darby(1909-1992)

  • Composer
  • Music Department
  • Actor
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ken Darby
Clip from The Wizard of Oz
Play clip2:12
Nothing But A Coward
6 Videos
10 Photos
Composer ("How the West Was Won"), songwriter ("Make Mine Music"), choral director, conductor, arranger, singer and author, educated at Christian College and a student of Tibor Serly, Ernst Toch, Herman Hand, and Victor Young.

He originated The King's Men male vocal quartet in 1929 and appeared on radio, films, concerts, television and recordings. Later he led and arranged music for the Ken Darby Singers. He was a writer and production supervisor for Walt Disney Studios, and associate producer of many record albums.

Joining ASCAP in 1946, his chief musical collaborator was Gordon Jenkins. His other popular-song compositions include "The Chool Song," "Love Song of Kalua," "Saga of the Ponderosa," "Ports of Paradise," "Merry Christmas Neighbor," "Endless Prairie," and "Whispering Wind".
BornMay 13, 1909
DiedJanuary 24, 1992(82)
BornMay 13, 1909
DiedJanuary 24, 1992(82)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Won 3 Oscars
    • 4 wins & 4 nominations total

Photos10

View Poster
View Poster
View Poster
View Poster
View Poster
View Poster
+ 4
View Poster

Known for

Le roi et moi (1956)
Le roi et moi
7.4
  • Music Department
  • 1956
La Conquête de l'Ouest (1962)
La Conquête de l'Ouest
7.1
  • Music Department(uncredited)
  • 1962
Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dorothy Dandridge in Porgy and Bess (1959)
Porgy and Bess
6.9
  • Music Department
  • 1959
Camelot (1967)
Camelot
6.6
  • Music Department
  • 1967

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Composer



  • The Night Before Christmas (1968)
    The Night Before Christmas
    6.8
    TV Movie
    • Composer
    • 1968
  • The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
    The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1955–1961
  • Lawman (1958)
    Lawman
    8.1
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1959
  • Scott Forbes in The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956)
    The Adventures of Jim Bowie
    6.8
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1956–1958
  • Richard Coogan in The Californians (1957)
    The Californians
    6.5
    TV Series
    • Composer
    • 1958
  • Casey à la Batte (1954)
    Casey à la Batte
    6.7
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1954
  • Eddie Albert, Betty Grable, and Macdonald Carey in Folies de Broadway (1951)
    Folies de Broadway
    6.2
    • Composer
    • 1951
  • Brave mécanicien (1950)
    Brave mécanicien
    6.7
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1950
  • C'est un souvenir de Décembre (1948)
    C'est un souvenir de Décembre
    6.5
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1948
  • Petit Toot (1948)
    Petit Toot
    7.0
    Short
    • Composer
    • 1948

Music Department



  • Walt Disney in Le monde merveilleux de Disney (1954)
    Le monde merveilleux de Disney
    8.3
    TV Series
    • sequence music
    • music
    • 1957–1979
  • Kim Novak, Mako, Zero Mostel, and Clint Walker in Le plus grand des hold-up (1969)
    Le plus grand des hold-up
    5.6
    • vocal arranger
    • 1969
  • Fred Astaire, Petula Clark, Don Francks, and Tommy Steele in La Vallée du bonheur (1968)
    La Vallée du bonheur
    6.1
    • associate music supervisor
    • 1968
  • The World: Color It Happy (1967)
    The World: Color It Happy
    3.0
    TV Movie
    • music supervisor
    • 1967
  • Camelot (1967)
    Camelot
    6.6
    • music associate
    • 1967
  • La plus grande histoire jamais contée (1965)
    La plus grande histoire jamais contée
    6.6
    • choral supervisor
    • 1965
  • La Conquête de l'Ouest (1962)
    La Conquête de l'Ouest
    7.1
    • choir
    • music associate (uncredited)
    • 1962
  • Ann-Margret in La foire aux illusions (1962)
    La foire aux illusions
    5.9
    • associate: Alfred Newman
    • 1962
  • Nancy Kwan and Miyoshi Umeki in Au rythme des tambours fleuris (1961)
    Au rythme des tambours fleuris
    6.9
    • associate music supervisor
    • 1961
  • The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (1955)
    The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
    7.6
    TV Series
    • choral director
    • 1961
  • Elmer Gantry, le charlatan (1960)
    Elmer Gantry, le charlatan
    7.7
    • associate music supervisor
    • 1960
  • Voyage au centre de la Terre (1959)
    Voyage au centre de la Terre
    7.0
    • associate conductor: songs
    • 1959
  • Le Vagabond des Bois Maudits (1959)
    Le Vagabond des Bois Maudits
    5.2
    • music associate
    • 1959
  • Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dorothy Dandridge in Porgy and Bess (1959)
    Porgy and Bess
    6.9
    • music associate
    • 1959
  • Scott Forbes in The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1956)
    The Adventures of Jim Bowie
    6.8
    TV Series
    • composer: theme music
    • 1956–1958

Actor



  • Donald et la sorcière (1952)
    Donald et la sorcière
    7.2
    Short
    • Jack-O'lantern (uncredited)
    • 1952
  • Universal Cartoon Melodies: Song Dreams
    Short
    • Quartet Member
    • 1952
  • Songs That Live
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1952
  • Memory Songs
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1951
  • Sing Your Thanks
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1950
  • Texas Tom (1950)
    Texas Tom
    7.7
    Short
    • Lead Singer (uncredited)
    • 1950
  • Brave mécanicien (1950)
    Brave mécanicien
    6.7
    Short
    • Singer (as The King's Men)
    • 1950
  • Song of the Range
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1949
  • Sailing with a Song
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1949
  • Songs of Romance
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1949
  • Coquin de printemps (1947)
    Coquin de printemps
    6.3
    • The Bull (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Gloria Blondell and Clarence Nash in Le dilemme de Donald (1947)
    Le dilemme de Donald
    7.0
    Short
    • Donald Duck's Singing Voice (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Le clown de la jungle (1947)
    Le clown de la jungle
    7.2
    Short
    • Hummingbird Singer (uncredited)
    • 1947
  • Old Dog Tray
    Short
    • Singer
    • 1946
  • Jeanne Crain in Margie (1946)
    Margie
    7.1
    • Off-Screen Singer (voice, uncredited)
    • 1946

Videos6

Nothing But A Coward
Clip 2:12
Nothing But A Coward
Munchkinland
Clip 1:57
Munchkinland
Munchkinland
Clip 1:57
Munchkinland
Meeting the Wizard
Clip 2:35
Meeting the Wizard
I'm Melting
Clip 1:18
I'm Melting
No Place Like Home
Clip 0:53
No Place Like Home
Ultimate Collector's Edition Promotional Clip
Promo 2:11
Ultimate Collector's Edition Promotional Clip

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative names
    • Kenneth Darby
  • Born
    • May 13, 1909
    • Hebron, Nebraska, USA
  • Died
    • January 24, 1992
    • Sherman Oaks, California, USA(heart ailment)
  • Spouse
    • Vera Matson1932 - January 24, 1992 (his death, 2 children)
  • Other works
    Works: "The Lake" (symphonic suite)
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Print Biography

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    His choral group, the Ken Darby Singers, sang backup for Bing Crosby on Crosby's original 78-RPM recording of "White Christmas." This version was not recorded directly from the soundtrack of L'amour chante et danse (1942), the 1942 movie for which composer Irving Berlin wrote the song. Soundtrack albums for live action films did not come into being until 1947.
  • Quotes
    (When Walt Disney criticized his proposed score for Johnny Pépin de Pomme (1948)): "That is just a cross section of one man's opinion."

FAQ

Powered by Alexa
  • When did Ken Darby die?
    January 24, 1992
  • How did Ken Darby die?
    Heart ailment
  • How old was Ken Darby when he died?
    82 years old
  • Where did Ken Darby die?
    Sherman Oaks, California, USA
  • When was Ken Darby born?
    May 13, 1909

Related news

Contribute to this page

Suggest an edit or add missing content
  • Learn more about contributing
Edit page

More to explore

Recently viewed

Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
Get the IMDb app
Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
Follow IMDb on social
Get the IMDb app
For Android and iOS
Get the IMDb app
  • Help
  • Site Index
  • IMDbPro
  • Box Office Mojo
  • License IMDb Data
  • Press Room
  • Advertising
  • Jobs
  • Conditions of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your Ads Privacy Choices
IMDb, an Amazon company

© 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.