Walter Scharf, Film Score Composer -- Rest in Peace

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Subject: Walter Scharf, Film Score Composer

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Feb. 24

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Date Posted: March 02, 2003 10:26:33 EDT

Walter Scharf, a film score composer and arranger who received 10 Academy Award nominations and worked on more than 200 movies and television programs, including "Funny Girl," "Mission: Impossible" and "White Christmas," died at his home. He was 92.

Born in New York, Mr. Scharf came to Los Angeles in 1934 as an arranger for Rudy Vallee's orchestra. Through the 1930's he wrote incidental music for more than a dozen films.

In 1942 he was nominated for his first Oscar for the score of "Mercy Island," a melodrama set in the Florida Keys. While he never won an Academy Award, nine more Oscar nominations were to come. Among them were honors for "Hans Christian Andersen" in 1953, "Funny Girl" in 1968, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" in 1972 and "Ben" in 1973.

Some of his film work, like that for "White Christmas" and "Funny Girl," involved orchestrating or conducting the works of other composers. He won an Emmy for his work on a National Geographic television special and a Golden Globe for "Ben," whose theme song helped start Michael Jackson's solo career.

During his 40-year career, Mr. Scharf worked with stars like Barbra Streisand and Elvis Presley, who had five movies with Mr. Scharf's credits on them.

Mr. Scharf retired in the mid-1970's, but continued to compose. He wrote a symphony, "The Tree Stands Still," commissioned by the Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles. He also completed nearly two hours of music for the eight-part mini-series "Blind Ambition," about the political career of the White House counsel John Dean during the Nixon administration. The series was shown in 1979.

Mr. Scharf is survived by his wife, Betty; his son, Allen; and his daughter, Susan.

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