Leigh Harline

When You Wish Upon a Score

Leigh Harline was an American composer renowned for his contributions to film and television music. He began his musical career as a organist for KFRC radio in San Francisco, before transitioning to film scoring. He became a prominent figure at the Walt Disney Studios in the 1930s, where he composed a vast array of scores for animated films and shorts. Harline’s career spanned decades, earning him recognition for his versatility in genres ranging from animation to live-action films, and he was nominated for several Academy Awards, including for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, and won one for the score of Pinocchio and its song “When You Wish Upon a Star”, which became the studio trademark.

His sophisticated style is easily recognizable in Music Land, The Old Mill,

As Frank Churchill’s health declined in early 1937, Leigh Harline and Paul Smith were asked to complete the score of the studio’s first animated feature. All the songs had been composed by Churchill, but the duo was left in charge with the atmospheric score. Harline most notably is responsible for the music heard during the magic mirror and transformation sequences. He also composed the soft music heard when the dwarfs are sleeping, a peaceful atmosphere that he managed to recreate in Pinocchio for a similar sequence. His music helped define the emotional depth of the characters and narrative, blending whimsical melodies with poignant moments to enhance the film’s storytelling. The score not only provided an essential atmosphere for the movie but also set a new standard for animated features, showing the potential for music to elevate the animation genre.

Throughout his career, Harline worked on numerous other Disney projects, including Pinocchio (1940) and Dumbo (1941). He was a musical director at the studio until The Sword in the Stone in 1963. He also composed the music for Dave Fleischer’s Mr. Bug Goes to Town, as well as live-action films like The Pride of the Yankees (1942), They Live by Night (1948) and Monkey Business (1952). His legacy in the music world is marked by his ability to blend technical proficiency with emotional resonance, making his scores enduring and beloved.