Winston Sharples Music Manuscripts
Catalog Record: http://lccn.loc.gov/2012562131
General International Standard for Archival Description
Music Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C.
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Music Division, 2012
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Winston Sharples Music Manuscripts 1943-1968
Sharples, Winston, 1909-1978
Biographical History for: Winston Sharples Music Manuscripts 1943-1968
Biographical Note Winston Singleton Sharples was a composer best known for his work with animated short subjects, especially those created by the animation departments at Van Beuren Studios (1932-1936) and later at Paramount Pictures animation studios (circa 1939-1967). Sharples was born on March 1, 1909, in Fall River, Massachusetts to William, a machinist, and Mary Sharples. He began playing piano in vaudeville at the age of eight. He earned a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.F.A. in drama from the Carnegie Institute of Technology and continued studies at the Yale University Graduate School of Drama. Sharples appeared on radio from 1930 to 1932, playing the piano on a 15-minute morning program at various stations in Connecticut. He moved to New York City in 1932, where he played piano and occasionally bass with Vincent Lopez's orchestra. Sharples joined Gene Rodemich in scoring cartoons for the Van Beuren Corporation (primarily an animation studio) in 1932 after Walter Winchell had praised his work with Lopez in a newspaper column, which was read by studio owner Amadee J. Van Beuren. During the next couple of years, Sharples and Rodemich composed new synchronized musical soundtracks for previously produced silent film shorts acquired by Van Bueren, including twelve Charlie Chaplin short films (1916-1918 Lone Star comedies originally produced by the Mutual Film Corporation), such as The Pawnshop and The Rink. Rodemich died in February 1934, just as the Van Beuren Studio was beginning to expand its capacity to include live action film documentaries. Sharples stayed at Van Beuren until 1936, during which time he assumed a larger musical role, composing the music for two Frank Buck documentary film vehicles, Wild Cargo (1934) and Fang and Claw (1935) and another documentary film titled Joan Lowell, Adventure Girl (1934). In the late 1930s, Sharples was associate composer for another film documentary Dark Rapture (1938), produced by Armand Denis Productions/Universal Pictures. Sharples contributed music for the 1939 full-length animated Paramount Pictures/Max Fleischer Studio production Gulliver’s Travels. The well-known song "It’s a Hap Hap Happy Day," with music and lyrics by Sammy Timburg, Al Neiburg and Sharples, first appeared in this feature. This song, as well as many additional songs and other incidental music subsequently composed, were later compiled into a stock musical cue library that was repeatedly drawn upon for Paramount cartoons created during the next twenty-eight years. Sharples composed music scores for the Max Fleischer Studio, the theatrical animation studio of Paramount, through 1942, first contributing music for the Superman series (1942-1943). In mid-1942, Paramount reorganized its animation studio, renaming it Famous Studios and relocating all production to New York City from the former Florida location. During the next twenty-five years, Sharples composed hundreds of music scores for Famous Studios’ various theatrical cartoon series, which included: The Cat, Comic Kings (King Features Syndicate) featuring Beetle Bailey, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, and Krazy Kat in separate series, Fractured Fables, GoGo Toons, Harveytoons (featuring characters from Harvey Comics such as Little Audrey, Baby Huey, etc.), Herman and Katnip, Honey Halfwitch, Jeepers and Creepers, Merry Makers, Modern Madcaps, Noveltoons, Popeye the Sailor, Swifty and Shorty, and dozens of audience sing-a-long cartoons in the Screen Songs and Kartune series. In the 1960s, Sharples successfully adapted his style to smaller instrumental ensembles and even incorporated jazz and rock and roll styles for the edgier works of Ralph Bakshi, until Paramount finally closed production of theatrical cartoons in late 1967. In addition to his animated cartoon work, Sharples composed music for several Paramount live action short films and documentaries produced during the 1940s and early 1950s. During the late 1940s, Sharples gradually assumed the position of music director for several live action short films found in Paramount's Pacemaker series, also contributing music for the Headliner, Musical Parade and Paramount News film series. Sharples composed music for at least two Paramount documentaries made in the late 1940s: The Grass is Greener (with a possible working title: Freedom’s Firepower) (date unknown), and Cassino to Korea (1950). He also composed music for another documentary film titled Men of the Forest, made for the United States Information Service. Other documentaries represented by full scores include a film simply titled Westinghouse (a possible working title), dated Jan. 17, 1952, and another documentary score that lacks any title/production details. Sharples composed music for several episodes of the 1955 syndicated television program His Honor, Homer Bell. The program featured Gene Lockhart as Judge Homer Bell and was produced by Galahad Productions, for NBC Films. Sharples joined ASCAP in 1948. In 1958, Sharples teamed with Joe Oriolo (best known as the creator of the Casper, the Friendly Ghost cartoon series) to produce music for 260 cartoons in the new Felix the Cat television cartoon series. That series made extensive use of stock music formerly composed for the Paramount cartoon shorts as well as newly created music such as the Felix the Cat theme song, composed by Sharples. In the late 1950s, Sharples and animation producer Hal Seeger formed a partnership called Scroll Productions that repackaged Sharples' scores from the Paramount cartoons into a stock music library, much like the Capitol Records Hi-Q library. Most of the cues were from late 1950s productions, but some dated as far back as the 1952 Popeye cartoon Big Bad Sinbad. Other television animated productions that used this stock music included the King Features Syndicate television cartoons Popeye the Sailor, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith, Beetle Bailey, as well as King Leonardo, The Mighty Hercules, Rocket Robin Hood, Tennessee Tuxedo and the Underdog cartoon series. Later, Sharples’ music cues (along with additional cues and incidental music composed by his associate George Steiner) were recycled into episodes of Seeger's Batfink series. Sharples also composed the theme song for Seeger's Milton the Monster television cartoon show in 1965, in addition to using the stock music package for part of the underscore. During 1965-1968, Sharples contributed music to the Milton the Monster Show which featured several cartoon characters - each having its own cartoon series: Fearless Fly, Flukey Luke, Milton the Monster, Muggy Doo, Boy Cat, Muggy Doo, Boy Fox, Penny Penguin, Stuffy Durma and an unissued cartoon character series titled Wilbur the Wanted. Winston Sharples died on April 3, 1978, at age 69, in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Scope and Content Note The Winston Sharples Music Manuscripts spans a period between 1943 and 1968, roughly corresponding to the years Sharples was active as principal composer for Paramount's animation production branch, Famous Studios. During this twenty-five year period, Sharples composed music for almost 700 animated short films while also serving as music director of Paramount's live action Pacemaker short films, and also contributing to other Paramount film series such as Headliner, Musical Parade, and Paramount News, and longer documentaries - some produced by other companies. The collection contains approximently 190 Paramount cartoon scores found almost entirely in the form of holographs: particells (a form of lead sheet that contains film dialogue, descriptive action cues, other film frame specific comments and a piano score), full orchestral scores, and instrumental parts. Several photocopied manuscripts contain melodic lines with lyrics, made for Paramount's Screen Song cartoon series, while other pages contain only lyrics. Many cartoons have been identified using either a provided title, particell dialogue, or other means. Other scores are only identified by the unique Paramount job number, an in-house accession number that serves as an identifier and means of providing an approximate theatrical release date. Also included are scores, instrumental parts, musical cues (often composed by associate composer George Steiner) and other incidental music written for several mid-1960s television cartoon series produced by Joe Oriolo and Hal Seeger. These shows include The Mighty Hercules, Flukey Luke, Milton the Monster, and Penny Penguin. Full scores for several live-action film documentaries and short films are included, such as Paramount's The Grass is Greener and Pacemaker series film Bundle from Brazil (1948). The full score of a six-reel documentary issued by the United States Information Service titled Men of the Forest is included as is a circa 1952 film titled Westinghouse that has no accompanying production details. Another film score present is Land Called New Jersey, produced by Bransby Productions. Sharples' brief foray into composing for television is represented by his music for the 1955 syndicated live action program His Honor, Homer Bell, starring Gene Lockhart and produced by Galahad Productions for NBC Films. The remaining manuscripts in the collection consist of holograph sketches, lyric sheets, and musical fragments that have been indexed using any available descriptive information from the materials.
series
Theatrical Cartoons, 1943-1967
Around 190 cartoon scores from theatrical cartoons produced by Paramount's animation studio, Famous Studios. Paramount's theatrical cartoons were issued in several different series with titles such as Fractured Fables, Modern Madcaps, and Noveltoons. Original cartoon production job numbers, a unique accession identification number assigned by Famous Studios to each cartoon, are included when present and were used in dating each cartoon. The date represents the cartoon's original theatrical release date.
subseries
Casper, the Friendly Ghost, 1951
file
Too boo, or not to boo (N-10-11-C), 1951
The Cat, 1960-1961
Cane and able (C-20-2), 1961
Cool cat blues (C-20-1), 1961
Top cat (MM-20-5), 1960
Comic Kings, 1962
The hat (0423), 1962
Hero's reward (0425), 1962
Home sweet swampy (0426), 1962
The method and maw (0422), 1962
Snuffy's song (0421), 1962
Take me to your gen'rul (0414), 1962
Fractured Fables, 1967
The fuz (0619), 1967
Mouse trek (0641), 1967
My daddy, the astronaut (0616), 1967
The stubborn cowboy (0628), 1967
The stuck-up wolf (0634), 1967
GoGo Toons, 1967
A bridge grows in Brooklyn (0618), 1967
Keep the cool, baby (0627), 1967
The plumber (0614), 1967
The space squid (0613), 1967
The squaw-path (0615), 1967
Herman and Katnip, 1953, 1959
Felineous assault (HK-18-4), 1959
Fun on furlough (HK-18-5), 1959
Of mice and magic (N-11-9), 1953
Owly to bed (HK-18-3), 1959
Honey Halfwitch, 1967
Alter egotist (0623), 1967
Brother bat (0626), 1967
Clean sweep (0624), 1967
High but not dry (0625), 1967
Jeepers and Creepers, 1960
The boss is always right (N-19-3), 1960
Busy buddies (N-19-15), 1960
Scouting for trouble (N-19-17), 1960
Kartune, 1953
Hysterical history (SS-12-3), 1953
Vegetable vaudeville (unknown number), 1951
Little Lulu, circa 1943-1944
Lulu's birthday party (unknown number), 1944
Little Lulu series theme song, circa 1943
Merry Makers, 1967
Forget-me-nuts (0633), 1967
From orbit to obit (MM-20-6), 1967
Modern Madcaps, 1959-1967
And so Tibet (0556), 1964
A balmy knight (0583), 1966
The blacksheep blacksmith (0621), 1967
Bopin' Hood (C-20-3), 1961
Bouncing Benny (MM-20-1), 1960
Crumley Cogwheel (0512), 1962
Disguise the limit (MM-19-2), 1960
Electronica (N-19-8), 1960
Fiddle-faddle (N-19-2), 1960
Fit to be toyed (N-18-6), 1959
From dime to dime (N-19-7), 1960
Galaxia (MM-20-2), 1960
Giddy gadgets (0514), 1962
I want my mummy (0584), 1966
In the nicotine (MM-20-8), 1961
The inquisit visit (MM-20-9), 1961
The itch (0566), 1965
The mighty termite (MM-20-7), 1961
Mike the masquerader (N-18-10), 1959
Near sighted and far out (0563), 1964
One of the family (0521), 1962
One weak vacation (0525), 1963
The outside dope (0565), 1965
Penny pals (0315), 1962
Le petite parade (N-18-7), 1959
The phantom moustacher (MM-20-4), 1961
The plot sickens (0511), 1961
Poor little witch girl (0567), 1965
Reading, writhing and 'rithmetic (0557), 1964
The shoe must go on (MM-19-1), 1960
Shootin' stars (N-19-10), 1960
Terry the terror (MM-20-3), 1960
Trigger treats (N-19-4), 1960
Trouble date (N-19-5), 1960
A wedding knight (0585), 1966
Noveltoons, 1952-1967
L'amour the merrier (N-17-9), 1957
Be mice to cats (N-19-11), 1960
Butterscotch and soda (unknown number), 1948
Cape Kidnaveral (N-20-6), 1961
Case of the cockeyed carnary (N-12-7), 1952
Cock-o-doodle dino (N-16-4), 1957
Counter attack (N-19-16), 1960
Dante dreamer (N-17-4), 1958
Feast and furious (N-11-11), 1952
Fiddlin' around (0324), 1962
Fine feathered friend (N-19-14), 1960
Good snooze tonight (0325), 1963
A hair-raising tale (0560), 1965
Hobo's holiday (unknown number), 1963
Homer on the range (0559), 1964
Horning in (0562), 1965
Hound about that (N-20-5), 1961
Houndabout (N-18-8), 1959
Huey's Father's Day (N-18-9), 1959
Kozmo goes to school (0311), 1961
The lion's busy (N-20-4), 1961
Little Audrey says - theme song (unknown number), circa 1948
Miceniks (N-20-2), 1960
Monkey doodles (N-19-9), 1960
Mr. Money Gags (N-16-6), 1957
Northern mites (N-20-3), 1960
Okey dokey donkey (N-17-5), 1958
Op, pop, wham, and bop (0575), 1966
Out of this whirl (N-19-1), 1959
Peck your own home (N-19-12), 1960
Planet Mouseola (N-20-1), 1960
Robin hoodwinked (0622), 1967
The sheepish wolf (0334), 1963
Sick transit (0576), 1966
Silly science (MM-19-3), 1960
Sir Irving and Jeames (N-16-5), 1956
Song of the birds (unknown number), 1949
Starting from hatch (N-12-1), 1953
The story of George Washington (0561), 1965
Tarts and flowers (unknown number), 1950
Teacher's pest (unknown number), 1950
A tiger's tail (0544), 1964
Trick or tree (N-20-7x), 1961
Turning the fables (N-19-13), 1960
Turtle scoop (N-20-8), 1961
Popeye the Sailor, 1950, 1952-1953, 1957
Ancient fistory (P-12-6), 1953
Big bad Sinbad (P-12-5), 1952
Child sockology (P-12-4), 1953
Farmer and the belle (P-10-6), 1950
Patriotic Popeye (P-16-2), 1957
Swimmer take all (P-11-7), 1952
Popeye song, undated
Screen Songs, 1948-1951
The big drip (unknown number), 1949
The big flame up (SS-8-12), 1949
Blue Hawaii (unknown number), 1950
Boos in the night (SS-8-11), 1949
Drippy Mississippi (unknown number), 1951
Fresh yeggs (SS-10-1), 1950
Gobs of fun (SS-9-12), 1949
Heap hep injuns (SS-9-4), 1949
Helter swelter (unknown number), 1950
Jingle jangle jungle (unknown number), 1950
Our funny finny friends (unknown number), 1949
Readin', ritin' and rhythmetic (unknown number), 1948
Short'nin' bread (SS-9-2), 1950
Snow foolin' (unknown number), 1949
Spring song (SS-8-5), 1949
Toys will be toys (unknown number), 1949
Tweet music (unknown number), 1951
Win, place and showboat (unknown number), 1950
Winter draws on (SS-7-2), 1948
Swifty and Shorty, 1964-1965
Accidents will happen (0549), 1964
The bus way to travel (0552), 1964
Call me a taxi (0542), 1964
Fix that clock (0540), 1964
Fizzicle fizzle (0537), 1964
A Friend in tweed (0541), 1964
Highway slobbery (0543), 1964
Hip hop olè (0548), 1964
Inferior decorator (0551), 1965
The once over (0538), 1964
Sailing zero (0535), 1964
Service with a smile (0539), 1964
Unidentified Titles (Famous Studios), circa 1956, 1960-1967
CG-18-5, circa late 1950s
HK-17-5, circa 1959
HK-18-6A, circa 1959
N-17-9, circa 1958
0313, circa 1962
0321, circa 1963
0323, circa 1963
0328, circa 1963
0331, circa 1963
0332, circa 1963
0415, circa 1962
0513, circa 1962
0522, circa 1962
0523, circa 1962
0526, circa 1963
0528, circa 1963
0564, circa 1965
0568, circa 1965
0569, circa 1965
0570, circa 1965
0571, circa 1965
0577, circa 1966
0578, circa 1966
0579, circa 1966
0581, circa 1966
0582, circa 1966
0586, circa 1966
0587, circa 1966
0589, circa 1967
0590, circa 1967
0591, circa 1967
Music cues, nos. 28-47, circa 1960s
Para. title (unknown number), circa 1962
Telemeter # 1, circa 1956
Title tags (unknown number), circa 1962
Television Cartoons, circa 1963-1968
Holograph manuscript full scores and instrumental parts for various 1960s television cartoon series that were produced by Joe Oriolo or Hal Seeger. Included are several stock music cues that were repeatedly used as part of the underscores.
Joe Oriolo Productions, circa 1963
The Mighty Hercules, 1963
The Mighty Hercules. Theme song, circa 1963
Hal Seeger Productions, circa 1965-1968
Flukey Luke, circa 1965
Flukey Luke. Unidentified title, circa 1965
Milton the Monster, 1965-1968
Milton the Monster. Music cues, circa 1965-1968
Milton the Monster. Music cues, nos. 1-57, circa 1965-1968
Milton the Monster. Music cues, nos. 1-27, circa 1965-1968
Penny the Penguin, circa 1965
Penny the penguin. Unidentified title, circa 1965
Super Blooper, circa 1965
Super Blooper. Miscellaneous non-titled scores, sketches, circa 1965
Unidentified Titles: Unknown Cartoon Series, circa 1960s
Music cues, circa 1960s
Music cues (nos. 1-35), circa 1960s
Live Action Films, 1940s-1950s
Music composed for live action short films and documentaries produced by Paramount and other companies. In addition, full scores and/or parts for twelve episodes of His Honor, Homer Bell.
Shorts and Documentaries, 1940s-1950s
Bransby Productions, undated
Land called New Jersey, undated
Paramount Pictures, Inc., circa late 1940s
Bundle from Brazil, 1948
The grass is greener, undated
Paramount News, circa late 1940s
United States Information Service, undated
Men of the forest, undated
Unknown production company, circa early 1950s
Westinghouse, circa 1952
Unidentified documentary, undated
Television Programs, 1955
Galahad Productions/NBC Films, 1955
His Honor, Homer Bell, 1955
Introductory theme music, 1955
Episode #1 - The young at heart, 1955
Episode #7 - The piano lesson, 1955
Episode #8 - Cousin Edwin's visit, 1955
Episode #9 - The courtship, 1955
Episode #11 - The cook nappers, 1955
Episode # 14 - Aunt Catherine, 1955
Episode #14 - Aunt Catherine, 1955
Episode #16 - The farm, 1955
Episode #17 - The dog story, 1955
Episode #21 - The black eye, 1955
Episode #23 - Red tape, 1955
Episode #24 - The gift, 1955
Episode #27 - The art contest, 1955
Episode unknown - Dreamboat, 1955
Episode # unknown - unidentified title, 1955
Miscellany, circa 1940s-1960s
Music, sketches, lyrics, and other materials that have not been identified as having been used as film music. Includes music containing partial titles, music credited to other composers, and music with no title information. Full or partial titles are provided if present.
Song Sheets, circa 1940s
Be's ya got bugs, circa 1940s
I take an oath, circa 1940s
In a cozy corner, circa 1948
In my calendar of dreams, circa 1940s
Nobody knows where the man in the moon goes, circa 1940s
Oh dem golden slippers, circa 1946
The reunion waltz, circa 1940s
Superwhite, circa late 1940s
Wedding of two broken hearts, circa 1940s
Who are you?, circa 1940s
You can do, circa 1940s
Unidentified Music, Sketches and Fragments, undated
Unidentified film music. The colossal show, undated
Unidentified film music. Manhattan, undated
Unidentified film music. Maryland, undated
Unidentified film music. Pied piper, undated
Unidentified film music. Square dances, undated
Unidentified film music. Sullivan's column, undated
Unidentified music. C.P. species I-V, undated
Unidentified music. Choruses I-II, undated
Unidentified music. Dram. opening; Dram. F.F., undated
Unidentified music. Main title, undated
Unidentified music. R.H.H. cues, undated
Unidentified music. With music by Tchaikowsky, undated
Unidentified music sketches, undated
Unidentified music tablets, undated
Music by Other Composers, undated
Poulenc, Francis
L'embarquement pour Cythère: for two pianos, undated
Trolli, Nilo
Harlequin: scherzo for piano, undated