Walter Scharf

Walter Scharf's name rarely appears in the same breath as broadcasting legends, yet his fingerprints touched some of radio's most memorable moments. As a composer, arranger, and conductor, Scharf worked quietly behind the scenes, translating visions into sound for some of the medium's biggest personalities. His career spanned decades and media, establishing him as one of the most versatile and prolific musicians in entertainment history. Though his contributions to radio proved foundational, Scharf's influence extended far beyond the studio microphone into television, film, and documentary scoring, making him a truly Renaissance figure in twentieth-century media.

Early Life and Broadway Beginnings

Walter Scharf was born on August 1, 1910, in New York City, arriving during an era when American popular music was experiencing explosive growth and transformation. From his earliest professional days in the 1930s, Scharf demonstrated exceptional talent as an orchestrator for Broadway productions. His work on the stage revealed a musician of remarkable technical skill and creative flexibility. Among his most significant early Broadway assignments was orchestrating Girl Crazy for George Gershwin when Scharf was just 20 years old—a remarkable achievement that signaled his arrival as a serious musical talent. Working alongside legendary composers including Rogers and Hart and Irving Berlin, Scharf developed both the technical mastery and collaborative sensibility that would define his entire career. These Broadway connections extended into Hollywood as well, with Alice Faye recommending him for early opportunities in California.

Radio's Trusted Musical Director

Scharf's radio career centered around one of the era's most popular programs: the Phil Harris-Alice Faye radio show. From 1948 to 1954, Scharf served as arranger-conductor for the program, a position that placed him at the creative heart of weekly entertainment reaching millions of listeners. Working alongside Alice Faye, the beloved entertainer whose early recommendation had helped launch his Hollywood work, Scharf crafted the musical arrangements and orchestral accompaniment that made the show distinctive. The Phil Harris-Alice Faye show represented the pinnacle of radio variety programming, blending music, comedy, and sketches into a sophisticated weekly package. Scharf's role demanded constant invention—creating fresh arrangements for standards, adapting new songs for performance, and conducting live orchestras through unpredictable broadcast schedules. His ability to work under pressure while maintaining artistic standards made him indispensable to the program's success. Radio work during this period required unique skills distinct from concert conducting or film scoring, as live broadcasts meant no second takes, no editing, and no safety nets.

From Hollywood to Global Recognition

While his radio work continued through the early 1950s, Scharf's career had already begun expanding into other media that would ultimately define his legacy far more prominently than broadcasting alone. Beginning in Hollywood in 1933, he arranged for major stars including Al Jolson at Warner Bros., Alice Faye at 20th Century-Fox, and Bing Crosby at Paramount. A defining early achievement came when Scharf orchestrated the original version of Irving Berlin'sWhite Christmas for the film Holiday Inn in 1942. From 1942 to 1946, he served as head of music for Republic Pictures, overseeing the musical direction for the studio's entire output. Scharf's film work proved extraordinarily prolific and prestigious. A ten-time Oscar nominee, he worked on more than 100 films throughout his career. His nominations came for musical direction on such celebrated pictures as Danny Kaye'sHans Christian Andersen (1952), Barbra Streisand'sFunny Girl (1968), and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971). Scharf's versatility across genres became increasingly apparent through his film work. In the early 1960s, Harold Lloyd approached Scharf to provide new scores for his silent film compilations, regarding Scharf's ability to mix comedy themes with big, dramatic orchestral touches as ideal for his brand of 'thrill' comedy. He implemented a similar style for Jerry Lewis's Jekyll and Hyde-inspired comedy The Nutty Professor in 1963, working on more than a dozen Lewis comedies overall. Scharf worked on three Elvis Presley pictures including Loving You (1957) and King Creole (1958). With lyricist Don Black, he wrote the hit Michael Jackson single from the film Ben (1972), which won him a Golden Globe. He also scored the popular Walking Tall (1973) and its two sequels. In 1973, he and Don Black wrote the music and lyrics for the London musical Maybe That's Your Problem, with book by Lionel Chetwynd.

Television and Documentary Legacy

Scharf became particularly renowned for his work in television and documentary scoring. He composed music for dozens of television dramas including Ben Casey, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Mission: Impossible, and the 1979 miniseries From Here to Eternity and Blind Ambition. However, he became best known for his music for the National Geographic Society and The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau documentaries, which he scored between 1965 and 1975. His work on the Cousteau series was extraordinarily extensive, encompassing twenty-eight hours of music. He received two Emmy Awards for the Cousteau series, in 1970 and 1974. Demonstrating his range beyond documentary, Scharf composed an original symphonic work titled The Legend of the Living Sea for a Cousteau museum exhibit aboard the RMS Queen Mary in 1971, combining his documentary scoring experience with concert hall ambitions.

Concert Hall Achievements and Later Years

Scharf's work for the concert hall began early in his career with The Palestine Suite, written in 1945 and performed at the Hollywood Bowl under Leopold Stokowski. After retiring from films and television in the 1980s, he returned to concert writing with renewed focus. He created The Tree Still Stands: A Symphonic Portrait of the Stages of a Hebraic Man, commissioned by the Stephen S. Wise Temple and first performed in 1989. In 1993, he completed the Israeli Suite. He also wrote an unproduced opera based on Norman Corwin'sThe Plot to Overthrow Christmas. Walter Scharf passed away on February 24, 2003, leaving behind a legacy spanning seven decades of continuous creative work across every major entertainment medium.

Works and Appearances

Radio

• Phil Harris-Alice Faye Radio Show (1948–1954)

Film (Selected)

• Holiday Inn (1942)
• The Lady and the Monster 
• Atlantic City (1944)
• Lake Placid Serenade (1944)
• Earl Carroll Vanities (1945)
• The Cheaters (1945)
• Mexicana (1945)
• Dakota (1945)

Television

• Ben Casey 
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. — Drama series composer
• Mission: Impossible — Drama series composer
• From Here to Eternity (1979) — Miniseries composer
• Blind Ambition (1979) — Miniseries composer
• The Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau (1965–1975)

Theater

• London Musical — Maybe That's Your Problem (1973)

Concert Works

• The Palestine Suite (1945)
• The Legend of the Living Sea (1971)
• The Tree Still Stands: A Symphonic Portrait of the Stages of a Hebraic Man (1989)
• Israeli Suite (1993)
• The Plot to Overthrow Christmas 

Early Broadway Work

• Girl Crazy (c. 1930) — Orchestrator for George Gershwin production
• Work with Rogers and Hart
• Work with Irving Berlin