Walter Henry "Hy" Heath (July 9, 1890 – April 3, 1965 [1] ) was an American entertainer, songwriter, composer and writer. Born in Oakville, Tennessee, he received his education in public schools and then became a comedian in musical comedy, vaudeville, minstrel and burlesque shows. Hy performed with fellow Vaudevillian and longtime family friend Dan White (actor) during the late 1920s into the early 1930s.
His chief musical collaborators included Johnny Lange and Fred Rose. His most successful composition was "Mule Train" which earned him an Academy Award nomination (it was featured in the 1950 film Singing Guns ).
Another of his many popular songs which he composed was "The Hills of Utah" which was sung by Ken Curtis in the Hollywood western Stallion Canyon starring Ken Curtis and Carolina Cotton. [2]
Walter died on April 3, 1965 in Los Angeles, CA at the age of 74. He was laid to rest in Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, Los Angeles County, California, USA
Carver Dana Andrews was an American film actor who became a major star in what is now known as film noir. A leading man during the 1940s, he continued acting in less prestigious roles and character parts into the 1980s. He is best known for his portrayal of obsessed police detective Mark McPherson in the noir Laura (1944) and his critically acclaimed performance as World War II veteran Fred Derry in The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).
Walter Bishop Jr. was an American jazz pianist.
Ken Curtis was an American actor and singer best known for his role as Festus Haggen on the western television series Gunsmoke.
Bruce Bernard Geller was an American lyricist, screenwriter, director, and television producer.
Hy Pyke was an American character actor.
Patrick Barry Sullivan was an American actor of film, television, theatre, and radio. In a career that spanned over 40 years, Sullivan appeared in over 100 movies from the 1930s to the 1980s, primarily as a leading actor after establishing himself in the industry, and later as a character actor.
Walter Morey, was a writer of numerous works of children's fiction, set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest and Alaska, the places where Morey lived for all of his life. His book Gentle Ben was the basis for the 1967 movie Gentle Giant and the 1967-1969 television show Gentle Ben.
Monte Carlo or Bust! is a 1969 epic comedy film, also known by its American title, Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies. A co-production of the United Kingdom, France and Italy, the story is based on the Monte Carlo Rally – first raced in 1911 – and the film, set in the 1920s, recalls this general era. A lavish all-star film, it is the story of an epic car rally across Europe that involves a lot of eccentric characters from all over the world who will stop at nothing to win.
Peter Collinson was a British film director probably best remembered for directing The Italian Job (1969).
Walter Scharf was an American musician, best known as a film, television and concert composer and arranger/conductor.
A. J. Carothers was an American playwright and television writer, best known for his work with Walt Disney.
Robert Curtis Brown is an American television, film, and stage actor.
I'll Be Yours is a 1947 American musical comedy film directed by William A. Seiter and starring Deanna Durbin. Based on the play A jó tündér by Ferenc Molnár, the film is about a small-town girl who tells a fib to a wealthy businessman, which then creates complications. The play had earlier been adapted for the 1935 film The Good Fairy by Preston Sturges.
Darrell Wallace Calker was an American composer and arranger who worked on films and animated cartoons.
Lane Nakano was a former American combat soldier turned actor.
Drop Dead Darling is a 1966 British-American black comedy film directed by Ken Hughes and starring Tony Curtis, Rosanna Schiaffino, Lionel Jeffries and Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Onzy Durrett Matthews, Jr. was an American jazz pianist, singer, arranger, composer, and television and movie actor. He is best known for the big band arrangements done for the Lou Rawls albums Black and Blue and Tobacco Road, as well as arrangements for several of Ray Charles' 1960s releases. He had his own big band for many years and recorded numerous tracks for Capitol Records, including two albums released under his own name. He later had a close relationship with the Duke Ellington orchestra, working as a pianist, arranger and conductor through the late 1960s and 1970s.
Marlin Skiles (1906–1981) was an American composer of film and television scores. Pianist, arranger and composer Skiles was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in December 1906. He studied music at his local conservatory, later perfecting his training under Ernst Toch in Los Angeles. By the 1920's, he was employed as a pianist, arranger and orchestrator with big name dance bands like those of Paul Whiteman and Irving Aaronson and His Commanders. In Hollywood from 1932, he was under contract at Republic and Columbia (1944–1948), often writing incidental music for second features. He occasionally composed original soundtracks for better productions, like A Thousand and One Nights (1945) or Dead Reckoning (1946). Skiles served as musical director for Columbia's mega-hit Gilda (1946), starring Rita Hayworth in her most famous role. He became a member of ASCAP that same year. Skiles worked as a free-lancer from the 1950s and retired in 1971. From Marlin Skiles at IMDb.
Call of the Forest is a 1949 American Western film directed by John F. Link and starring Robert Lowery, Ken Curtis, Chief Thundercloud, Black Diamond and Charlie Hughes. It was also known as The Flaming Forest and Untamed.
Stallion Canyon is a 1949 American Western film directed by Harry L. Fraser and written by Hy Heath. The film stars Ken Curtis, Carolina Cotton, Shug Fisher, Forrest Taylor, Ted Adams and Billy Hammond. The film was released on June 15, 1949, by Astor Pictures.