Ralph Burns(1922-2001)

Music Department
Composer
Soundtrack

Songwriter ("Early Autumn", "Bijou"), bandleader, composer, conductor, arranger and pianist, educated at the New England Conservatory. He studied piano with Marion Deviney. He was a pianist and arranger for the Charlie Barnet orchestra, and later with Woody Herman for seven years. He arranged for Broadway musicals, including "No Strings", "Little Me", "Funny Girl", and "Golden Boy". He conducted the orchestras for many records. Joining ASCAP in 1947, he collaborated musically with Woody Herman and Johnny Mercer. His song compositions also include "Summer Sequence", "Lady McGowan's Dream", "Rhapsody in Wood", "Northwest Passage", "Panacea", and "Keen and Peachy".

IMDbProStarmeter See rank

Won 2 Oscars
- 5 wins & 6 nominations total

Known for

Cabaret

7.8

Music Department

1972

All That Jazz

7.8

Music Department

1979

Movie Movie

6.4

Music Department

1978

Annie

6.6

Music Department

1982

Credits

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IMDbPro

Music Department

Fosse/Verdon
7.9
TV Mini Series
- original orchestration of musical numbers
- 2019
Liza's at the Palace
8.0
TV Movie
- musical arrangements
- 2009
Great Performances: Dance in America
7.4
TV Series
- orchestrator
- 2001
The Addams Family
7.0
- additional orchestrator
- 1991
Life Stinks
5.9
- dance orchestrator
- 1991
The Josephine Baker Story
7.1
TV Movie
- composer: unused music
- orchestrator: songs
- 1991
All Dogs Go to Heaven
6.8
- conductor (uncredited)
- 1989
In the Mood
6.1
- conductor
- orchestrator
- 1987
A Chorus Line
6.2
- conductor
- music arranger
- 1985
Moving Violations
5.7
- conductor
- 1985
To Be or Not to Be
6.9
- orchestrator
- 1983
Jinxed!
4.7
- reunion scene arranger and orchestrator
- 1982
Pippin: His Life and Times
7.3
TV Movie
- music arranger
- 1982
Annie
6.6
- conductor
- music arranger
- 1982
History of the World: Part I
6.8
- orchestrator: "The Spanish Inquisition"
- 1981

Composer

All Dogs Go to Heaven
6.8
- music score by
- 1989
Sweet Bird of Youth
5.4
TV Movie
- Composer
- 1989
Bert Rigby, You're a Fool
5.9
- Composer
- 1989
After the Promise
7.7
TV Movie
- Composer
- 1987
In the Mood
6.1
- Composer
- 1987
CBS Summer Playhouse
6.6
TV Series
- Composer
- 1987
Amazing Stories
7.4
TV Series
- Composer
- 1986–1987
The Christmas Star
6.2
- original score by
- 1986
The Penalty Phase
6.4
TV Movie
- Composer
- 1986
Perfect
4.8
- music score by
- 1985
Moving Violations
5.7
- Composer
- 1985
The Muppets Take Manhattan
6.8
- music score by
- 1984
Ernie Kovacs: Between the Laughter
6.7
TV Movie
- Composer
- 1984
National Lampoon's Vacation
7.3
- Composer
- 1983
Star 80
6.8
- Composer
- 1983

Soundtrack

Gangster Squad
6.7
- writer: "Early Autumn"
- 2013
Estradilla: Huips!
TV Special
- writer: "Champagne Taste"
- 2004
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil
6.6
- writer: "Early Autumn"
- 1997
In the Mood
6.1
- music: "Baby Blues (Sonny's Theme)"
- producer: "In the Mood"
- 1987
Perfect
4.8
- arranger: "William Tell Overture", "Jingle Bells"
- performer: "William Tell Overture", "Jingle Bells"
- 1985
National Lampoon's Vacation
7.3
- music: "Deep River Blues", "Christie's Song" (uncredited)
- 1983
Star 80
6.8
- lyrics: "OVERKILL", "FUNKY"
- music: "OVERKILL", "OFF RAMP", "IMPROVISE", "FUNKY"
- 1983
Binlik Nail
- performer: "Intro - Valerie"
- writer: "Intro - Valerie" (uncredited, uncredited)
- 1979
Movie Movie
6.4
- music: "Overture to Baxter's Beauties of 1933", "Torching For Bill", "I Just Need The Girl", "It Just Shows To Go You", "My Wedding Day Is Here", "I Just Need The Girl (Reprise)", "Baxter's Bicycles", "Tickled Pink", "Zulu Lulus", "Lucky Day", "Finale (End Title)"
- performer: "Overture to Baxter's Beauties of 1933", "Finale (End Title)"
- 1978
Pen Pals
3.9
- arranger: "Rich Man's Frug" (uncredited)
- 1974
The Danny Kaye Show
7.8
TV Series
- writer: "Mother Goose Jumps"
- 1964
The Lux Show
7.2
TV Series
- writer: "Early Autumn"
- 1957
Floor Show
TV Series
- writer: "Keen and Peachy", "Bijou"
- 1949
Earl Carroll Vanities
5.4
- music: "Apple Honey"
- 1945

Personal details

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Born
- June 29, 1922
- Newton, Massachusetts, USA
Died
- November 21, 2001
- Los Angeles, California, USA(complications from pneumonia and a stroke)
Other works
Won a 1999 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for his work on the musical "Fosse".

Did you know

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Trivia
Twice won Broadway's Best Orchestrations Tony Award in collaboration with 'Doug Besterman';: in 1999 for "Fosse," and, posthumously, in 2002 for "Thoroughly Modern Millie."