Bernard B. Brown

Biography

Ten times Oscar-nominated Bernard Brown, affectionately known as 'Brownie', was a prolific composer, sound engineer, visual effects specialist and occasional animation director. He began his career at the tender age of sixteen as first violinist in the pit orchestra at Clune's Auditorium in Los Angeles providing the accompanying score for the premiere run of D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation (1915) (365 screenings, in all). He was first credited as a sound recordist on Congo Jazz (1930), having joined the animation company headed by Rudolf Ising and Hugh Harman. When Ising-Harman became part of Leon Schlesinger's studio at Warner Brothers, Brown was promoted to resident composer, effectively preceding the legendary Carl W. Stalling in that capacity during the years spanning 1933 to 1936. He was often assigned to the 'Buddy' and 'Bosko' cartoons, both of which were Ising-Harman creations. From 1937, Brown worked chiefly as sound recordist on Hollywood feature films for Universal, garnering an Oscar for When Tomorrow Comes (1939), a romantic drama starring Charles Boyer, and sharing a Technical Achievement Award in 1945. He retired in 1958 and died in Glendale, California, in February 1981.