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Maury Laws is a Musical and Sound American born on 6 december 1923 at Burlington (USA)

Maury Laws

Maury Laws
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Nationality USA
Birth 6 december 1923 at Burlington (USA)
Death 28 march 2019 (at 95 years)

Maury Laws (born December 6, 1923 in Burlington, North Carolina) is an American television and film composer.

Laws was born in December of the Roaring 20's in Burlington, not Vermont, but Burlington, North Carolina.

In his teens, Laws performed in local country, jazz and dance bands as a singer and guitarist in his home state of North Carolina. His career was put on hold during World War II, in which he served in the Army.

In 1964, he was hired as music director for the television production company now known as Rankin/Bass, a post which he held for roughly 20 years. In this capacity, he conducted and scored music for a number of animated features, including The Hobbit, Jack Frost, The Flight of Dragons, and Frosty the Snowman. His most widely known work may be an adaptation of Johnny Marks' score for the well-known Christmas special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, first aired in 1964. Laws has also done composing work on a 1967 Rankin/Bass theatrical feature, the Halloween-themed Mad Monster Party.

Maury Laws resides in Appleton, Wisconsin. He is active in the arts around the Appleton, Wisconsin area.

Usually with

Jules Bass
Jules Bass
(26 films)
Romeo Muller
Romeo Muller
(14 films)
Paul Frees
Paul Frees
(12 films)
Terry Jones
Terry Jones
(4 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Maury Laws (25 films)

Display filmography as list

Scriptwriter

Here Comes Peter Cottontail, 55minutes
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Origin USA
Genres Adventure, Musical, Animation
Themes Time travel films, Musical films, Children's films
Actors Danny Kaye, Casey Kasem, Vincent Price, Joan Gardner, Paul Frees
Roles Lyricist
Rating73% 3.688363.688363.688363.688363.68836
Peter Cottontail is a young Easter Bunny who lives in April Valley, where the Chief Easter Bunny supervises colored eggs and chocolate candy for Easter.

Sound

The Wind in the Willows, 1h39
Directed by Terry Jones, Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass, Rachel Talalay
Genres Drama
Themes Children's films
Actors Matt Lucas, Mark Gatiss, Lee Ingleby, Bob Hoskins, Michael Murphy, Imelda Staunton
Rating63% 3.197153.197153.197153.197153.19715
Matt Lucas comme un crapaud merveilleux, Mark Gatiss comme un rat hérissés, Lee Ingleby comme une taupe nerveux, et Bob Hoskins comme un vieux grincheux Badger faire un casting de classe à l'intérieur une autre version du livre classique de Kenneth Grahame.
The Year Without a Santa Claus
Directed by Ron Underwood
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Christmas films, Santa Claus in film
Actors John Goodman, Delta Burke, Michael McKean, Harvey Fierstein, Ethan Suplee, Eddie Griffin
Roles Songs
Rating37% 1.8804651.8804651.8804651.8804651.880465
This remake follows the same basic concept as the original: Santa, disillusioned by children's lack of belief in him and in the spirit of giving, decides not to deliver toys this Christmas Eve, despite the arguments by Mrs. Claus and two of his helper-elves, Jingle and Jangle. They decide to provide Santa with some proof that children still believe and that they still deserve toys from Santa, so the elves visit the United States in search of Christmas spirit.
The Wind in the Willows, 1h27
Directed by Terry Jones, Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass, Rachel Talalay
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Drama, Comedy, Fantasy, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Children's films
Actors Steve Coogan, Bob Hoskins, Eric Idle, Mark Gatiss, Terry Jones, Matt Lucas
Rating62% 3.1446953.1446953.1446953.1446953.144695
Mole's (Steve Coogan) underground home is knocked in when the field above it is bulldozed by the Weasels; the field was owned by Mr. Toad (Terry Jones), who has sold it to finance his latest fad: caravanning. Mole flees to the river and meets the Water Rat (Eric Idle), who is preparing to embark on a picnic. Seeing Mole's distress, Rat decides to take Mole to see Toad. Toad encourages them to travel with him on the open road, in his newly bought canary-coloured cart. Disaster strikes when a pair of joyriders in a motor car knock over the cart. Rat calms Toad's horse instead of Mole. Toad, however, instantly discards the cart and becomes obsessed with motoring. He is a reckless driver, however, and ends up needing more money from the Weasels. Their volatile Chief (Antony Sher) tries to persuade him to sell Toad Hall.
The Wind in the Willows, 1h13
Directed by Terry Jones, Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass, Rachel Talalay
Origin United-kingdom
Genres Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Themes Children's films
Actors Alan Bennett, Bob Hoskins, Michael Gambon, Mark Gatiss, Rik Mayall, Matt Lucas
Rating73% 3.6879953.6879953.6879953.6879953.687995
Tired from spring cleaning, Mole ventures out of his hole for the first time and stumbles across a river and a new-found friend Ratty. The two friends enjoy themselves then call on Mr. Toad, who takes them for a trip on the open road by gypsy caravan until a passing motor car causes the caravan to crash and Toad to develop a mania for driving motor cars. Back at the riverbank Ratty gets a temporary phase of a desire to emigrate but Mole snaps him out of it.
The Wind in the Willows, 1h36
Directed by Terry Jones, Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass, Rachel Talalay
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Animation
Themes Musical films, Children's films
Actors Charles Nelson Reilly, Bob Hoskins, Roddy McDowall, Mark Gatiss, José Ferrer, Matt Lucas
Roles Songs
Rating71% 3.579723.579723.579723.579723.57972
The "well-known and popular" Mr. Toad of Toad Hall (voice of Charles Nelson Reilly), a conceited and impulsive animal, embarks on a madcap river voyage in a paddleboat, nearly shipwrecking his friend Ratty (voice of Roddy McDowall) who is out for a leisurely row. At the same time, Toad whelms the entrance to the subterranean home of Moley (voice of Eddie Bracken). So disturbed, Moley comes above ground for the first time in his life, and is positively amazed by the surface world. At once he meets Ratty, who invites him to come along on his river cruise ("Wind in the Willows"). All too soon, Toad returns and recklessly overturns Ratty's boat, nearly drowning Moley, but Ratty saves him and pushes him along to shore.
The Flight of Dragons, 1h32
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass, Fumihiko Takayama
Origin USA
Genres Comedy-drama, Fantasy, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Feminist films, Films about magic and magicians, Films about dragons, Political films, Children's films
Actors John Ritter, Nellie Bellflower, Bob McFadden, Victor Buono, Don Messick, James Earl Jones
Roles Original Music Composer
Rating76% 3.8384853.8384853.8384853.8384853.838485
The 'Green Wizard' Carolinus (Harry Morgan) discovers magic failing as humanity embraces science, and summons his brothers Lo Tae Zhao the Yellow Wizard (Don Messick); Solarius the Blue Wizard (Paul Frees); and Ommadon the Red Wizard (James Earl Jones), accompanied by their dragons Shen Tsu, Lunarian, and Bryagh (James Gregory), before whom he resolves to create a 'Last Realm of Magic' hidden from the rest of the world. Lo Tae Zhao and Solarius consent, but Ommadon instead proposes to take control of the world himself; whereupon the other wizards decide to seize Ommadon's crown, the source of his powers. Because the wizards are forbidden to fight among themselves, they volunteer Carolinus's dragon Gorbash (Bob McFadden when not Ritter-as-Peter) and the knight Sir Orrin Neville-Smythe (Bob McFadden), to do so, with Solarius giving a shield to deflect dark magic and Lo Tae Zhao giving a flute to lull dragons to sleep. Requiring a third protagonist, Carolinus summons Peter Dickinson (John Ritter), a board-game creator and polymath scientist. Having arrived in the past, Peter becomes enamoured of Princess Milisande (Alexandra Stoddart), Carolinus's ward.
The Bushido Blade, 1h44
Genres Drama, Action, Historical
Themes Seafaring films, Sports films, Transport films, Martial arts films, Samurai films
Actors Sonny Chiba, Richard Boone, Frank Converse, Laura Gemser, James Earl Jones, Mako Iwamatsu
Roles Music
Rating53% 2.663252.663252.663252.663252.66325
The basic plot concept bears a strong similarity to the earlier movie Red Sun (1971), also featuring Toshiro Mifune.
The Return of the King, 1h38
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Animation
Themes Feminist films, Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films, Political films, Children's films
Actors Orson Bean, John Huston, William Conrad, Roddy McDowall, Theodore Bikel, Brother Theodore
Roles Original Music Composer
Rating57% 2.8636852.8636852.8636852.8636852.863685
During the 129th birthday celebration for Bilbo Baggins in Rivendell, Frodo begins his story with Samwise Gamgee, his friend and companion, treading through Mordor as Ring-bearer in Frodo's absence, when Frodo is captive in the orc' fortress of Cirith Ungol. During his journey, Sam ponders claiming the Ring himself; but rejects the idea and rescues Frodo.
Jack Frost
Jack Frost (1979)
, 48minutes
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Origin USA
Genres Fantasy, Animation
Themes Christmas films
Actors Buddy Hackett, Robert Morse, Paul Frees, Larry Storch, Dave Garroway, Don Messick
Roles Songs
Rating68% 3.4449853.4449853.4449853.4449853.444985
The story is narrated by a groundhog named Pardon-Me-Pete (voiced by Buddy Hackett), who has a deal with Jack Frost to extend winter by six weeks, letting him sleep that much longer.
The Bermuda Depths, 1h38
Genres Science fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Adventure
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films
Actors Leigh McCloskey, Carl Weathers, Connie Sellecca, Burl Ives, Ruth Attaway
Roles Songs
Rating55% 2.7996052.7996052.7996052.7996052.799605
Magnus Dens (Leigh McCloskey) lies asleep on a Bermuda beach, his hat shading his eyes from the sun. He is approached by a beautiful but mysterious woman (Connie Sellecca), who kneels next to him and notices the coral necklace he is wearing. Removing his hat, she seems to recognize him, and gently caresses his face.
The Last Dinosaur, 1h32
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Adventure
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, La préhistoire, Children's films
Actors Richard Boone, Joan Van Ark, Steven Keats
Roles Songs
Rating54% 2.7113152.7113152.7113152.7113152.711315
Wealthy big-game hunter Maston Thrust (Richard Boone) has a multi-million dollar company, "Thrust INC.", which successfully drills for oil under the polar caps with a manned laser drill, called the "Polar Borer". When only one man returns from a Bore Expedition, Thurst calls a press conference. It appears that the borer was going through a routine check in the icecaps when it suddenly surfaced in a valley which was super-heated by a volcano. The crew, all except for geologist Chuck Wade (Steven Keats), get out of the Polar Borer and explore the strange area. Once ashore, they end up being eaten by a giant prehistoric Tyrannosaurus Rex. Chuck is able to make it back to tell their tale and Thrust decides to go there himself to study the creature. Along with Thrust and Chuck, there will be three others: Bunta (Luther Rackley), a Maasai tracker; Dr. Kawamoto (Tetsu Nakamura); and Frankie Banks (Joan Van Ark) a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer selected by the Press Pool. Maston, being his sexist self, goes on about how he's never taken a woman on his journeys and that he's not going to change now. But with some clever persuasion at a dinner for the crew, Frankie manages to convince Thrust to allow her on the expedition.
The Easter Bunny Is Comin' to Town, 50minutes
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Animation
Actors Fred Astaire, Skip Hinnant, Billie Mae Richards, Laura Dean, Harvey Korman, Paul Frees
Roles Songs
Rating69% 3.487783.487783.487783.487783.48778
S.D. Kluger (From Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town and once again, voiced by Fred Astaire) returns as a train engineer, but still a mailman, to answer questions concerning the origins of the Easter Bunny while reading the children's letters, such as why eggs are painted for Easter and who made the first jelly beans and chocolate bunny.
The Hobbit
The Hobbit (1977)
, 1h18
Directed by Arthur Rankin Jr., Jules Bass
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Fantasy, Action, Adventure, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Feminist films, Films about magic and magicians, Monde imaginaire, Middle-earth films, Films about dragons, Political films, Children's films
Actors Orson Bean, Richard Boone, Hans Conried, John Huston, Otto Preminger, Cyril Ritchard
Roles Songs
Rating66% 3.34793.34793.34793.34793.3479
The plot of the animated production is in most respects similar to that of the book, which was already styled as a classic children's novel, and so is adapted in that vein for a younger audience; but certain plot points are significantly compressed due to the time limitations of the format. In addition, certain scenes are obviously edited for commercial breaks. In general, alterations include simple omission of additional detail, as the producers expressed their desire to adhere to the written text, including lyrics adapted from the songs in the book but in much longer and greater format.