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William "Bill" Lava is a Director, Sound and Additional Music American born on 18 march 1911 at Saint Paul (USA)

William "Bill" Lava

William "Bill" Lava
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Birth name William B. Lava
Nationality USA
Birth 18 march 1911 at Saint Paul (USA)
Death 20 february 1971 (at 59 years) at Los Angeles (USA)

William "Bill" B. Lava (March 18, 1911 – February 20, 1971) was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros.' Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies animated cartoons from 1962 to 1969, replacing the deceased Milt Franklyn, making him the last musical composer and arranger in the classic era of Warner Bros. Cartoons.

Lava's music was markedly different from that of Franklyn and previous composer Carl Stalling, with a tendency towards atonality. A sense of tension is often created in Lava's scores using sequences based on the notes of the diminished seventh chord.

Lava also composed the theme to the popular T.V. western series Cheyenne.

Best films

To Hell and Back (1955)
(Director)
I Was a Communist for the FBI (1951)
(Sound)
Moonrise (1948)
(Original Music Composer)

Usually with

Russel Gausman
Russel Gausman
(23 films)
Bud Westmore
Bud Westmore
(22 films)
Perc Westmore
Perc Westmore
(21 films)
Henry Mancini
Henry Mancini
(17 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of William "Bill" Lava (151 films)

Display filmography as list

Director

To Hell and Back, 1h46
Directed by Maury Gertsman, Aaron Rosenberg, Henry Mancini, William "Bill" Lava, Jesse Hibbs
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Biography, Action, Historical, Romance
Themes Political films
Actors Audie Murphy, Marshall Thompson, Charles Drake, Jack Kelly, Gregg Palmer, Paul Picerni
Rating70% 3.545943.545943.545943.545943.54594
Young Murphy (Gordon Gebert) grows up in a large, poor sharecropper family in Texas. His father deserts them around 1939–40, leaving his mother (Mary Field) barely able to feed her nine children. As the eldest son, Murphy works from an early age to help support his siblings, and when his mother dies in 1941 he becomes head of the family. His brothers and sisters are sent to an elder sister, Corrine, to whom Murphy sends his GI pay allotment.

Sound

Daffy Duck's Movie: Fantastic Island
Directed by Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Robert McKimson
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Animation
Themes Films about animals, Films about birds, Children's films
Actors Mel Blanc, June Foray, Les Tremayne
Rating68% 3.4374553.4374553.4374553.4374553.437455
The premise of the framing animation was a general parody of the popular 1970s/1980s television series Fantasy Island, with Daffy and Speedy playing caricatures of that series' principal characters, Mr. Roarke and Tattoo (respectively). They even wear the white suits worn on that show by Mr. Roarke and Tattoo.
Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales, 1h17
Directed by Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Robert McKimson
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation
Themes Children's films
Actors Mel Blanc, June Foray, Bea Benaderet, Arthur Q. Bryan, Lennie Weinrib, Shepard Menken
Rating69% 3.499813.499813.499813.499813.49981
Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck have to sell books for Rambling House. They go their separate ways and experience many wacky things. For instance, while flying through a winter storm, Daffy ran into a house owned by Porky Pig and briefly stayed there while taking place of a stuffed duck which he merely destroyed. Meanwhile, Bugs burrowed his way to a jungle where he pretended to be a baby ape to an ape couple. One half of the couple wanted to do Bugs in, but manages to divert him after he accidentally dropped a boulder on his wife's head.
The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie, 1h19
Directed by Friz Freleng, Phil Monroe
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation
Themes Children's films
Actors Mel Blanc, June Foray, Bea Benaderet, Stan Freberg, Ralph James, Frank Nelson
Roles Music
Rating70% 3.5463553.5463553.5463553.5463553.546355
The film starts with a showing of the 1958 award winning cartoon Knighty Knight Bugs before going into its opening credits. This is followed up by Bugs narrating how Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies immediately replaced baggy-pants comedy before introducing us to "a warm-hearted humble little Introvert called Yosemite Sam".
The Bugs Bunny/Road Runner Movie, 1h38
Directed by Chuck Jones, Ron Jeremy, Phil Monroe
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation
Themes Children's films
Actors Mel Blanc
Roles Music
Rating71% 3.599673.599673.599673.599673.59967
Bugs Bunny, while giving a tour of his home, talks about some of the famous rivalries, battles, and chases from the Looney Tunes shorts, which serves as introductions to footage from the classic short subjects. The final segment of the film consists of an extended chase sequence between Wile E. Coyote and The Road Runner.
Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies, 50minutes
Directed by Gerry Chiniquy, Friz Freleng, Chuck Jones, Robert McKimson
Genres Comedy, Animation
Actors Mel Blanc, June Foray
Rating67% 3.3511753.3511753.3511753.3511753.351175
The Easter bunny is ill, Granny needs to find a replacement for him, after watching several cartoons from the past. A very eager Daffy Duck keeps appearing, in the end he dresses up as the Easter bunny and Granny and Bugs have been cheated but find it funny.
Dracula vs. Frankenstein, 1h30
Directed by Al Adamson
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Horror
Themes Films about computing, Films about magic and magicians, Films based on science fiction novels, Dracula films, Frankenstein films, Vampires in film, Cyberpunk films
Actors J. Carrol Naish, Lon Chaney, Jr., Anthony Eisley, Regina Carrol, Forrest J Ackerman, Greydon Clark
Roles Original Music Composer
Rating35% 1.768221.768221.768221.768221.76822
A mad scientist (J. Carrol Naish) descended from the original Dr. Frankenstein takes to murdering young women for experimentation in hopes of reviving his ancestor's creation, with help from his mute assistant Groton (Lon Chaney, Jr.). Dracula (played by Roger Engel under the pseudonym "Zandor Vorkov") comes to the scientist promising to revive Frankenstein's monster in return for a serum which will grant him immortality.
Rabbit, Run, 1h34
Directed by Jack Smight
Origin USA
Genres Drama
Actors James Caan, Carrie Snodgress, Anjanette Comer, Jack Albertson, Henry Jones, Melodie Johnson Howe
Roles Original Music Composer
Rating54% 2.7065352.7065352.7065352.7065352.706535
In Reading, Pennsylvania, former high school basketball star Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom is dissatisfied with both his failure to find a career and with his loveless marriage to Janice, an alcoholic who is pregnant with a child neither of them wants. Following an argument with Janice, Rabbit looks up his old basketball coach Marty Tothero, who is now living in squalor. Marty decides that Rabbit needs a woman, and he introduces him to Ruth, a part-time prostitute. When Rabbit moves in with Ruth, Jack Eccles, the family minister, tries to persuade him to return to his wife, but Rabbit refuses. Eventually, Rabbit also becomes disenchanted with Ruth, and when Janice has her baby, Rabbit goes to the hospital and effects a reconciliation. For a time, they live in relative harmony, but Janice's insistence on a less active sex life leads to bitterness, and Rabbit again takes off. Janice resumes her solitary drinking, this time with tragic results; while in a drunken stupor, she accidentally drowns the baby. Learning of his child's death, Rabbit returns home and finds that everyone holds him responsible. At the funeral, Rabbit responds to his parents' and in-laws' accusing glances by screaming his innocence. Fleeing from the cemetery, he goes to Ruth's apartment; but Ruth, who is now pregnant with his child, refuses to let him in unless he agrees to divorce Janice and marry her. Although he promises to do so, Rabbit is still unable to make a commitment to anyone and runs away again.
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys, 1h31
Directed by Martin Balsam, David Carradine, George Kennedy, Robert Mitchum, Tina Louise, Burt Kennedy
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy, Action, Western
Actors Robert Mitchum, George Kennedy, Martin Balsam, David Carradine, Tina Louise, John Carradine
Roles Songs
Rating60% 3.0463853.0463853.0463853.0463853.046385
Jim Flagg is the marshal in the town of Progress. He hears arch-rival John McKay is headed toward town so he warns Mayor Wilker and others in Progress about rumor of a robbery. Wilker doesn't appreciate Flagg causing a panic and relieves him of his badge.
In Enemy Country, 1h47
Directed by Harry Keller
Origin USA
Genres Drama, War, Action, Adventure
Themes Political films
Actors Anthony Franciosa, Anjanette Comer, Guy Stockwell, Paul Hubschmid, Tom Bell, Michael Constantine
Roles Music
Rating56% 2.812142.812142.812142.812142.81214
Pendant la seconde guerre mondiale, des espions américains faisant partie du Département d'État sont chargés de détruire un nouveau type de torpille dont le centre de recherche se trouve caché en France.
Let's Kill Uncle
Directed by William Castle
Origin USA
Genres Thriller, Horror
Themes Seafaring films, Transport films
Actors Nigel Green, Mary Badham, Linda Lawson, Ref Sanchez, Nestor Paiva, William Castle
Roles Music
Rating57% 2.8526652.8526652.8526652.8526652.852665
À l'âge de 12 ans, un garçon orphelin qui vient d'hériter une fortune, est piégé sur une île avec son oncle, un ancien commandant du renseignement britannique qui a l'intention de le tuer.
Chamber of Horrors, 1h39
Directed by Hy Averback
Origin USA
Genres Horror
Themes Films about sexuality, Erotic films, Films about prostitution, Serial killer films, Erotic thriller films
Actors Tony Curtis, Patrick O'Neal, Cesare Danova, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Laura Devon, Patrice Wymore
Roles Original Music Composer
Rating59% 2.997462.997462.997462.997462.99746
Danova and Hyde-White are proprietors of a wax museum in Baltimore who, are also amateur sleuths. They are drawn into the investigation of Jason Cravette (O'Neal), an insane murderer who kills a woman and then "marries' her. They help the police capture him, but he escapes and vows vengeance on all who "betrayed" him.
The Pink Blueprint, 7minutes
Directed by Hawley Pratt
Origin USA
Genres Animation
Roles Music
Rating70% 3.533583.533583.533583.533583.53358
Sur le site de construction d'un bâtiment qu'un petit homme peint, la Panthère rose décide d'utiliser une couleur rose pour peindre les murs mais quand le petit homme s'aperçoit de la catastrophe créée par l'animal, il décide de remettre la couleur d'origine. Entre les deux, c'est la guerre à qui fera la peinture de son choix. Au final, la Panthère décide de construire sa maison avec le matériel du petit homme et continue à peindre en rose.