
Milt Franklyn
Personal Info
Known for
Sound
Gender
Male
Birthday
1897-09-16
Day of Death
1962-04-24 (64 years old)
Place of Birth
New York City, New York, USA
Milt Franklyn
Biography
Milton J. "Milt" Franklyn (September 16, 1897 – April 24, 1962) was a musical composer and arranger who worked on the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes animated cartoons.
Franklyn moved from New York to Salt Lake City at the age of three, where he went to high school and finished one year at the University of Utah. He was the state junior tennis champion in Utah for six years. The next two years were spent at the University of California, Berkeley, then he began a term at Pennsylvania University when he was called to service in World War One. Franklyn did not serve overseas; he trained as a naval officer for three months and then the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918. He returned to Berkeley to finish his education. As Franklyn could play a number of instruments, he joined a band in San Francisco and for the next few years played at the Palace and St. Francis hotels. He began his own nine-piece orchestra, known at various times as the Peninsula Band, the Super Soloists, and the Merrimakers, and appeared in San Mateo (1926 to June 1927), where he also owned a music store, and San Jose (1928 to January 1929), where he was Master of Ceremonies and wrote revues for the California Theatre before moving on to Fresno and Oakland. For two years he was emcee with Fanchon and Marco at Fox West Coast in San Diego; musical director and emcee with Paramount Publix Corporation, travelling to Seattle, Denver, Houston and Toledo; and finally worked on the Loew's circuit in Providence, Rhode Island and New York City from 1933 to 1935. Franklyn quit vaudeville to go to Hollywood in 1935 and spent a year doing occasional work.
In early 1936, he joined Warner Bros. as music arranger to Carl Stalling, becoming music director in 1953. The first cartoon with Franklyn credited as a composer was Bugs and Thugs, released in 1954, though Franklyn estimated at the time his 599th cartoon for Warners was Past Perfumance. Franklyn always composed his scores at home early in the morning; he only went to the studio to watch the 30-piece Warner Bros. Orchestra record the music or to view the finished cartoon. Among the songs Franklyn is said to have composed with director Chuck Jones and writer Michael Maltese is The Michigan Rag for the 1955 cartoon One Froggy Evening, featuring Michigan J. Frog. However, the ASCAP database lists only Maltese as the composer. He became the sole composer in 1958 upon Stalling's retirement.
Franklyn died of a heart attack on April 24, 1962. At the time of his death, Franklyn was composing the score for a Tweety cartoon, The Jet Cage. The first two minutes of the cartoon were scored by Franklyn, the rest by William Lava, who had been working on the Warner Bros. main lot and replaced him as musical director. The Jet Cage opening credits lists Franklyn and not Lava, while the ASCAP database credits Franklyn with composing the opening title, with no mention of Lava, but a change in composing style in the cartoon is noticeable. Franklyn joined ASCAP in 1954 and was a member of the Academy of TV Arts and Sciences. After his death, Franklyn's music also appeared in Bugs Bunny on Broadway.
Known For
Crew
(2010)
(1992)
(1991)
(1988)
(1981)
(1980)
(1979)
(1978)
(1965)
Zip Zip Hooray!
Music
(1962)
Bill of Hare
Original Music Composer
(1962)
Wet Hare
Music
(1962)
Quackodile Tears
Original Music Composer
(1962)
Mexican Boarders
Music
(1962)
Honey's Money
Original Music Composer
(1962)
The Jet Cage
Music
(1962)
Mother Was a Rooster
Music
(1962)
(1962)
Adventures of the Road-Runner
Original Music Composer
(1962)
Crows' Feat
Music
(1962)
A Sheep in the Deep
Music
(1961)
(1961)
(1961)
The Last Hungry Cat
Original Music Composer
(1961)
Nelly's Folly
Music
(1961)
(1961)
Beep Prepared
Music
(1961)
Cannery Woe
Original Music Composer
(1961)
Zip 'n Snort
Original Music Composer
(1961)
Hoppy Daze
Original Music Composer
(1961)
The Mouse on 57th Street
Original Music Composer
(1961)
Strangled Eggs
Original Music Composer
(1961)
Birds of a Father
Original Music Composer
(1961)
D' Fightin' Ones
Original Music Composer
(1961)
(1961)
Prince Violent
Music
(1961)
Compressed Hare
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Fastest with the Mostest
Original Music Composer
(1960)
West of the Pesos
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Horse Hare
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Wild Wild World
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Goldimouse and the Three Cats
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Person to Bunny
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Who Scent You?
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Hyde and Go Tweet
Original Music Composer
(1960)
From Hare to Heir
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Rabbit's Feat
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Crockett-Doodle-Do
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Mouse and Garden
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Ready, Woolen and Able
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Mice Follies
Original Music Composer
(1960)
The Dixie Fryer
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Hopalong Casualty
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Trip for Tat
Original Music Composer
(1960)
Dog Gone People
Original Music Composer
(1960)
High Note
Music
(1960)
Lighter Than Hare
Music
(1959)
The Mouse That Jack Built
Original Music Composer
(1959)
Baton Bunny
Music
(1959)
(1959)
Mexicali Shmoes
Music
(1959)
Apes of Wrath
Music
(1959)
Wild and Woolly Hare
Original Music Composer
(1959)
Bonanza Bunny
Music
(1959)
People Are Bunny
Original Music Composer
(1959)
Cat's Paw
Music
(1959)
A Broken Leghorn
Music
(1959)
Mouse-Placed Kitten
Original Music Composer
(1959)
Wild About Hurry
Music
(1959)
China Jones
Music
(1958)
Cat Feud
Original Music Composer
(1958)
Knighty Knight Bugs
Music
(1958)
Whoa, Be-Gone!
Original Music Composer
(1958)
Hare-Less Wolf
Music
(1958)
Tortilla Flaps
Music
(1958)
Robin Hood Daffy
Music
(1958)
(1957)
What's Opera, Doc?
Music Arranger
(1957)
Bedevilled Rabbit
Original Music Composer
(1957)
Boyhood Daze
Original Music Composer
(1957)
Ducking the Devil
Original Music Composer
(1957)
Show Biz Bugs
Music
(1957)
Steal Wool
Music
(1957)
Birds Anonymous
Original Music Composer
(1957)
Ali Baba Bunny
Music
(1957)
Scrambled Aches
Original Music Composer
(1957)
Zoom and Bored
Original Music Composer
(1957)
Go Fly a Kit
Music
(1957)
Rabbit Romeo
Music Editor
(1957)
Gonzales' Tamales
Music
(1957)
Tabasco Road
Music
(1957)
(1957)
Boston Quackie
Original Music Composer
(1956)
90 Day Wondering
Original Music Composer
(1956)
Broom-Stick Bunny
Original Music Composer
(1956)
Gee Whiz-z-z-z-z-z-z
Original Music Composer
(1956)
Rocket Squad
Music
(1956)
The Honey-Mousers
Original Music Composer
(1956)
Bugs' Bonnets
Music
(1956)
To Hare Is Human
Music
(1956)
Heaven Scent
Music
(1956)
Tugboat Granny
Music
(1956)
Rocket-bye Baby
Music
(1956)
Yankee Dood It
Music
(1956)
A Star Is Bored
Music
(1956)
Rabbitson Crusoe
Music Director
(1956)
Weasel Stop
Music Director, Orchestrator, Music
(1956)
Too Hop to Handle
Music Director
(1956)
Deduce, You Say
Music Director
(1955)
One Froggy Evening
Original Music Composer
(1955)
Lumber Jerks
Original Music Composer
(1955)
Heir-Conditioned
Music
(1955)
Pizzicato Pussycat
Original Music Composer
(1955)
The Hole Idea
Music
(1955)
Knight-Mare Hare
Music Director
(1955)
Pests for Guests
Music Director
(1955)
Rabbit Rampage
Music Director
(1955)
Stork Naked
Music Director
(1955)
Roman Legion-Hare
Music Director
(1955)
Two Scent's Worth
Music
(1955)
Dime to Retire
Music Director
(1955)
A Kiddies Kitty
Music Director
(1955)
Tweety's Circus
Music Director
(1955)
Sahara Hare
Music Director
(1955)
Double or Mutton
Music Director
(1955)
Red Riding Hoodwinked
Music Director
(1954)
Devil May Hare
Original Music Composer
(1954)
Baby Buggy Bunny
Original Music Composer
(1954)
Bugs and Thugs
Original Music Composer
(1954)
By Word of Mouse
Music
(1954)
My Little Duckaroo
Music
(1954)
Dr. Jerkyl's Hide
Orchestrator
(1954)
The Cats Bah
Orchestrator
(1954)
Claws for Alarm
Orchestrator
(1954)
Bell Hoppy
Orchestrator
(1954)
Sheep Ahoy
Music
(1953)
Much Ado About Nutting
Orchestrator
(1953)
A Street Cat Named Sylvester
Orchestrator
(1953)
Duck Amuck
Orchestrator
(1953)
Forward March Hare
Orchestrator
(1953)
Fowl Weather
Orchestrator
(1952)
Little Beau Pepé
Orchestrator
(1952)
Water, Water Every Hare
Orchestrator
(1952)
Mouse-Warming
Orchestrator
(1951)
(1951)
French Rarebit
Orchestrator
(1951)
Rabbit Every Monday
Orchestrator
(1951)
Leghorn Swoggled
Orchestrator
(1951)
Lovelorn Leghorn
Orchestrator
(1950)
Big House Bunny
Orchestrator
(1950)
Rabbit of Seville
Orchestrator
(1949)
High Diving Hare
Orchestrator
(1949)
Long-Haired Hare
Orchestrator
(1948)
I Taw a Putty Tat
Orchestrator
(1947)
Easter Yeggs
Music
(1946)
Daffy Doodles
Orchestrator
(1946)
Roughly Squeaking
Orchestrator
(1946)
Baseball Bugs
Orchestrator
(1943)
Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarfs
Orchestrator
(1943)
To Duck.... Or Not to Duck
Orchestrator
(1943)
Hiss and Make Up
Orchestrator
(1943)
Greetings Bait
Orchestrator
(1943)
Fighting Tools
Orchestrator
(1942)
Daffy's Southern Exposure
Orchestrator
(1941)
Aviation Vacation
Orchestrator
(1941)
Hiawatha's Rabbit Hunt
Orchestrator
(1941)
Meet John Doughboy
Orchestrator
(1941)
Wabbit Twouble
Orchestrator
(1941)
The Henpecked Duck
Orchestrator
(1939)
Dangerous Dan McFoo
Orchestrator
(1939)
Daffy Duck and the Dinosaur
Orchestrator
(1938)
Have You Got Any Castles?
Orchestrator
(1937)
Picador Porky
Orchestrator
(1936)
Milk and Money
Orchestrator