Home / Biography / John Addison

John Addison

Biography

English composer John Addison continues to be employed in film because the past due 1940s. Addison is one of the even more prolific composers and is well known for his knowledge of diverse musical styles which range from light traditional to brooding jazz.

Quick Facts


Date Of Birth March 16, 1920
Died December 7, 1998, Bennington, Vermont, United States
Profession Film Score Composer
Education Royal College of Music
Nationality English
Spouse Pamela Addison
Children Lucinda Addison, Jonathan Addison, Daniel Addison
Awards Academy Award for Best Original Music Score, BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition - Series (Original Dramatic Score)
Music Songs A Bridge Too Far March, March of the Paratroopers, Human Roadblock, Jonah, Jonah, listen to me Jonah, Nineveh city was a city of sin, It's Always Your Fault, Nijmegen Bridge, A Dutch Rhapsody, Before the Holocaust, Bailey Bridge, Hospital Tent, Big Pea, The Waal River, When Jonah sank into the sea, While I'm Still Young, Futile Mission, Arnhem Destroyed, The Man Between: Theme, Touch and Go, Love Theme From Tom Jones, Big Ship Sails On the Alley-Alley-O, Lamp Eater, End Title, Suite, Blow Up Car, I need a boat, man, Andrew and Milo, Radio Lieder, Hardware Dump, Main Title, Tom Jones_john Addison, Nummy, Nummy
Albums A Bridge Too Far, Tom Jones, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Swashbuckler, Torn Curtain, Joseph Andrews, Smashing Time, Tom Jones (original movie soundtrack), Hurd: Pop Cantatas, Sleuth, Strange Invaders, Grace Quigley, The Charge of the Light Brigade / The Honey Pot
Nominations Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Limited Series, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score), Primetime Emmy Award for Best Music Composition - Special Program, Primetime Emmy Award for Best Music Direction - Variety, Music or Dramatic Program
Movies A Bridge Too Far, Torn Curtain, Tom Jones, Sleuth, The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, A Taste of Honey, The Charge of the Light Brigade, Strange Invaders, The Man Between, The Entertainer, Reach for the Sky, Swashbuckler, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution, The Maggie, The Honey Pot, Seven Days to Noon, The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders, Joseph Andrews, Smashing Time, The Loved One, The Cockleshell Heroes, Guns at Batasi, Lucky Jim, Private's Progress, Brandy for the Parson, A Fine Madness, Code Name: Emerald, Thirteen at Dinner, Dead Cert, Girl with Green Eyes, Dead Man's Folly, Pool of London, Mr. Forbush and the Penguins, Barnacle Bill, Grace Quigley, The Black Knight, High Treason, Girl in the Headlines, Three Men in a Boat, Time Bomb, School for Scoundrels, Ride a Wild Pony, Make Me an Offer, Go to Blazes, The Hour of 13, The Bastard, I Was Happy Here, Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story, Strange Voices, I Was a Mail Order Bride, The Uncle


  • Facts
  • Filmography
  • Awards
  • Salaries
  • Quotes
  • Trademarks
  • Pictures

#Fact
1 British wartime fighter pilot Douglas Bader, the subject of "Reach for the Sky" - scored by Addison - was his brother-in-law.
2 In the 1950's, in addition to his film work, he orchestrated and composed incidental music for leading English playwrights (including John Osborne) at the Royal Court Theatre. He also scored Olivier's staging of "Hamlet" at the National Theatre.
3 Among his classical compositions are chamber works, a ballet ("Carte Blanche"), a concerto for trumpet, strings and percussion, a musical revue ("Cranks") and a Bassoon Concertina.
4 The son of a British army colonel, he was educated at Wellington College and the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying composition, clarinet, oboe and piano.
5 He was a soldier in XXX Corps, the British tank force that drove north through Holland during "Operation Market Garden", commencing Sept. 17, 1944. He wrote the music-score for A Bridge Too Far (1977), which depicted "Operation Market Garden", as a tribute to his fellow tankers of XXX Corps.


Music Department

Music Department

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Eleanor, First Lady of the World 1982 TV Movie conductor
The Pilot 1980 conductor
The Eddie Capra Mysteries 1978-1979 TV Series composer - 12 episodes
A Death in Canaan 1978 TV Movie music arranger
A Bridge Too Far 1977 conductor
Joseph Andrews 1977 conductor
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution 1976 conductor
Swashbuckler 1976 conductor
Dead Cert 1974 conductor
Luther 1974 conductor / music arranger
Sleuth 1972 conductor / music arranger
Cry of the Penguins 1971 conductor
Start the Revolution Without Me 1970 conductor
Smashing Time 1967 conductor
The Honey Pot 1967 conductor
Torn Curtain 1966 conductor - uncredited
Time Lost and Time Remembered 1966 conductor
The Uncle 1965 conductor
The Loved One 1965 conductor
The Peaches 1965 Short conductor
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders 1965 conductor
Guns at Batasi 1964 conductor
Detective 1964 TV Series composer - 17 episodes
Sherlock Holmes 1964 TV Series composer - 1 episode
Girl with Green Eyes 1964 conductor
The Model Murder Case 1963 conductor
Tom Jones 1963 music conductor
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner 1962 conductor / music arranger
Go to Blazes 1962 conductor
A Taste of Honey 1961 conductor
Sambo and the Snow Mountains 1961 TV Short conductor
A French Mistress 1960 composer: song "Madeleine" / conductor
The Entertainer 1960 conductor
School for Scoundrels 1960 conductor
Look Back in Anger 1959 music supervisor
Man in a Cocked Hat 1959 conductor
Hell, Heaven or Hoboken 1958 conductor
Lucky Jim 1957 music director
Cat Girl 1957 composer: stock music - uncredited
Private's Progress 1956 music director
John and Julie 1955 composer: stock music - uncredited
Make Me an Offer 1955 conductor
The End of the Road 1954 conductor
Terror on a Train 1953 conductor
The Hour of 13 1952 conductor
Brandy for the Parson 1952 conductor
Fame Is the Spur 1947 musician: The Chopin Prelude - as Jock Addison
Murder, She Wrote 1984-1996 TV Series composer - 262 episodes
The Phantom of the Opera 1990 TV Mini-Series conductor - 2 episodes
Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun 1988 TV Movie conductor
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color 1986 TV Series conductor - 1 episode
Dead Man's Folly 1986 TV Movie conductor - uncredited
Thirteen at Dinner 1985 TV Movie conductor - uncredited
Grace Quigley 1984 conductor - uncredited / orchestrator

Composer

Composer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
'Torn Curtain' Rising 2000 Video documentary short
The Phantom of the Opera 1990 TV Mini-Series 2 episodes
Beryl Markham: A Shadow on the Sun 1988 TV Movie
Strange Voices 1987 TV Movie
Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color 1986-1987 TV Series 2 episodes
Amazing Stories 1986 TV Series 2 episodes
Something in Common 1986 TV Movie
Dead Man's Folly 1986 TV Movie
Code Name: Emerald 1985
Thirteen at Dinner 1985 TV Movie
Ellis Island 1984 TV Mini-Series 3 episodes
Murder, She Wrote 1984 TV Series 1 episode
Grace Quigley 1984
Strange Invaders 1983
I Was a Mail Order Bride 1982 TV Movie
The Devlin Connection 1982 TV Series
Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story 1982 TV Movie
Eleanor, First Lady of the World 1982 TV Movie
Mistress of Paradise 1981 TV Movie
Nero Wolfe 1981 TV Series 14 episodes
The Pilot 1980
Love's Savage Fury 1979 TV Movie
The Power Within 1979 TV Movie
Like Normal People 1979 TV Movie
Centennial 1978-1979 TV Mini-Series 12 episodes
The French Atlantic Affair 1979 TV Mini-Series 3 episodes
Pearl 1978 TV Mini-Series 3 episodes
The Eddie Capra Mysteries 1978 TV Series 1 episode
The Bastard 1978 TV Movie
Black Beauty 1978 TV Mini-Series
A Bridge Too Far 1977
Joseph Andrews 1977
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution 1976
Swashbuckler 1976
Grady 1975 TV Series 2 episodes
Ride a Wild Pony 1975
A Journey to London 1975 TV Movie
Bellamira 1974 TV Movie
Play for Today 1974 TV Series 1 episode
The Concert 1974 Short
Dead Cert 1974
Sleuth 1972
Cry of the Penguins 1971
ITV Saturday Night Theatre 1970 TV Series music composer - 1 episode
Hamlet 1970/I TV Movie
Brotherly Love 1970
Start the Revolution Without Me 1970
The Charge of the Light Brigade 1968
Smashing Time 1967
The Honey Pot 1967
Torn Curtain 1966
A Fine Madness 1966
Time Lost and Time Remembered 1966
The Uncle 1965
The Loved One 1965
The Peaches 1965 Short
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders 1965
Guns at Batasi 1964
Detective 1964 TV Series 1 episode
Girl with Green Eyes 1964
The Model Murder Case 1963
Tom Jones 1963
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner 1962
Go to Blazes 1962
A Taste of Honey 1961
Sambo and the Snow Mountains 1961 TV Short music specially composed by
His and Hers 1961
A French Mistress 1960
The Entertainer 1960
School for Scoundrels 1960
Man in a Cocked Hat 1959
Hell, Heaven or Hoboken 1958
All at Sea 1957
Lucky Jim 1957
The Shiralee 1957
Three Men in a Boat 1956
Reach for the Sky 1956
Private's Progress 1956
The Cockleshell Heroes 1955
Josephine and Men 1955
Touch and Go 1955
Make Me an Offer 1955
That Lady 1955
One Good Turn 1955
The Black Knight 1954
High and Dry 1954
The End of the Road 1954
The Man Between 1953
Paratrooper 1953
Terror on a Train 1953
The Hour of 13 1952
Brandy for the Parson 1952
Operation Hurricane 1952 Documentary short
High Treason 1951
Pool of London 1951
Seven Days to Noon 1950

Soundtrack

Soundtrack

TitleYearStatusCharacter
BBC Proms 2007 TV Series 1 episode
Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann 1992 Documentary writer: "Torn Curtain"
Resurrected 1989 music: "Reach for the Sky" - uncredited
A Death in Canaan 1978 TV Movie arranger: "Yankee Doodle" - uncredited / music: "Canaan Rock" - uncredited
The Seven-Per-Cent Solution 1976 arranger: "Valse Sentimental" - uncredited
Ride a Wild Pony 1975 arranger: "In the Good Old Summertime" - uncredited
Rape Victims 1975 writer: "Love Theme" from tt0057590 motion picture soundtrack - uncredited
Twisted Nerve 1968 writer: "Madeleine" - uncredited
The Charge of the Light Brigade 1968 arranger: "My Heart's In The Highlands", "Pretty Poll Polka", "Standard Bearer Quadrille", "Gallop", "From Greenland's Icy Mountains" - uncredited
The Hollywood Palace 1968 TV Series writer - 1 episode
Smashing Time 1967 lyrics: "It's Always Your Fault" / music: "Smashing Time", "Carnaby Street", "Waiting For My Friend", "New Clothes", "It's Always Your Fault", "While I'm Still Young", "Day Out", "Trouble", "The Morning After", "Baby Don't Go", "Swinging Thru London"
Torn Curtain 1966 writer: "Torn Curtain Main Title", "Torn Curtain Love Theme End Title"
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders 1965 writer: "Theme from the Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders"
A Taste of Honey 1961 music: "Baby Face Rock" - uncredited
A French Mistress 1960 writer: "Madeleine" - uncredited
The Entertainer 1960 music: "Why Should I Care?", "Let's Rock", "Hide Your Face, Mum", "Thank God I'm Normal" - uncredited
It's Great to Be Young! 1956 writer: "Scherzo"
The Cockleshell Heroes 1955 arranger: "A Life on the Ocean Wave" - uncredited
The Man Between 1953 music: "The Man Between Theme" - uncredited
Brighton Rock 1947 arranger: "More Than Ever" / music: "Hello Hello!" - uncredited

Actor

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Phantom of the Opera 1990 TV Mini-Series Conductor (uncredited)

Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Tom Jones 1963 supervisor: restoration - restored version

Self

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The 37th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards 1985 TV Special Himself - Winner: Outstanding Music Composition for a Series
Filmharmonic '80 1980 TV Movie Himself - Conductor
Filmharmonic '77 1977 TV Movie Himself - Conductor

Won awards

Won awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovieAward shared with
2007 IFMCA Award International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA) Best Film Music Compilation Album or Box Set · Douglass Fake (album produced by)
· Jon Burlingame (liner notes by)
· John Williams (music composed by)
· Alan Silvestri (music composed by)
· Craig Safan (music composed by)
· Michael Kamen (music composed by)
· Bruce Broughton (music composed by)
· Billy Goldenberg (music composed by)
· Fred Steiner (music composed by)
· Pat Metheny (music composed by)
1995 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series Murder, She Wrote (1984)
1994 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series Murder, She Wrote (1984)
1993 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series Murder, She Wrote (1984)
1990 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series Murder, She Wrote (1984)
1989 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series Murder, She Wrote (1984)
1988 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Top TV Series Murder, She Wrote (1984)
1985 Primetime Emmy Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Series (Dramatic Underscore) Murder, She Wrote (1984)
1978 Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music BAFTA Awards A Bridge Too Far (1977)
1964 Oscar Academy Awards, USA Best Music, Score - Substantially Original Tom Jones (1963)
1964 Grammy Grammy Awards Best Original Score from a Motion Picture or Television Show Tom Jones (1963)

Nominated awards

Nominated awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovieAward shared with
1990 Primetime Emmy Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries or a Special (Dramatic Underscore) The Phantom of the Opera (1990)
1973 Oscar Academy Awards, USA Best Music, Original Dramatic Score Sleuth (1972)
1971 Primetime Emmy Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Achievement in Music Composition - For a Special Program Hamlet (1970)
1971 Primetime Emmy Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction of a Variety, Musical or Dramatic Program Hamlet (1970)
1969 Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music BAFTA Awards The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)


Looks like we don't have salary information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have quotes information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have trademarks information. Sorry!



Looks like we don't have pictures. Sorry!

Check Also

Johan Halvorsen

Johan Halvorsen was being among the most prominent Norwegian composers in the generation subsequent Edvard …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.