Arthur Kay (musician)
Arthur Kay was a German-American film composer and conductor.Biography
Born in Berlin, Germany, Kay immigrated to the United States in 1911 to become the assistant conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Karl Muck.
He became close friends with operetta composer Victor Herbert and conducted several of his shows, including Sweethearts and Eileen.
In the late 1910s, Sid Grauman hired Kay as a conductor at Grauman's Million Dollar Theatre. Kay's responsibilities included leading the large theater orchestra and compiling live musical arrangements to accompany the projected silent films.
With the advent of the sound era in film, Kay continued to work as a film studio conductor and a composer of film music. His efforts were included in such film serials as Tailspin Tommy, Dick Tracy, and S.O.S. Coast Guard. He also worked on such feature films as The Girl from Mandalay, Daniel Boone, and Gone with the Wind.
He also dabbled in providing voices for Terrytoons. He was known for voicing Gandy Goose and Sourpuss.
In 1938, he became the first director of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, where he continued to serve in that capacity for nearly twenty years.
