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Paul J. Smith

Composer, also actor · Died January 25, 1985, aged 78 · Calumet, Michigan, USA

Upon graduating high school, Smith studied music at The College of Idaho from 1923 to 1925 before he was accepted into the Bush Conservatory of Music in Chicago, Illinois. His musical genius in theory and composition earned him a scholarship in music theory to study at Julliard. However, it is unclear if he ever pursued this invitation. Smith spent much of his life working at Disney as composer for many of its films' scores, animated and live-action alike, movie and television alike (from 1962 to 1963, he also composed music for Leave It to Beaver). In Fantasia, he is one of the studio employees in the orchestra. He also composed the scores for several of the True-Life Adventures episodes. His addition to this series would be his most influential mark in music and become a fundamental part of the education for generations of American students.[2] His main collaborator and partner was Hazel "Gil" George. She wrote the song title for The Light in the Forest with him and Lawrence Edward Watkin. Smith also did the stock music for the Blondie series of the late 1940s and early 1950s. He won an Academy Award for Best Original Score with Leigh Harline and Ned Washington for Pinocchio as his first and only Oscar win. -Wikipedia

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 30, 1906
Died
January 25, 1985 (aged 78)
From
Calumet, Michigan, USA
Works as
Composer, also actor
Titles
42 on MovieCove · 116 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 65 days to Oct 28Down 1% in 30 days

What are Paul J. Smith's films like?

Across their 39 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Society.

Genres

Animation22 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Animation movies
Adventure6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 63rd percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Comedy5 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
32%
Society
22%
Survival
15%
Self
13%
Ideas
12%
Morality
4%
Power
3%
Family bonds13 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival10 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity7 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship4 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth4 titles, browse their movies with this themeNature4 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 39 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 33 · Serious 6 · Dark 0

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 12 · Stylized 17 · Heightened 10

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 27 · Charged 10 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 23 · Shifting 11 · Whiplash 5

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 15 · Funny 18

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 3

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 33 · Engaged 6 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 38 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
28
Warm
15
Absurd
10
Tense
6
Hopeful
7
Other
30

How their films linger

Feel-good31 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful12 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCozy6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy28
  • Bittersweet4
  • Tragic1
  • Ambiguous3
  • Cyclical3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paul J. Smith's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 32 of their 42 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (32).

Subscription and free streaming for Paul J. Smith's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

116 credits, 42 with a MovieCove page; 1 appearance as themselves is hidden until asked for.

  • D.I.Y. Duck(2024)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Pica-Pau Collab - O Pássaro que veio para jantar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    Director

  • Everybody Loves Mickey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Composer

  • Goofy at the Olympic Games (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Composer

  • Here's Goofy! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Composer

  • Donald Duck's 50th Birthday(1984)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Disney's Halloween Treat(1984)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Three Lives of Thomasina(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Yellowstone Cubs(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Miracle of the White Stallions(1963)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Bon Voyage!(1962)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Moon Pilot(1962)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • The Parent Trap(1961)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Coyote's Lament (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Compositor

  • Pollyanna(1960)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Shaggy Dog(1959)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Duck Flies Coop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1959)

    Composer

  • Seven Cities of Antarctica (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Composer

  • From All of Us, To All of You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Composer

  • The Pigeon That Worked a Miracle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1958)

    Composer

  • The Light in the Forest(1958)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Perri(1957)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • The Goofy Adventure Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Composer

  • Secrets of Life(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • The Great Locomotive Chase(1956)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • On Vacation with Mickey Mouse and Friends (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Composer

  • Corky and White Shadow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)

    Show 17 episodes · Songs

  • Switzerland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Composer

  • Music Land (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Writer

  • The African Lion(1955)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea(1954)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Vanishing Prairie(1954)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Walt Disney's Halloween Hilarities (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Composer

  • The Simple Things (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Composer

  • Trick or Treat(1952)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • The Little House (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • Water Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • Susie, the Little Blue Coupe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • Two Gun Goofy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • The Olympic Elk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1952)

    Composer

  • Out of Scale(1951)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Fathers Are People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Composer

  • Cold Turkey (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Composer

  • R'Coon Dawg (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Composer

  • Lucky Number (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Composer

  • Test Pilot Donald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Composer

  • Dude Duck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Composer

  • Fresh Laid Plans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    Music Director

  • One Hour in Wonderland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Composer

  • Food for Feudin' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Composer

  • Pests of the West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Composer

  • Beaver Valley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Composer

  • Motor Mania (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Composer

  • Puss Cafe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Composer

  • Trailer Horn(1950)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Cinderella(1950)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Why Play Leap Frog? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Composer

  • Toy Tinkers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1949)

    Composer

  • So Dear to My Heart(1948)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Strange Mrs. Crane (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Composer

  • Pecos Bill (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Composer

  • The Legend of Johnny Appleseed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Composer

  • Glamour Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Composer

  • Melody Time(1948)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Blondie's Anniversary (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    Composer

  • Fun and Fancy Free(1947)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Song of the South(1946)

    Music Arranger

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Lady Said No (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    Composer

  • Hockey Homicide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Composer

  • Californy 'Er Bust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Composer

  • The Eyes Have It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Composer

  • Tiger Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1945)

    Composer

  • The Three Caballeros(1944)

    Composer · Music Director

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Donald's Off Day (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Composer

  • First Aiders (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Composer

  • How to Be a Sailor (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    Composer

  • Home Defense (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Composer

  • The Old Army Game (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Composer

  • Victory Through Air Power (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Composer

  • Fall Out - Fall In (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    Composer

  • How to Fish(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Olympic Champ(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • How to Play Baseball(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Saludos Amigos(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Bambi(1942)

    Orchestrator

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Donald Gets Drafted (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    Composer

  • How to Swim(1942)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Canine Caddy(1941)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Fire Chief (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Composer

  • Bone Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Composer

  • Cross Country Detours (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Animation

  • Pinocchio(1940)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Fantasia(1940)

    as Violinist

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Beach Picnic(1939)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Goofy and Wilbur(1939)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • The Practical Pig (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Composer

  • Polar Trappers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    Composer

  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Clock Cleaners(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Hawaiian Holiday(1937)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Moose Hunters (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • Don Donald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1937)

    Composer

  • Donald and Pluto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Mickey's Circus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Composer

  • Thru the Mirror(1936)

    Composer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • The Phantom Ship (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1936)

    Animation

  • Playful Pluto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Composer

  • The Barnyard Concert (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1930)

    Composer

  • All Wet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

  • Great Guns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

  • The Mechanical Cow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

  • Oh, Teacher! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

  • Alice's Medicine Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

  • Alice's Three Bad Eggs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

  • Alice's Knaughty Knight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

  • Alice's Auto Race (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Animation

Career shape

A full career of 110 titles from 1927 to 2024.

Biggest box office

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

$185M worldwide

Highest rated

Fantasia (1940)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Directing1 of 110: 1 only directing, 0 with another roleWriting1 of 110: 1 only writing, 0 with another roleMusic92 of 110: 92 only music, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew16 of 110: 16 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1920s8 · crew1930s15 · crew1940s32 · crew1950s41 · crew1960s8 · crew1980s2 · crew1990s1 · crew2000s1 · crew2010s1 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Paul J. Smith's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 74th percentile, the median of all 42; across their 39 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 73rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

73rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Approval · how many liked their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Reach · how many have seen their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 39

Midcredits score across 42 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up20
  • 50th to 74th16
  • 25th to 49th6

Shape of the crowd

31 of their 42 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved6
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser31
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · composer

Donald Duck's 50th Birthday (1984)

96th percentile spread · 61% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Fantasia (1940)

Midcredits 94th · 80% liked

Reviewers score the sound and music 70/100 in their films, across 36 reviewed titles; fans 75, detractors 55. The element that speaks to their work as a composer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Paul J. Smith's work okay for kids?

Across up to 10 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity and profanity run lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore10 titles18–34 · median 30 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity10 titles5–29 · median 10 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity10 titles0–12 · median 5 · minimallighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs10 titles6–38 · median 25 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense10 titles11–56 · median 30 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Paul J. Smith work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paul J. Smith's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Walt Disney shares the most, 38.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles