Who composed the score for the 1939 film?

Herbert Stothart composed and adapted the score for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.

Stothart was an MGM composer, arranger, songwriter, and conductor who worked on more than 100 film scores during Hollywood’s studio era. For The Wizard of Oz, he shaped the orchestral score and conducted the MGM Studio Orchestra, helping unify the film’s Kansas, Oz, and fantasy sequences musically.

A common mix-up is to credit Stothart with writing every song. Harold Arlen composed the music for the songs, while E. Y. Harburg wrote their lyrics. That partnership produced “Over the Rainbow,” which won the Academy Award for Best Song. Stothart won the Oscar for Best Original Score, so the film’s music has distinct credited contributors.

The soundtrack was recorded with a full orchestra on MGM’s scoring stage before filming was complete. Stothart’s work also included incidental music and adaptations connecting the songs to the picture’s dramatic action. His Oscar for The Wizard of Oz was part of a career that brought him ten Academy Award nominations.