
Marvin Hatley
Thomas Marvin Hatley professionally known simply as Marvin Hatley, was an American film composer and musical director, best known for his work for the Hal Roach studio from 1929 until 1940.
Hatley wrote many of the musical cues appearing in the Our Gang, Laurel and Hardy, and Charley Chase films. His most memorable composition is "Dance of the Cuckoos"(also known as "Ku-Ku", or "The Cookoo Song"), which serves as Laurel and Hardy's theme song. He was also the "player piano" (performing off-screen) in The Music Box (1932). His work in Laurel and Hardy's films Way Out West and Block-Heads earned him nominations for the Academy Award for Best Original Score.
In 1939, Hatley was fired from the Roach studio. At the insistence of Stan Laurel, however, he did return to score one final Laurel & Hardy film, Saps at Sea. Hatley went on to become a lounge pianist, and often remarked that he earned more money in that career than during his days at the Roach studio.
Marvin Hatley was a native of Reed, Oklahoma. He died on August 23, 1986 in Hollywood, California.
Known For | Sound |
---|---|
Most Rating | 0.001 |
Birthday | 1905-04-03 |
Place of Birth | Reed, Oklahoma, USA |
Also Known As | T. Marvin Hatley, The Ranch Boys, |

1933

Midsummer Mush
5/1
Charley falls in love with Betty on a camping trip.
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Midsummer Mush

1941

Uncle Joe
6/1
A pretty Chicago teenager (Gale Storm), who's being courted by an older man, is sent by her worried parents to live with her uncle on his Iowa farm.
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Uncle Joe

1931

Rough Seas
0/0
On his way home following World War I, Charley smuggles his French sweetheart aboard ship and gets into all kinds of trouble.
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Rough Seas

1933

Maids a la Mode
0/0
Instead of delivering some fancy dresses to a customer, the girls wear them to a party.
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Maids a la Mode

1930

Shivering Shakespeare
5.7/5
The gang is participating in a program sponsored by the Golden Age Dramatic League. They present their own fractured version of Quo Vadis. Things go...
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Shivering Shakespeare

1933

Arabian Tights
0/0
Charley and his buddies are captured and imprisoned by an Arabian sultan.
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Arabian Tights

1932

The Tabasco Kid
0/0
A timid accountant for a California cattle ranch and a lookalike dashing bandit become rivals for the beautiful daughter of a wealthy rancher.
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The Tabasco Kid

1974

Omnibus - Cuckoo: A Celebration of Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy
0/0
Narrated by Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise, this documentary about "Laurel and Hardy", one of the most popular and critically acclaimed comedy double a...
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Omnibus - Cuckoo: A Celebration of Mr. Laurel and Mr. Hardy

1933

Sherman Said It
0/0
Although the war is over, Charley still can't seem to find his way out of France.
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Sherman Said It

1936

The Pinch Singer
6/1
Alfalfa and our gang try to win fifty dollars on a radio contest.
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