John Morris

John Leonard Morris (October 18, 1926 – January 25, 2018) was an American composer of film, television, and theatrical scores. He often collaborated with filmmakers Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score for his work on The Elephant Man, and for Best Original Song for the title song from Blazing Saddles (1974).

Early life John Morris was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, to Thomas Morris, an engineer who designed revolving doors for the Tiffany & Co. flagship store in Fifth Avenue, and Helen Sherratt, a homemaker. Their joint film debut was The Producers in 1967. Morris did the original arrangement for Springtime for Hitler and the rest of the film's underscore.

Morris also helped to score films of actors who had worked with Brooks when they produced their own films. These included Gene Wilder's The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, The World's Greatest Lover, The Woman in Red and Haunted Honeymoon, and Marty Feldman's The Last Remake of Beau Geste and In God We Tru$t.

Other work

Morris composed the scores for a number of other films and for several television shows, including the themes for The French Chef and Coach. The Lady in Question (1999) (TV) Stella (1990) Haunted Honeymoon (1986) The French Chef (second theme) (1963)