Reginald Hazeltine Bassett

Reginald Hazeltine Bassett (September 3, 1878 – April 24, 1951) was an American composer and orchestrator who led a prolific career in film. He contributed music to over one hundred major movies from the 1920s to the 1940s. He is virtually unknown because he worked under a film studio system that not only controlled the copyrights to his music but also allowed others to take screen credit for his work.

Bassett worked collaboratively on film score compositions with other Hollywood composers from Ira Gershwin to Hugo Friedhofer:

In any event, Friedhofer talks at length about Bassett in his oral history, mentioning the scores on which he worked with him (including Intermezzo and Gone With the Wind) and Bassett's association with Forbstein's predecessor at Warner Bros., Lou Silvers.

Extant filmography + Selected filmography Year Film DirectorRole Production companyNotes 1926 The Volga Boatman Cecil B. DeMille Composer Producers Distributing Corporation Uncredited 1926 Bardelys the Magnificent King Vidor Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1926 What Price Glory? Raoul Walsh Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1927 7th Heaven Frank Borzage Composer William Fox Studio Uncredited 1927 The Loves of Carmen Raoul Walsh Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1927 The Devil Dancer Fred Niblo Composer Samuel Goldwyn Productions Uncredited 1927 Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans F. W. Murnau Composer William Fox Studio Uncredited 1928 Fazil Howard Hawks Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Men Without Women John Ford Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 High Society Blues David Butler Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 The Second Floor Mystery Roy Del Ruth Composer mt Warner Bros. Uncredited 1930 The Arizona Kid Alfred Santell Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 On the Level George Melford Composer ac Paramount Pictures Uncredited 1930 Rough Romance A.F. Erickson Composer w/ P. Brunelli & A. Kay Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Good Intentions William K. Howard Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 One Mad Kiss Marcel Silver, James Tinling Composer w/ P. Brunelli Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Man Trouble Berthold Viertel Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 The Sea Wolf Alfred Santell Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Liliom Frank Borzage Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 The Big Trail Raoul Walsh Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Scotland Yard William K. Howard Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Renegades Victor Fleming Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Just Imagine David Butler Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1930 Part Time Wife Leo McCarey Composer w/ P. Brunelli Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 The Man Who Came Back Raoul Walsh Composer mt&ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Men on Call John G. Blystone Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 East Lynne Frank Lloyd Composer mt, w/P. Brunelli Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Three Girls Lost Sidney Lanfield Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Women of All Nations Raoul Walsh Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Goldie Benjamin Stoloff Composer mt w/H. Friedhofer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Hush Money Sidney Lanfield Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Transatlantic William K. Howard Composer mt w/H. Friedhofer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 The Spider William Cameron Menzies Composer mt w/G. Knight Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Wicked Allan Dwan Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Riders of the Purple Sage Hamilton MacFadden Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 The Yellow Ticket Raoul Walsh Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Surrender William K. Howard Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1931 Good Sport Kenneth MacKenna Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 The Rainbow Trail David Howard Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Stepping Sisters Seymour Felix Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 The Gay Caballero Alfred L. Werker Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 The Trial of Vivienne Ware William K. Howard Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 While Paris Sleeps Allan Dwan Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Week Ends Only Alan Crosland Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Bachelor's Affairs Alfred L. Werker Composer w/P. Brunelli Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Almost Married William Cameron Menzies Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 A Passport to Hell Frank Lloyd Composer w/H. Friedhofer & A. Lange Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Chandu the Magician William Cameron Menzies Composer w/P. Brunelli & L. DeFrancisco Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Wild Girl Raoul Walsh Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Six Hours to Live William Dieterle Composer w/P. Brunelli Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Sherlock Holmes William K. Howard Composer w/H. Friedhofer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 El Caballero de la Noche James Tinling Composer w/ P. Brunelli & H. Friedhofer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Tess of the Storm Country Alfred Santell Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1932 Handle with Care David Butler Composer w/ P. Brunelli Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Robber's Roost David Howard & Louis King Composer mt Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Face in the Sky Harry Lachman Composer w/ P. Brunelli Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Dangerously Yours Frank Tuttle Composer w/L. DeFrancisco Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Trick for Trick Hamilton MacFadden Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Zoo in Budapest Rowland V. Lee Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 The Warrior's Husband Walter Lang Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Hold Me Tight David Butler Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Best of Enemies Rian James Composer w/ A. Lange Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 It's Great to Be Alive Alfred L. Werker Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Shanghai Madness John G. Blystone Composer w/ J. Zamecnik & L. DeFrancesco Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Pilgrimage John Ford Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1933 Deluge Felix E. Feist Composer K.B.S. Productions Uncredited 1933 Paddy the Next Best Thing Harry Lachman Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1934 La Ciudad de Carton Louis King Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1934 No Greater Glory Frank Borzage Composer Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1934 Whom the Gods Destroy Walter Lang Composer Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1934 The World Moves On John Ford Composer w/L. DeFrancisco Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1934 Have a Heart David Butler Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1934 One Night of Love Victor Schertzinger pan shot Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1934 Student Tour Charles Reisner Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1934 Un Capitan de Cosacos John Reinhardt Composer ac Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1934 Evelyn Prentice William K. Howard Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1934 The Gay Bride Jack Conway Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1934 The Band Plays On Russell Mack Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1935 Charlie Chan in Paris Lewis Seiler & Hamilton MacFadden Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1935 Society Doctor George B. Seitz Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1935 Shadow of Doubt George B. Seitz Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1935 One Frightened Night Christy Cabanne Composer Mascot Pictures Uncredited 1935 Our Little Girl John S. Robertson Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1935 David Copperfield George Cukor Composer ac Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1935 Charlie Chan in Egypt Louis King Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1935 Love Me Forever Victor Schertzinger Composer Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1935 Mad Love Karl Freund Composer mt Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1935 The Black Room Roy William Neill Composer Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1935 Curly Top Irving Cummings Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1935 The Farmer Takes a Wife Victor Fleming Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1935 Dante's Inferno Harry Lachman Composer Fox Film Corporation Uncredited 1935 Crime and Punishment Josef von Sternberg Composer Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1935 Professional Soldier Tay Garnett Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1936 Tough Guy Chester Franklin Composer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Uncredited 1936 The Prisoner of Shark Island John Ford Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1936 The Country Doctor Henry King Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1936 The Country Beyond Eugene Forde Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1936 Dimples William A. Seiter Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1936 Craig's Wife Dorothy Arzner Composer Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1936 The Man Who Lived Twice Harry Lachman Composer Columbia Pictures Uncredited 1936 Sins of Man Otto Brower Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1936 The Road to Glory Howard Hawks Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1936 Lloyd's of London Henry King Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1937 Think Fast, Mr. Moto Norman Foster Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1938 International Settlement Eugene Forde Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1939 Stanley and Livingstone Henry King Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1939 Susannah of the Mounties Walter Lang Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited 1941 Western Union Fritz Lang Composer 20th Century Fox Uncredited

Music department

Delicious (1931) (orchestrator) (uncredited) Igloo (1932) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Bird of Paradise (1932) (orchestrator) (uncredited) My Lips Betray (1933) (orchestrator) (uncredited) Flying Down to Rio (1933) (music arranger) (uncredited) Midnight (1934) (composer: stock music) (uncredited); aka Call It Murder (USA: reissue title) Chained (1934) (orchestrator) (uncredited) Sequoia (1934) (orchestrator) (uncredited)... aka Malibu

The Night Is Young (1935) (orchestrator) (uncredited) Charlie Chan in Paris (1935) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) The Casino Murder Case (1935) (orchestrator) (uncredited) Baby Face Harrington (1935) (orchestrator) (uncredited) Uncivil Warriors (1935) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) One Frightened Night (1935) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Charlie Chan in Egypt (1935) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Mad Love (1935) (composer: title music) (uncredited); aka The Hands of Orlac (UK) Undersea Kingdom (1936) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Adventure in Manhattan (1936) (composer: stock music) (uncredited); aka Manhattan Madness (UK) The Garden of Allah (1936) (orchestrator) (uncredited)

Legion of Terror (1936) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Theodora Goes Wild (1936) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Stampede (1936) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Two-Fisted Sheriff (1937) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) S.O.S. Coast Guard (1937) (composer: stock music) (uncredited)

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) (orchestrator) (uncredited); aka Robin Hood (Australia: TV title) City Streets (1938) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) The Man They Could Not Hang (1939) (composer: stock music) (uncredited)

Gone with the Wind (1939) (orchestrator) (uncredited) The Yearling (1946) (orchestrator) (uncredited)

Beyond the Purple Hills (it) (1950) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) The Big Gusher (1951) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) The Rough, Tough West (1952) (composer: stock music) (uncredited) Saginaw Trail (1953) (composer: stock music) (uncredited)

Family Reginald Hazeltine Bassett was born September 3, 1878, in Oakland, California, to the marriage of James Madison Bassett (1830–1903) and Carrie Hazeltine (maiden; 1958–1943). He was married three times. Bassett first married on January 22, 1905, in Monterey, California, to Alyse Lourdes Hunt (maiden; 1880–1969), her first of four marriages. They divorced July 25, 1906, in San Francisco. Bassett married again on April 19, 1912, in Oakland, California, to Rosina E. McIntosh (maiden; 1891—1973), her first of two marriages. They divorced in 1916 in San Francisco. Bassett then married on July 25, 1927, in Santa Ana, California, to Estelle Carlton Day (maiden; 1885–1951), her third marriage. Estelle predeceased Reginald by days.