Wilbur Hatch

Wilbur Hatch (May 24, 1902 - December 22, 1969), was an American music composer who worked primarily in radio and television. He was born in Mokena, Illinois and died in Studio City, California.

Radio

He began working in radio in 1922 as a pianist on KYW (Chicago) and moved on to CBS, where he created music for such radio shows as The Whistler, Suspense, Meet Corliss Archer, My Favorite Husband, Broadway Is My Beat, Our Miss Brooks and The Screen Guild Theater.

Hatch also worked as a conductor and music director for CBS. During the late 1930s and early 1940s he was conductor on The Campbell Soup Radio Show. He was the musical director and composed the theme for CBS Radio's The Whistler (1942–55). Additionally, he was the musical director for CBS Radio's Broadway Is My Beat (1949–54) and Luke Slaughter of Tombstone (1958).

Television

His most lasting on-screen television credit was for composing some of the music and conducting the Desi Arnaz Orchestra on I Love Lucy. (In Episode #44, as Ricky is about to sing, he calls offstage "Mr. Hatch, if you please.") He was the sole composer for three episodes of I Love Lucy (1951–56), four episodes of The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (1959–60), all 156 episodes of The Lucy Show (1964–67) and all of the Here's Lucy (1968–69) episodes up to the time of his death. He also conceived and conducted the music for the TV versions of Our Miss Brooks and December Bride, as well as its spin-off, Pete and Gladys. Until the...
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