Ken Thorne

Biography

Ken Thorne (26 January 1924 – 9 July 2014) was an English composer, conductor, arranger, and musician known for his work in film and television. He was born in East Dereham, Norfolk, England.

Thorne began his musical career as a pianist with British big bands in the 1940s before studying composition. He started writing film scores in the late 1940s and became one of the most respected composers and arrangers in British cinema.

He became closely associated with director Richard Lester, composing music for several of his films, including Help!, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, and later the superhero films Superman II and Superman III. For Superman II and Superman III, he adapted and developed themes created by John Williams while adding his own musical contributions.

One of Thorne’s greatest achievements was winning the Academy Award for Best Music (Scoring Adaptation or Treatment) for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. He also worked on films such as How I Won the War (1967), Head (1968), The Magic Christian (1969), and The Ritz (1976).

In his later career, Thorne focused mainly on television projects, composing scores for various TV movies and miniseries. He passed away on 9 July 2014 in West Hills, Los Angeles, California, at the age of 90.

Selected Filmography (Composer/Music Department):

• Help! (1965)
• A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966)
• How I Won the War (1967)
• Head (1968)
• The Magic Christian (1969)
• The Ritz (1976)
• Superman II (1980)
• Superman III (1983)
• Return to Lonesome Dove (1993)
• Mary, Mother of Jesus (1999) 
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Ken Thorne is remembered as a talented composer whose elegant arrangements and memorable film scores made a lasting contribution to cinema music.