Born and raised in New York City, the son of Polish-Jewish immigrants, Walter Scharf started playing music at an early age, helping his uncle play the piano for silent films. He got his first real Broadway gig at the age of 17, orchestrating George Gershwin's Girl Crazy. He also played in several college shows written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart. Later, he worked as a session musician in the early years of recording, along with Glenn Miller and the Dorsey brothers. He took his earnings and studied at New York University, even spending a year and a half studying in Berlin, witnessing the rise of the Nazis in 1932. Back in New York, he became the accompanist for the legendary chanteuse Helen Morgan, who introduced him to the world of film with MAHNATTAN MELODRAMA. Her sometime substitute, Alice Faye, coaxed Scharf to join Rudy Vallee's orchestra, playing at the Embassy Club, and eventually going to Hollywood with them to make SWEET MUSIC at Warner Brothers. His film music career continued through six decades working extensively with stars such as Shirley Temple, Al Jolson, Irving Berlin, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Martin and Lewis, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, and Michael Jackson. Visit the Internet Movie Database to view Scharf's extensive composing and orchestrating credits.

Nominated for Music Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic Picture) 1941: MERCY ISLAND (w. Cy Feuer)  Nominated for Music Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1942: JOHNNY DOUGHBOY  Nominated for Music Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1943: IN OLD OKLAHOMA (a.k.a. WAR OF THE WILDCATS)  Nominated for Music Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1943: HIT PARADE OF 1943 (a.k.a. CHANGE OF HEART)  Nominated for Music Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1944: THE FIGHTING SEABEES (w. Roy Webb)  Nominated for Music Awards (Scoring of a Musical Picture) 1944: BRAZIL  Nominated for Music Awards (Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture) 1952: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN  Nominated for Music Scoring Awards (Best Score of a Musical Picture original or adaptation) 1968: FUNNY GIRL  Nominated for Music Awards (Best Scoring: Adaptation and Original Song Score) 1971: WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (w. Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley)  Nominated for Music Best Song 1972: BEN "Ben" - Music 10 nominations