Ned was passionate about putting words to music and subsequently, garnered three Academy Awards, two of which were for his work on PINOCCHIO, including Best Song ("When You Wish Upon a Star") and Best Music and Original Score.
As Animator Frank Thomas recalled, during the film's production, "Ned would sit facing Walt, knee-to-knee, and while Leigh (Harline) played a song they'd developed on the piano, Ned would slap Walt's knee and say 'Oh, you're gonna' love this ...' and 'Oh, listen to this, Walt ..." He was very enthusiastic to the point Walt finally said, 'For crying out loud Ned, let me listen to the song!' "
Born in Scranton, PA, Ned was the only one of nine children who did not study music. Rather, he wrote poetry, some of which was published in local newspapers and magazines. At 21, he moved to New York to break into show business, booking acts in vaudeville theaters, and emceeing shows.
He wrote songs in his spare time and in 1928, famed Broadway producer Earl Carroll used one of Ned's creations in his popular stage revue "Vanities." A year later, Warner Brothers hired him to write lyrics for talking pictures, including the popular song "Singing in the Bathtub" featured in the all-star flick SHOW OF SHOWS.
In 1932, Big Band Leader Tommy Dorsey adopted Ned's "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You" as his signature tune and in 1933, Ned collaborated with crooner Bing Crosby writing lyrics for the love song "A Ghost of a Chance."
He arrived at Disney in 1938 and received Oscar® nods for "Baby Mine" featured in DUMBO and for the title song of SALUDOS AMIGOS. Ned also wrote lyrics for "I'm a Happy-Go-Lucky Fellow" featured in the "Mickey and the Beanstalk" sequence of FUN AND FANCY FREE.
During his 40-plus year career, he wrote music with famed composers including Victor Young ("Stella by Starlight" for THE UNINVITED in 1944) at studios ranging from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to Paramount. Other popular standards by Ned include "Nearness of You" with Hoagy Carmichael and "Someday I'll Meet You Again" with Max Steiner.
His unique flair for penning motion picture title songs (40 in all) led to HIGH NOON starring Gary Cooper, earning Ned his third Academy Award® and THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY starring John Wayne, winning him another one of 12 total Oscar nominations. In between motion pictures, he wrote for radio and stage, and crossing over into early television, created theme songs for such series as "Rawhide."
Ned Washington died on December 20, 1976, in Beverly Hills, California.
Music Scoring Awards (Original Score) 1940: PINOCCHIO (w. Leigh Harline & Paul J. Smith)
Music Best Song 1940: PINOCCHIO "When You Wish Upon a Star" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1941: DUMBO "Baby Mine" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1943: SALUDOS, AMIGOS "Saludos, Amigos" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1944: BRAZIL "Rio de Janeiro" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1949: MY FOOLISH HEART "My Foolish Heart" - Lyric
Music Best Song 1952: HIGH NOON "High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me, Oh My Darlin')" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1953: MISS SADIE THOMPSON "Sadie Thompson's Song (Blue Pacific Blues)" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1954: THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY "The High and the Mighty" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1957: WILD IS THE WIND "Wild Is the Wind" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1959: THE YOUNG LAND "Strange Are the Ways of Love" - Lyric
Nominated for Music Best Song 1961: TOWN WITHOUT PITY "Town Without Pity" - Lyric
12 nominations, 3 Awards