Al Hoffman was a Russian-born American song composer, who, for Disney, collaborated with Mack David and Jerry Livingston to write the music and songs to 1950's Cinderella. He also co-wrote the song "A Whale of a Tale" with Norman Gimbel for the 1954 film 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Hoffman was born in Minsk in Russia (now Belarus), to a Jewish family. His parents moved to Seattle, Washington in the United States when he was six. After graduating from high school in Seattle, he started his own band, playing the drums, and moved to New York City in 1928 to pursue a music career. He began writing songs with other fellow writers, such as Milton Drake, Al Sherman, Leo Corday Dick Manning, Maurice Sigler, Al Goodhart, and Bob Merrill. These notable songs included "Mairzy Doats", "Close To You", "Fit as a Fiddle", "Chibaba-Chibaba", "Papa Loves Mambo", "Hot Diggity", "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die", "Allegheny Moon", "Secretly", "I Apologize" "She Shall Have Music", and "Everything Stops for Tea" and the Chicago Bears fight song "Bear Down, Chicago Bears".
He also co-wrote songs for movies, like Squibs, A Fire Has Been Arranged, First a Girl, Car of Dreams, She Shall Have Music, Jack of All Trades, and Blue Hawaii.
In 1984, he was posthumously inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and has over 1,500 songs registered with A.S.C.A.P.
Hoffman died in New York City of prostate cancer and was buried in New Jersey.
Filmography[]
| Year | Film | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1942 | Bambi | Music Department - uncredited |
| 1950 | Cinderella | Songwriter:"Cinderella" "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" "Sing, Sweet Nightingale" "Work Song (Cinderelly, Cinderelly)" "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" "So This Is Love" |
| 1951 | Alice in Wonderland | Songwriter: "The Unbirthday Song" |
| 1952 | Trick or Treat | Songwriter: "Trick or Treat for Halloween" |
| 1954 | 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea | Lyrics: "A Whale of a Tale" |
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