19/05/2026
When you consider the history of motion picture music, you recall the music itself... also the composers, the orchestrations, the musicians... but how often do you think about the actual musical instruments?
Back in 1938, a 6-foot 1925 Blüthner grand piano, known in the trade for its “golden tone,” was purchased by distinguished film composer Herbert Stothart (1885-1949) and customized according to his own specifications. It was on these ivories that Stothart composed and arranged many of his timeless scores, including the Oscar-winning “The Wizard Of Oz,” “Random Harvest,” “Mrs. Miniver,” “Waterloo Bridge,” “Pride And Prejudice,” “National Velvet,” “The Picture of Dorian Gray,” “The Yearling,” and many more.
During the years following Stothart’s untimely death in 1949, the piano fell into neglect and deteriorated nearly beyond repair. When The Film Music Society became aware of the piano’s condition in 2001, we raised the needed funds and oversaw its meticulous restoration. Known to many as "The Wizard of Oz” piano, this magificent instrument was donated by Stothart’s daughter Constance Bongi to the Motion Picture and Television Fund Home, where it graces the living room of the Ray & Fran Stark Villa and is enjoyed by residents who had contributed so much to Hollywood history.
In these difficult economic times, the FMS is in desperate need of funding. Please help us continue to preserve film music history with your tax-deductible donation!
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