Biography
Walter Schumann (8 October 1913 – 21 August 1958) was an American composer for film, television and theatre. Born in New York City, he studied law briefly at the University of Southern California before turning to music. During the Second World War he served as musical director of the Armed Forces Radio Service.
After the war Schumann worked in Los Angeles as a composer and arranger, notably on several Abbott and Costello films including Africa Screams (1949). He composed the score for The Night of the Hunter (1955) and created the theme for the Dragnet radio and television series, for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award in 1955. He also led the vocal ensemble the Voices of Walter Schumann and composed for the Broadway revue 3 for Tonight (1955).
