What is Maury Laws?
{{Infobox person | name = Maury Laws | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date|1923|12|6}} | birth_place = [[Burlington, North Carolina]] | death_date = {{death date and age|2019|3|28|1923|12|6}} | death_place = [[Appleton, Wisconsin]] | occupation = composer | years_active = 1934–1985 | spouse = Karen (/Krumm) Rutledge }} '''Maury Laws''' (December 6, 1923 – March 28, 2019) was an American television and movie composer from [[Burlington, North Carolina]]. ==Biography== In his teens, Laws performed in local country, jazz and dance bands as a singer and guitarist in his home state of [[North Carolina]]. His career was put on hold during [[World War II]], in which he served in the Army. In 1964, he was hired as music director for the television production company [[Videocraft International]] (now known as [[Rankin/Bass]]), a post which he held for roughly 20 years. In this capacity, he conducted and scored music for a number of animated features, including ''[[The Hobbit (1977 movie)|The Hobbit]]'', ''[[Jack Frost (TV special)|Jack Frost]]'', ''[[The Flight of Dragons]]'', ''[[The Daydreamer (movie)|The Daydreamer]]'', ''[[The Wacky World of Mother Goose]]'', ''[[Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (movie)|Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town]]'', and ''[[Frosty the Snowman (TV program)|Frosty the Snowman]]''. His most widely known work may be an adaptation of [[Johnny Marks]]' score for the well-known Christmas special ''[[Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (TV special)|Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer]]'', first aired in 1964. Laws also did composing work on a 1967 Rankin/Bass theatrical feature, the Halloween-themed ''[[Mad Monster Party?]]''. Maury Laws died in [[Appleton, Wisconsin]] on March 28, 2019.<ref>{{cite news|last=Burlingame|first=Jon|title=Maury Laws, Rankin-Bass Composer-Arranger, Dies at 95|work=Variety|date=April 1, 2019|accessdate=December 15, 2019|url=https://variety.com/2019/musi