Eldon Rathburn: They Shoot... He Scores

Directed by Louis Hone

This short documentary traces the life and career of composer Eldon Rathburn. A music lover since childhood, Rathburn used to go to the movies in Saint John, New Brunswick, in the 1920s just to hear the soundtrack. In 1947, he joined the National Film Board as a staff composer and went on to score over 300 documentaries and feature films. He is responsible for the music heard in classic NFB films like City of Gold and the IMAX feature Momentum, as well as the scores for lesser-known “classics” like Hog Family Supreme and Fish Spoilage Control.