Walter Baumgartner

Composer, conductor, jazz musician (he played both piano and trombone), and arranger Walter Ernst Baumgartner was born on November 16, 1904 in Sevelen, Kanton St. Gallen, Switzerland. Walter founded the swing band the Magnolians in 1934. Baumgartner worked for a while as an arranger and was the conductor of an orchestra prior to composing the score for his first film in 1952. A furiously prolific composer in the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's, Walter frequently worked for producer/director Erwin C. Dietrich and provided some especially groovy scores for a handful of exploitation movies made by legendary Spanish maverick Jesús Franco. Baumgartner was married to actress and singer Helen Vita. Walter died at age 92 on October 3, 1997. He was survived by his wife and two sons.