Louis Ferdinand Gottschalk (October 7, 1864 - July 15, 1934) was an American composer born in St. Louis, Missouri. The son of a Missouri governor, also named Louis, his first notable work in music was as conductor of the U.S. premiere of Franz Lehár's The Merry Widow. He was a pioneer of original film music, largely due to his work with independent filmmaker L. Frank Baum, for whom he composed the musical, The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, to Baum's libretto, which producer Oliver Morosco decided not to bring to Broadway after only modest success in Los Angeles.

Baum, as president, with Gottschalk, as vice president, Harry Marston Haldeman as secretary, and Clarence R. Rundel as treasurer, founded The Oz Film Manufacturing Company in 1914 as an outgrowth of Haldeman's men's social group, The Uplifters. As co-producer, Gottschalk composed the earliest known feature length film scores for The Patchwork Girl of Oz, The Magic Cloak of Oz, His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz, and The Last Egyptian (all 1914), at a time when cue sheets were the norm. He also wrote several stage musicals with Baum for The Uplifters, including Stagecraft, or, The Adventures of a Strictly Moral Man (1914), The Uplift of Lucifer, or Raising Hell: An Allegorical Squazosh (1914), and The Orpheus Road Show: A Paraphrastic Compendium of Mirth (1917).

After the Oz company dissolved, Gottschalk went on to work with D. W. Griffith, arranging cue sheets for Broken Blossoms (1919) and composing a score for Orphans of the Storm (1921). Other major films for which he contributed scores include The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The Three Musketeers, Little Lord Fauntleroy (all 1921), and Romola (1924). He composed a score for Charles Chaplin's A Woman of Paris (1923), but Chaplin replaced it with a score of his own when Chaplin re-released the film in 1976. (Bio by: Wikipedia)
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Wizard Of Oz Music Man Dies In South
LOS ANGELES, July 17--Succumbing to a paralytic stroke complicated by heart trouble, Louis Ferdinand Gottschalk, 70, veteran composter, conductor and producer of light opera, died at his home here. He first gained wide fame as the conductor of The Merry Widow. He also produced the Wizard Of Oz plays for L. Frank Baum and collaborated in writing the music of The Tik-Tok Man of Oz.
~ Fresno Bee Republican, 17 Jul 1934
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Louis F. Gottschalk - Composer of Light Opera Dies at 70 After Stroke

LOS ANGELES, July 16 (AP) - Louis Ferdinand Gottschalk, 70, veteran composer, conductor and producer of light opera, died at his home here today from a stroke of paralysis.

He first gained wide fame as the conductor of "The Merry Widow." He also produced the "Wizard of Oz," plays for L. F. Baum and collaborated in writing the music of "The Tiktok Man of Oz."

After musical accompaniment began to receive more attention from movie makers, Mr. Gottschalk came to Hollywood and arranged scores for all of D. W. Griffith's productions for three years. He prepared the music of "The Three Musketeers," "Little Lord Fauntleroy," "Broken Blossoms," and "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse."

Born in St. Louis, Mr. Gottschalk was the son of a judge there who later became American Consul to Stuttgart, Germany, where the son studied music.

~ The New York Times, 17 Jul 1934
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GOTTSCHALK, July 15. Louis F. Gottschalk, composer, beloved husband of Marie M. Gottschalk; loving father of Gloria M. Gottschalk; brother of Mrs. J. Bond Francisco. Services today at 4 p.m. from the chapel of Reed Brothers Co., 721 West Washington street.
~ Los Angeles Times, 18 Jul 1934
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1900 (Jun) Census, Clayton, Jefferson, NY:
Lewis F. Gottschalk, 35, b Oct 1864, m 2 yrs, b MO, fthr Germany, mthr MO, actor.
Norma, wife, 27, b Apr 1873, 0 born, b NY, fthr MA, mthr MD.
William Daniels, boarder, 33, b May 1867, m 2 yrs, b NY, parents NY, actor.
Marie M., boarder, 25, b May 1875, 0 born, b OH, fthr PA, mthr IN, actress.
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23 Jan 1924, US Passport Application, Los Angeles County, California, for Louis F. Gottschalk and his son, Ernest Victor Gottschalk, age 17, born in New York. Louis was born at St. Louis, MO, on 7 Oct 1869, his father, Louis Gottschalk, Sr., was born in Germany and is deceased. Current residence of Los Angeles, California, with an occupation of composer. His is described as 54 years old, 5' 7", with a high forehead, blue eyes, med. prom nose, straight mouth, med. oval chin, thin brown hair, med. fair complexion, and oval face. His sworn affidavit states he has not evidence of his birth because Certificates of Birth were not in use at the time of his birth and his parents are deceased and that all family records of his birth have been lost or destroyed. Passport mailed to Mr. Louis F. Gottschalk, c/o J. Boyce Smith, c/o Inspiration Pictures, Inc, 565 Fifth Ave., New York, N.Y.
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1910 Census, Manhattan, NY, NY:
Louis F. Gottschalk, 40, m1, m 12 yrs, b MO, fthr Germany, mthr MO, music composer.
Marie M., wife, 32, m1, 2 born/living, b NY, fthr NY, mthr MD.
Ernest V., son, 4, b NY.
Gloria M., dtr, 0, b NY.
Helene Messannot, servant, 20, b France, parents France, servant-private family.
Address: Amsterdam Avenue
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1920 (Jan) Census, Los Angeles, CA:
Louise Gottschalk, 50, b MO, fthr Loraine, mthr MO, composter.
Marie, wife, 44, b NY, fthr MA, mthr MD.
Victor, son, 13, b NY, student.
Gloria, dtr, 9, b NY, student.
Sarah Hough, servant, 53, wd, b PA, fthr PA, mthr MD, cook-private family.
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1930 (Apr) Census, Los Angeles, CA:
Louis F. Gottschalk, 58, m at 33, b MO, fthr Germany, mthr MO, composer-music, non-vet.
Marie M., wife, 50, m at 25, b NY, fthr MA, mthr MD.
Gloria M., dtr, 19, sgl, b NY.
Rose Tabott, lodger, 65, sgl, b Germany, parents Germany, imm. 1875, nat., cook-private family.