Marsales was a symphony musician who became the music director for Warner Bros. Cartoons under the direction of former Disney animators Hugh Harman (1903–1982) and Rudolf Ising (1903–1992), scoring many classic cartoons in the 1930s, including every Harman & Ising Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies.
His first credit was for Sinkin' in the Bathtub, released in May 1930 and animated by Friz Freleng.
[4] In the mid-1930s, Marsales began work at Walter Lantz Studios as musical director for the Andy Panda cartoons, among others.
Marsales's last credited musical score at Walter Lantz Studios was for Knock Knock, released 25 November 1940 (although he may also have scored some parts of Syncopated Sioux, released 30 December 1940, which the musical director was uncredited).
[5] Music from Marsales's work for Lantz also found its way into the 1957 animated television series The Woody Woodpecker Show, which contained not only new cartoons, but also Woody's (and other) theatrical Lantz cartoons from the previous twenty years.