Herbert Pope Stothart (September 11, 1885 – February 1, 1949) was an American songwriter, arranger, conductor, and composer.
Stothart was initially hired by producer Arthur Hammerstein to serve as a musical director for touring companies of Broadway shows.
The next twenty years of his life were spent at MGM Studios, where he was part of elite group of Hollywood composers.
His notable contributions also include the Marx Brothers' Night at the Opera, the romantic drama Anna Karenina based on Leo Tolstoy's novel, two Charles Dickens adaptations (A Tale of Two Cities and David Copperfield), and Mutiny on the Bounty, which earned him his first Academy Award nomination.
Afterward, he composed an orchestral piece titled Heart Attack: A Symphonic Poem, inspired by his personal tribulations.