Joesph “Joe” De Nat

Filed under: People, Composer, black-and-white ink, Columbia Pictures, Joe De Nat, Music, Musical, U.S.A.,

Full Name:

Joesph "Joe" De Nat

Occupation / Title:

Composer

Date of birth:

02/10/1898

Date of death:

13/08/1951

Birthplace:

New York, U.S.A.

Associated studios:

Columbia Cartoons

Biography

Joe De Nat was an American musician and composer known for his work on a number of synchronized-sound cartoon series, including Krazy Kat and A Color in Rhapsody. He is also known for his collaborative work with producer and studio head Charles Mintz. (Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 2013)

Family and early life

De Nat was born in Manhattan, New York on October 2, 1898, to English parents of Dutch ancestry. De Nat worked as both an orchestral musician and salesman in his youth before entering the cartoon industry in 1929. (Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 2013) He was married to Ida Karbowitz. (Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 2013)

Career outline

In 1929, De Nat was hired by Charles Mitz to compose pieces for the Krazy Kat cartoon series at Columbia Cartoons. This came after he underwent an informal study of novel sound technologies at various studios in Hollywood. (The Film Daily) Over the next decade, De Nat would work on a number of sync-sound cartoons with Mintz and Colombia Pictures, including a number of works in Mintz’ A Color in Rhapsody series, like Mother Hen’s Holiday (1937). (Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 2013) At the studio De Nat worked with many other important Columbia cartoonists, including Sid Marker and Dick Huemer. (McCracken, 2005)

In 1939, Columbia Cartoons closed. Mintz died in 1940, leading to massive changes within the studio’s staff and production methods. (Parten, 2025) During this period of change, De Nat was let go as a composer for the studio. (Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 2013)

After working at Columbia, De Nat did not see much success in finding other work as a composer for cartoons. Throughout the late 1940s, he performed as a pianist in a variety of locations including saloons, radio shows, and orchestras. From 1949 to 1951, De Nat was the musical director and pianist for a travelling talent show named “Icelandia.” (Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 2013)

De Nat died on August 13th, 1951, in Manhattan, a few months after he and his wife divorced. (Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 2013)

Personal style

In composing for cartoons, De Nat would write a piece of music prior to the creation of the cartoon, which would then be used as a basis for the animation. The result of this process was cartoons perfectly synched with their musical score. (The Film Daily) De Nat described this process as synchronized sound, though it is more commonly known as ‘Mickey Mousing’ due to its use in early Disney sound cartoons. (Fadley et al.,2024, pg.1-2)

Filmography

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References:

“Joe De Nat” Tralfaz Cartoon Blog, 30 Nov. 2013 https://tralfaz.blogspot.com/2013/11/joe-de-nat.html, Accessed 21 Apr 2026.

“De Nat to Handle Scoring for Krazy Kat Cartoons” The Film Daily, 22 Jul. 1929 https://archive.org/details/filmdaily4950newy/page/180/mode/2up Accessed 21 Apr 2026, pg.8

Fadley, Mohammahed Alvriza, Hery Supiarza, and Zakiah Pawita. “Synchronization Functions of “Mickey-Mousing” in Animation Film Rhapsody Rabbit” Gondang: Jurnal Seni dan Budaya, Vol.8 (1). 2024 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/381080974_Synchronization_Functions_of_oeMickey-Mousing_in_Animation_Film_Rhapsody_Rabbit/fulltext/6663ad7ede777205a3188cd6/381080974_Synchronization_Functions_of_oeMickey-Mousing_in_Animation_Film_Rhapsody_Rabbit.pdf pg.1-18 Accessed 25 Apr 2026.

McCracken, Harry. “Meet the Mintz Staff” Scrappyland, Aug. 2005 https://www.scrappyland.com/blog/staff/. Accessed 21 Apr 2026.

Parten, James. “Columbia’s Musical “Gems”: 1940-41” Cartoon Research, Aug. %, 2025 https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/columbias-musical-gems-1940-41/. Accessed 21 Apr 2026.