Vic Mizzy

Victor Mizzy (January 9, 1916 – October 17, 2009) was an American composer for television and movies and musician whose best-known works are the themes to the 1960s television sitcoms Green Acres and The Addams Family. Mizzy also wrote top-20 songs from the 1930s to 1940s.[1]

Vic Mizzy
Publicity Photo of Vic Mizzy
Publicity Photo of Vic Mizzy
Background information
Birth nameVictor Mizzy
Born(1916-01-09)January 9, 1916
Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
DiedOctober 17, 2009(2009-10-17) (aged 93)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film and television theme composer, musician
Years activelate 1930s–2009

Early life

Mizzy was born in Brooklyn, New York, to two Jewish immigrants, and attended New York University.[2] As a child, he played accordion and piano, and was largely self-taught as a composer.[2] During World War II, he served in the United States Navy where he wrote some of his hit songs.[2]

Songwriting

In the late 1930s, while based in New York City,[2] Mizzy began composing a string of popular songs.[3] These included Doris Day's 1945 hit "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time".[2] Other Mizzy compositions were "There's a Faraway Look in Your Eye" and "Three Little Sisters", both co-written with lyricist Irving Taylor. The latter were sung by The Andrews Sisters on Decca Records and in the 1942 Universal film Private Buckaroo, in which the sisters appeared with Harry James' big band.

Dinah Shore also recorded "Three Little Sisters"; "Take It Easy" (also with lyricist Taylor), "Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes", "The Whole World Is Singing My Song", "Choo'n Gum" (recorded by The Andrews Sisters, as well as Teresa Brewer), "The Jones Boy", which was a 1953 hit for The Mills Brothers, and "With a Hey and a Hi and a Ho-Ho-Ho".[2]

Film and television

Mizzy broke into television circa 1959, composing music for Shirley Temple's Storybook and the themes for Moment of Fear, Klondike and Kentucky Jones.[2] During the 1960s, he wrote themes and scores for the hit shows Green Acres and The Addams Family, as well as for other sitcoms, including The Pruitts of Southampton, The Double Life of Henry Phyfe, Captain Nice, The Don Rickles Show, and Temperatures Rising,[2] and the 1964–1965 comedy drama Kentucky Jones.[4]

A soundtrack album was released in 1965 containing all his compositions from The Addams Family entitled Original Music From The Addams Family.[5] Mizzy rewrote and conducted The Addams Family Theme with a slightly different melody for the 1977 television special Halloween with the New Addams Family, which reunited most of the original cast of the 1964–1966 TV series.[6]

He also wrote the scores for five Don Knotts films, including The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), The Shakiest Gun in the West (1968) (released on CD by Percepto in 2007), The Love God? (1969) and How to Frame a Figg (1971),[2] releasing scores on a Compact Disc companion to some of their DVD releases.[7]

His other film work includes the scores for the William Castle films The Night Walker (1964), The Busy Body (1967) and The Spirit Is Willing (1967), as well as other 1960s movies such as A Very Special Favor (1965), The Caper of the Golden Bulls (1967), Don't Make Waves (1967), The Perils of Pauline (1967) and Did You Hear the One About the Traveling Saleslady? (1968)

He also composed underscores for the television series The Richard Boone Show and Quincy, M.E., as well as for such television films as The Deadly Hunt (1971), Hurricane (1974), Terror on the 40th Floor (1974), The Million Dollar Rip-Off (1976) and The Munsters' Revenge (1981).[2] Toward the end of his career, Mizzy was commissioned by film producer Sam Raimi to compose music for the outtakes (gag reel) special features for the DVD releases of the films Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3.[8]

Family

Mizzy had two children with his first wife, Mary Small, who as a 1930s child singer had been known as "The Little Girl With The Big Voice," and who remained popular (especially on radio) through the 1950s. One of her daughters, Patty Keeler, a singer and songwriter, often worked with songwriter Doc Pomus.

Death

Mizzy died at his home in Bel Air, California, on October 17, 2009, aged 93.[9] He was interred at Eden Memorial Park in Mission Hills, California.

Songs include

References
  1. "Vic Mizzy dies at 93; film and TV composer wrote 'Addams Family' theme song". LA Times. October 20, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  2. Burlingame, Jon. "Composer Vic Mizzy Dies at 93", Variety, October 19, 2009, 3:14 p.m. PT
  3. Lentz, Harris M., III (2010). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2009: Film, Television, Radio, Theatre, Dance, Music, Cartoons and Pop Culture. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland. pp. 367–368. ISBN 978-0-7864-5645-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. "CTVA US Drama - "Kentucky Jones" (Buzz Kulik/NBC)(1964-65) starring Dennis Weaver". ctva.biz. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  5. "Vic Mizzy – Original Music From The Addams Family". discogs. 1965. Retrieved 15 October 2019.
  6. Halloween with the New Addams Family 1977 HQ, retrieved 2023-10-05
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Discography at VicMizzy.com
  8. Hale, Mike (2009-10-21). "Vic Mizzy, Songwriter of 'Addams Family' Fame, Dies at 93". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-10.
  9. "Obituaries in the news". The Associated Press. October 20, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2009.
  10. "They Might Be Giants, 'No!' Track-by-Track: The Johns Explain Their Kids Album". AOL Music, June 27, 2012
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