"Addams Family," "Green Acres" composer dies

[sonnymax]

Vic Mizzy, who wrote 'Addams Family' theme, dies

By RAQUEL MARIA DILLON, AP

Tue Oct 20, 5:54 AM EDT

Vic Mizzy, a songwriter who composed the catchy themes for the 1960s sit-coms "The Addams Family" and "Green Acres," has died. He was 93. Mizzy died Saturday at his home in Bel Air, his manager Jonathan Wolfson said. He said he didn't know the cause of death. He wrote songs that were recorded by Dean Martin, Doris Day, Perry Como and Billie Holiday in the '40s and '50s. His hits included "Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes," "My Dreams are Getting Better All the Time," and "With a Hey and a Hi and a Ho-Ho-Ho."

But his most famous work was the theme to "The Addams Family," a tune accented by finger snaps and opening with the cleverly quirky lyrics: "They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're altogether ooky: the Addams family." Mizzy sang the song himself and overdubbed it three times to give the impression of multiple vocalists. He also directed the title sequence where he asked actors who played members of the Addams family to snap their fingers in a bored way.

The enduring tune is often heard during sports game to rally the home team. "He was smart enough to demand to own the song, which was unheard of at the time. So any time you go to a Lakers game and they play that song, he made money," Wolfson said.

Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Mizzy learned to play the piano as a child. In his teens, he teamed up with Irving Taylor and began writing songs and sketches for variety shows. They won a pair of radio contests and toured the East Coast vaudeville circuit. While served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, the pair wrote several hit songs, including "Three Little Sisters" and "Take It Easy." Mizzy later composed and wrote songs for television and film, most recently a song for "Spiderman 2" which ended up on the DVD version of the movie. He is survived by a brother, daughter and two grandchildren.

In addition to the theme to "F-Troop," these two ditties were personal favorites of mine.

As a child, they were belted out with the help of a few boisterous friends. Later, as a teen,

a revival might occur from time to time when said vocalists were aided by their friend "Herb."

The Addams Family

They're creepy and they're kooky,

Mysterious and spooky,

They're all together ooky,

The Addams Family.

Their house is a museum

Where people come to see 'em

They really are a scream

The Addams Family.

(Neat)

(Sweet)

(Petite)

So get a witches shawl on

A broomstick you can crawl on

We're gonna pay a call on

The Addams Family.

Green Acres

Green acres is the place to be

Farm living is the life for me

Land spreading out,

so far and wide

Keep Manhattan,

just give me that countryside.

New York

is where I'd rather stay

I get allergic smelling hay

I just adore a penthouse view

Darling, I love you,

but give me Park Avenue.

The Chores

The Stores

Fresh air

Times Square

You are my wife. Goodbye city life.

Green Acres, we are there!

Edited October 20, 2009 by sonnymax

[RDK]

Lots of terrific, often wonderfully kitschy soundtracks.

RIP

[billyboy]

Thanks for posting this, I missed it. He also wrote the score for a couple Don Knotts films, especially 'The Ghost and Mr. Chicken.'

[AllenLowe]

time to write a Theme For Arnold -