ASCAP mourns the loss of Vic Mizzy, the composer of such beloved TV themes as The Addams Family and Green Acres. Mr. Mizzy passed away on October 17th of natural causes. He was 93.
Though he gained widespread fame from his classic sitcom themes, Mizzy started out as a songwriter, writing chart hits for Doris Day, the Andrews Sisters, Guy Lombardo's band and many others from the late 30s through the 50s. He transitioned into a prolific film scoring career in the 60s, with music for The Night Walker and The Busy Body for William Castle, five Don Knotts vehicles (including The Ghost and Mr. Chicken and The Reluctant Astronaut) and the California satire Don't Make Waves, all completed between 1964 and 1968.
Composer Marc Shaiman, who adapted Mizzy's music in two Addams Family movies in the early 1990s, had this to say about the show's famous finger-snapping theme: "If it hadn't been for Vic Mizzy, and his theme - which is one of the strongest examples of how music and lyrics can make something timeless - no one would have thought to make a movie of this TV show two generations later. So here's to Vic Mizzy!"
Mizzy lives on eternally through his iconic music. He will be missed.
For a more comprehensive overview of Vic Mizzy's life and work, read this article at the Film Music Society's website, written by film music expert Jon Burlingame
