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Irving Gertz dies at 93; composer for sci-fi films, TV series
LA Times ^ | 7:01 PM PST, November 19, 2008 | By Dennis McLellan

Posted on 11/21/2008 10:30:55 AM PST by weegee

Irving Gertz, a film and television composer who contributed music to 1950s science-fiction films such as "It Came From Outer Space" and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and to 1960s TV series such as "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," has died. He was 93.

Gertz died Friday at his home in West Los Angeles, said David Schecter, a record producer and film-music historian who was a close friend. No specific cause of death was given.

From the late 1940s to the late '60s, Gertz wrote music for about 200 movies and television episodes. Among his film credits are "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy," "Francis Joins the WACS," "The Alligator People," "The Monolith Monsters," "The Creature Walks Among Us," "Overland Pacific," "To Hell and Back," "The Thing That Couldn't Die" and "Flaming Star."

Among his TV credits were "Daniel Boone," "The Invaders," "Land of the Giants," "Peyton Place" and "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea."

...most of the work Gertz did at Universal-International in the 1950s was uncredited.

As was customary at the time, he said, the studio used multiple composers on the same picture, such as Henry Mancini, Hans Salter and Herman Stein, but only the head of the music department received screen credit.

Gertz also composed concert works, including "Boutade for Orchestra," "Leaves of Grass," "Liberty! Liberte!" and "Salute to All Nations."

...With his fledgling career in Hollywood put on hold by World War II, he served as an artillery gunner and then as an officer in the Army Signal Corps.

(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...


TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Music/Entertainment; TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: 2008obituaries; obituary; veteran

1 posted on 11/21/2008 10:30:55 AM PST by weegee
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To: weegee

The love theme from “The Alligator People” will live forever!


2 posted on 11/21/2008 10:33:13 AM PST by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: Deb

We danced to that at my wedding.


3 posted on 11/21/2008 10:34:29 AM PST by AppyPappy (If you aren't part of the solution, there is good money to be made prolonging the problem.)
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To: AppyPappy

We all did.


4 posted on 11/21/2008 10:35:29 AM PST by Deb (Beat him, strip him and bring him to my tent!)
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To: weegee

Sounds like a possible lefty with a composition called “Salute to All Nations.”

Sounds like a One Worlder or UN fanboy to me.


5 posted on 11/21/2008 10:51:16 AM PST by Frantzie
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