One year ago: Vic Mizzy

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

‘They’re creepy and they’re kooky, mysterious and spooky, they’re altogether ooky: the Addams family.’

With that catchy tune from the popular sitcom ‘Addams Family,’ film and television composer Vic Mizzy, who died one year ago, was propelled into Hollywood fame.

‘I sat down; I went ‘buh-buh-buh-bump [snap-snap], buh-buh-buh-bump,’ ‘ Mizzy recalled in a 2008 interview on CBS’ ‘Sunday Morning’ show. ‘Two finger snaps and you live in Bel-Air.’

For his theme song, Mizzy played a harpsichord, which gives the theme its unique flavor. And because the production company, Filmways, refused to pay for singers, Mizzy sang it himself and overdubbed it three times.

Mizzy is also well known for writing the theme for another popular sitcom, ‘Green Acres,’ the 1965-71 rural comedy starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor.

Author Jon Burlingame described the themes for ‘The Addams Family’ and ‘Green Acres’ as ‘two of the best-remembered sitcom themes of all time.’

Before his TV composing days, Mizzy wrote popular songs such as ‘There’s a Faraway Look in Your Eye’ and ‘Pretty Kitty Blue Eyes.’ Before that, he attended New York University and served four years in the Navy during World War II.

For more on the composer, read Vic Mizzy’s obituary by The Times’ Dennis McLellan.

-- Michael Farr