Emmy-Winning Composer Morton Stevens Dies

Composer Morton Stevens, whose “Hawaii Five-O” theme is among the best-known in television history, died Monday at his home in Encino. The Emmy winner was 62 and lost a battle to pancreatic cancer.

Stevens, longtime musical director for Sammy Davis Jr., won two Emmys, in 1970 and 1974, for scores of “Hawaii Five-O” the long-running crime melodrama that starred Jack Lord.

A native of New Jersey, he was a 1950 graduate of the Juilliard School and began writing arrangements for Davis within a few years.

He also was nominated for Emmys for scores from such shows as “Police Woman” and “Gunsmoke.” His film writing included “Hardly Working,” “The Spy With My Face” and “Smorgasbord.” Most recently he had been arranging for John Williams and the Boston Pops and had been musical director for the concert tour of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Liza Minnelli and Davis.

Survivors include his wife, Annie, a son, a daughter, a brother and a grandson. A memorial service is scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Stephen S. Wise Temple in Los Angeles.