Composer Vic Mizzy died 17 October 2009. Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1916, he will be best remembered for his theme to The Addams Family, which first appeared in the television show, and then followed the family into animation and eventually feature films.
Mizzy learned to play the piano as a child. When he was 14, Mizzy met lyricist Irving Taylor, and the two began a long collaboration, writing for variety shows and performing on the vaudeville circuit. The two served together in the US Navy during World War II, and continued writing songs, including hits like “Three Little Sisters” and “Take It Easy”. After the war, Mizzy continued writing, and some of his songs were recorded by the likes of Perry Como, Doris Day, Billie Holiday, and Dean Martin.
His first credited film appearance seems to be “Three Little Sisters” in 1942’s Private Buckaroo. He began composing and conducting for film and television in the 1960s. His genre films include The Night Walker (1964), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), and The Spirit is Willing (1967). In addition to all the Addams Family incarnations, Mizzy was also responsible for Green Acres.
Annoucing Mizzy’s death, manager Jonathan Wolfson said of The Addams Family “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.” In addition to writing and owning it, Mizzy also performed it. Producer Filmways was unwilling to pay for singers for the theme, so Mizzy sang it himself, overdubbing himself three times to sound like multiple vocalists. He also directed the television cast’s finger-snapping to accompany the song.
Mizzy is survived by a brother, a daughter, and two grandchildren.