Goodbye, Earle Hagen

Posted by Sarah Canice Funke May 31, 2008

Earle Hagen created many television worlds: the whistling town of Mayberry from The Andy Griffith Show, the cheerful and playful Dick Van Dyke Show and the intense if campy underworld of The Mod Squad. In all, he composed music for over 3,000 television episodes, plots or TV movies.

The quick turnaround and pressing deadlines of TV may be stifling to some, but Hagen enjoyed the creativity of composing for the small screen. He enjoyed being able to hear freshly composed music mere days after putting it to paper. He often tried to incorporate "exotic" or "ethnic" sounds in the music, chosen to reflect the adventures of the characters. Once, he hired Greek musicians for episodes that took place in Greece.

Hagen's talent in composing for television was recognized in 1968, when he won an Emmy for the adventure series I Spy, which starred Bill Cosby.

Yet TV was not Hagen's only claim to fame. Born in 1919, this TV music composer was a man of very diverse talents. Hagen also played trombone with the likes of jazz legends Benny Goodman and Tommy Dorsey and composed the classic Harlem Nocturne (1939).

In addition, Hagen was one of the first to write a textbook on composing film music.

He had been suffering from ill health for several months when he passed away in his home in Rancho Mirage, California on Monday, May 26. His memorial service will be held on June 1, 2008.

For further information, please read the CBC News article or the Earle Hagen website.