February 26, 2020

SATURDAY MORNING MASTERS: HOYT CURTIN


HOYT CURTIN
(September 9, 1922-December 3, 2000)

Notable Roles: Composer, music producer, musical director

Curtin was always musically inclined. He began playing piano at age 5, and in high school had his own orchestra while playing in a jazz band. After serving in the Navy during WWII, Curtin studied music at the University of Southern California on the G.I. Bill. Initially he wanted to be a composer and arranger for movies, but found himself instead being highly-demanded in the field of radio and television commercials due to his ability to write quick and memorable jingles. He did manage to do some theater work, scoring music for a variety of animated theatrical shorts such as Mr. Magoo and Tom and Jerry and some minor movies like Mesa of Lost Women and Jailbait. He met William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1957 while they were working on a commercial for Schlitz beer. At the same time, Hanna and Barbera were working on their first independent television series for their new studio, Hanna-Barbera Productions, after having lost their jobs when MGM shut down their animation division. Needing a theme song for The Ruff & Reddy Show, they provided Curtin with their lyrics and 5 minutes later he provided them with the song. They signed him right then and there. Curtin would serve as their primary composer, producer, and musical director for most of his tenure. Hanna-Barbera would contact Curtin with the description of the shows in production, and he would proceed to write the songs, hire the musicians, book and conduct the orchestra. There would be times when Curtin was single-handedly writing and recording the scores for up to 9 series at a time. Curtin retired in 1992, turning to his love of gadgets to invent and license a design for an underground lawn sprinkler. In 1995, Rhino Records attempted to put together a tribute album in his honor featuring the various songs he had composed over the years. Unfortunately, due to the methodology Curtin employed in making his music, there were hardly any masters of the songs he composed; existing only on the actual film stock. Curtin died in 2000 after a brief hospitalization.


Saturday Credits:
The Ruff & Reddy Show
Linus! The Lion Hearted
The Atom Ant Show
Wacky Races
Josie and the Pussycats
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show
The Roman Holidays
The New Scooby-Doo Movies
The Amazing Chan and the Chan Clan
Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space
The Addams Family (1973)
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie (episodes)
Speed Buggy
Jeannie
Super Friends
Inch High, Private Eye
Goober and the Ghost Chasers
Yogi’s Gang
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kids
Partridge Family 2200 AD
Valley of the Dinosaurs
Wheelie and the Chopper Bunch
Korg: 70,000 B.C.
Hong Kong Phooey
These Are the Days
Devlin
The Great Grape Ape Show
The New Tom & Jerry Show
Clue Club
Jabberjaw
The Skatebirds
Dynomutt, Dog Wonder
The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour
The Mumbly Cartoon Show
CB Bears
The All-New Super Friends Hour
Scooby’s Laff-A-Lympics
Captain Caveman and the Teen Angels
Yogi’s Space Race
Galaxy Goof-Ups
Buford and the Galloping Ghost
Jana of the Jungle
Challenge of the Superfriends
Dinky Dog
Godzilla (1978)
The World’s Greatest Superfriends
The Super Globetrotters
Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo (1979)
Casper and the Angels
The All-New Popeye Hour
Drak Pack
The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show
The Flintstone’s Comedy Show
The Kwicky Koala Show
Space Stars
Laverne & Shirley in the Army
The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang
Trollkins
The Smurfs
Superfriends (1981)
The Little Rascals (1982)
The Gary Coleman Show
Shirt Tales
The Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo Puppy Hour
Mork & Mindy/Laverne & Shirley/Fonz Hour
Pac-Man
The Dukes
The New Scooby and Scrappy-Doo Show
The Biskitts
Benji, Zax & the Alien Prince
Challenge of the GoBots
Snorks
SuperFriends: The Legendary Super Powers Show
The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries
The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians
Galtar and the Golden Lance
The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo
Wildfire (1986)
Yogi’s Treasure Hunt
Popeye and Son
Foofur
Pound Puppies (1986)
The Flintstone Kids

No comments: