Hoyt Curtin
Curtin composed many of the theme songs for Hanna-Barbera's cartoons, including The Flintstones, The Jetsons, The Huckleberry Hound Show, The Yogi Bear Show, Quick Draw McGraw, Top Cat, Jonny Quest, Space Ghost, Super Friends, Josie and the Pussycats, The Smurfs, and The New Scooby-Doo Movies. In 1960, Curtin also started composing the incidental music for many Hanna-Barbera animated series.
During his five decade career, Curtin wrote, conducted and produced thousands of unique theme songs, musical cues and libraries of incidental music used during the production of animated cartoon shows. For instance, there are currently 2,047 of his compositions still registered with BMI and 1,102 of his compositions still registered with ASCAP.
Curtin's experience in advertising jingle writing honed his work in creating animation show theme songs. He said "In a commercial you have one minute, or forty seconds, to sell the product. Therefore every single note has got to mean something, and has got to do something. And that’s exactly how I approached one-minute main titles: it was to sell the show".
Hanna-Barbera's co-founder Joseph Barbera said of Curtin "Few people ever have the chance to work with a genius. All of us at Hanna-Barbera who worked with Hoyt are among those few". Hanna-Barbera creative director Bill Burnett praised Curtin's work, saying "Music is so fundamentally important to cartoons. Hoyt (was) one of the two giants of cartoon music. (Burnett cited Warner Bros.' Carl Stalling as the other.) What Hoyt does is absolutely smokin', the greatest pieces of cartoon pastiches that have ever been created".
In 2002, Jean MacCurdy, then president of Warner Bros. Animation, said "Hoyt was the king of jingle-making. His strong suit was coming up with the themes that almost anyone on the street could sing at the drop of a hat. He was really quite remarkable".
Composer John Debney said of Curtin, "Hoyt was a jazzer, he was a keyboard player for one of the big bands and he was in the service. That's why his music sounds the way it does, he always loved those jazz chords, and they're fabulous."
Curtin was also an inventor who was granted six US patents for his novel designs of pipe couplings from 1974 through 1981.
Biography from the Wikipedia article Hoyt Curtin. Licensed under CC-BY-SA. Full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Part of Crew
Recently Updated Shows
NCIS
NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant, whose skills as an investigator are unmatched, leads this troupe of colorful personalities. Rounding out the team are Anthony DiNozzo, an ex-homicide detective whose instincts in the field are unparalleled and whose quick wit and humorous take on life make him a team favorite; the youthful and energetic forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, a talented scientist whose sharp mind matches her Goth style and eclectic tastes; Caitlin Todd, an ex-Secret Service Agent; and Timothy McGee, an MIT graduate whose brilliance with computers far overshadows his insecurities in the field; Assisting the team is medical examiner Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard, who knows it all because he's seen it all, and he's not afraid to let you know. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, these special agents travel the globe to investigate all crimes with Navy or Marine Corps ties.
Landman
Set in the proverbial boomtowns of West Texas, Landman is a modern day tale of fortune seeking in the world of oil rigs. The series is an upstairs/downstairs story of roughnecks and wildcat billionaires fueling a boom so big, it's reshaping our climate, our economy and our geopolitics.
The Creep Tapes
Based on a collection of videotapes in the secret vault of the world's deadliest and most socially uncomfortable serial killer, who hires his victims to film him for the day under false pretenses, each episode exposes a new victim from one of the fabled 'Creep Tapes'.
America's Funniest Home Videos
ABC's longest-running primetime entertainment show, America's Funniest Home Videos, returns for season 36 this fall with the same mission -- giving families something genuinely funny to enjoy together on Sunday nights.
"AFV," the longest-running primetime entertainment show in ABC history, returns for season 36 with the same mission - to provide viewers with hysterical moments that fly by at a dizzying pace.
The Real Housewives of Potomac
Just up the river from our nation's capital lies a hidden gem—Potomac, Maryland. Its rolling hills, gated mansions, sophisticated prep schools, and exclusive country clubs all serve to keep the area invitation-only. Sprinkled throughout this community are a handful of old-line, wealthy African-American families who have historically broken racial barriers to provide a life of privilege for their children. The Real Housewives of Potomac follows the upscale lives of six intriguing, well-to-do women: Gizelle Bryant, Katie Rost, Karen Huger, Charrisse Jackson-Jordan, Robyn Dixon, and Ashley Darby, all of whom have fought for their places in this society by way of legacy or marriage. In a town where entry is granted only through class, pedigree, and lineage, how far will these ladies go to secure their spot at the top of this prestigious circle?