Robert Drasnin, ‘Twilight Zone’ Composer, Dies at 87

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Variety

Jon Burlingame

Robert Drasnin, composer of “The Kremlin Letter” and many classic TV shows including “Twilight Zone,” “The Man From U.N.C.L.E.” and “Mission: Impossible,” died Wednesday, May 13, at Providence Tarzana Medical Center. He was 87. Death was due to complications from a recent fall.

Drasnin, whose credits also include scores for “The Wild Wild West,” “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour,” “Lost in Space,” “Police Story” and “Hawaii Five-0,” served as director of music for CBS Television from 1977 to 1991.

He was born Nov. 17, 1927, in Charleston, W.Va., but lived in Southern California from 1938. He majored in music at UCLA, receiving his B.A. in 1949, and was soon on the road playing saxophone, clarinet and flute for bandleaders Skinnay Ennis and Les Brown.

After Army service during the Korean War, he returned to UCLA as a graduate student and became associate conductor of the UCLA Symphony. During the 1950s he also played with the Tommy Dorsey orchestra and Red Norvo’s quintet.

FULL story at link. His site: http://www.robertdrasnin.net/



COURTESY FAMILY OF BOB DRASNIN

Read more: http://variety.com/2015/music/news/robert-drasnin-dead-dies-twilight-zone-voodoo-1201497751/

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Marta is a huge “The Wild Wild West” Fan. We are both huge TZ fans.

http://www.steveandmarta.com/graveyards/tzcon2002.htm

http://www.steveandmarta.com/tzcon2004.htm

http://www.steveandmarta.com/ntz1.htm

[shenmue]

1. Rest in peace

[dhill926]

2. sad news....

took a film scoring class with him a few years back. Great teacher, very supportive yet kept it real. And a wonderful gentleman. Another great talent gone....

[DFW]

3. Not to detract from the man's credits, but.......

The theme from "Mission: Impossible" was composed by Lalo Schifrin, not Bob Drasnin.

I knew that one already, didn't bother to research the rest.

[Omaha Steve]

4. Correct

John Williams wrote the "Lost in Space " theme. He did other music on these shows besides the theme music.

[displacedtexan]

10. I thought Schifrin wrote The Man From UNCLE theme.

Will consult imdb after coffee.

I still get a kick out of the TZ theme song. It's my ring tone for my batsh#t crazy wingnut niece in Texas.

[DFW]

11. Jerry Goldsmith wrote the theme to the Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Schifrin did some of the show's music. A lot of the contemporary composers did music for various episodes of the various shows, which might have led to some confusion as to who did the actual theme, as opposed to who did music for the individual episodes along the way.

[NBachers]

5. I watch Alfred Hitchcock on Netflix. I've often thought how appropriate & clever the theme song is.

[PosterChild]

6. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents theme is...

A piece by Charles Gounod - Funeral March of a Marionette

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Funeral_March_of_a_Marionette

the theme music appeared in five versions by as many arrangers: in 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963, and 1964 ‒ the last version being arranged by Bernard Herrmann, who transposed the piece up a third.[7]

[NBachers]

7. Very interesting! Thank you for this information.

[In_The_Wind]

8. Rest in peace

[longship]

9. Here is the TZ theme.

I hope I got it right.

[HomerRamone]

12. Marius Constant wrote that

And Bernard Herrmann wrote the first season's theme. Perhaps this Drasnin wrote some incidental music...