His name was Earle H. Hagen. Many may not recognize the name, but they do recognize his whistle. Hagen was the Emmy-winning composer who not only wrote, but also whistled along with the music for the Andy Griffith Show. Hagen passed away at his home in Rancho Mirage, California Monday night at the age of 88.
Hagen was a sought after composer and he wrote many other TV theme songs, aside from the 1960’s Andy Griffith Show. The list of credits is long and impressive. Hagen wrote the themes for such shows as That Girl, Mod Squad, I Spy, Dick Van Dyke and Gomer Pyle. As already mentioned, Hagen was an Emmy-winning composer, but he was also nominated for an Academy Award. That nomination came for the best music score for the 1960 Marilyn Monroe movie Let’s Make Love. He also co-wrote the jazz standard Harlem Nocturne.
According to a spokesperson for the family Earle Hagen had been in poor health for several months before dying this week. As I said, while his name may not be well-known, his TV theme songs are certainly part of the entertainment history world. So once again, we say rest in peace, and let’s all watch some of those classic TV shows this weekend to honor a great composer who whistled his way to fame.
Enjoy the show!
Dr. Rus
Dr. Rus has 30+ years experience in the field of communication. He takes this experience, and his passion to encourage others to positively effect their environment, when providing insight and movie reviews. 
