Irving Gertz
Irving Gertz (May 19, 1915 – November 14, 2008) was an American composer recognized for his compositions for many fantasy and horror B-movies and TV series of the 1950s and 1960s.
Irving Gertz
- Name
- Irving Gertz
- Born
- 19 May 1915
- Birthplace
- Providence, Rhode Island, US
- Died
- 14 November 2008
- Place of death
- Los Angeles, California, US
- Known for
- Horror composor
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- composer · musician
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Irving Gertz (May 19, 1915 – November 14, 2008) was an American composer recognized for his compositions for many fantasy and horror B-movies and TV series of the 1950s and 1960s.
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wikidata · Q1673273 · wikipedia · Irving Gertz
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Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Irving Gertz • Born — 19 May 1915 • Birthplace — Providence, Rhode Island, US • Died — 14 November 2008 • Place of death — Los Angeles, California, US • Known for — Horror composor • Children — 2
Biography
Biography
Gertz was born on May 19, 1915, in Providence, Rhode Island, and played the clarinet, piano, string bass and tuba as a youth, and attended the Providence College of Music. Gertz studied composition privately with composer and music theorist Walter Piston. He was hired by Columbia Pictures in 1938, but left to serve in the United States Army Signal Corps during World War II. After his military service, he studied with composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco.
Filmography
Filmography
Amongst his most recognized works are the music for the westerns Top Gun (1955) and Badman's Country (1958), and many horror films (often uncredited), such as The Alligator People (1959), Curse of the Undead (1959) and The Leech Woman (1960). His later film scores included Hell Bent for Leather (1960), Young Jesse James (1960), Marines, Let's Go (1961), The Fiercest Heart (1961), He Rides Tall (1964), Fluffy (1965) and Nobody's Perfect (1968). In addition to his work with film, Gertz also worked on the popular 20th Century Fox TV series Daniel Boone, Land of the Giants and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. He also worked on a single Warner Bros. cartoon Daffy Rents in 1966, filling in for regular composer William Lava.
Retirement
Retirement
Gertz retired from film and television scoring in 1968.
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Providence.
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Los Angeles.
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reference work
- “Irving Gertz”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q1673273: Irving Gertz
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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