Gerald Fried

Composer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his two-hour interview, composer Gerald Fried (1928-2023) talks about his early work on Stanley Kubrick's first films, including his pulsating score for The Killing. Fried then discusses his work as a composer for television at Revue Studios. He describes composing for series Gilligan's Island (including one episode where he had musicians blow into bottles to simulate sea shell instruments) and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (including an episode entirely done with kazoos). He details his work on the classic science fiction series Star Trek, and discusses his scores for such classic episodes as "Shore Leave" and "Amok Time." He also recalls work for television movies and miniseries, including Roots, for which he composed the main theme and several character themes. Karen Herman conducted the interview on June 26, 2003 in Santa Fe, NM.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"You see a scene and you say, how could music help here?  Should there be music here?  And if so, what should the music do?"

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Gerald Fried on the kazoos for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
00:49
Gerald Fried on how he got the job composing for Roots
01:52
Gerald Fried on taking chances when composing for Star Trek
01:31
Gerald Fried on using bottles to sound like seashells for the music for Gilligan's Island
00:18
Gerald Fried on the highlight of his career
00:22
Gerald Fried on advice to aspiring composers
00:43
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his childhood and early influences; on music in his family and playing the oboe; on his musical influences when he was growing up; on attending Juilliard
On his first professional job - with the Dallas Symphony; on scoring for film - a Stanley Kubrick movie; on how he learned film scoring by watching movies; on his style
On his early memories of television; on films that he scored - mostly monster movies; on how he got jobs; on composing for M Squad, Shotgun Slade, and Riverboat; on overcoming writer's block
On conducting his scores for film and television; on working with musicians; on composing for TV shows Ben Casey, Slattery's People and Gilligan's Island

Chapter 2

On working on the music for Gilligan's Island and the show's reunion specials
On the music and kazoos for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.; on taking chances when composing for Ben Casey; on blacklisted musicians
On working on the music for various National Geographic specials; on the music and theme for It's About Time and Mr. Fantastic
On his work on Star Trek (including his work on the episodes "Shore Leave", "Cat's Paw", "Amok Time", and "The Paradise Syndrome"); on getting royalty checks from The Simpsons for quoting his music from Star Trek's "Amok Time" for Bart's anger scenes; on "Spock's theme" for Star Trek; on interacting with the cast; on attending Star Trek conventions
On working on the music for Lost in Space

Chapter 3

On composing for Lost in Space and feature films; on composing for Robert Aldrich movies; on composing for "The Bell Jar" and TV shows Police Woman, Medical Story, Emergency, and Executive Suite
On composing the main theme and character themes for Roots; on the legacy of the miniseries
On working on incidental music on Dynasty; on using videotapes to help compose; on being asked to imitate other composers
On composing for made-for-TV movies, including The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd and The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel; on loving the Appalachian sound; on the "Gauguin" TV movies, "Murder is Easy", TV series Embassy, and other television movies
On composing for "Mathnet" on children's series Square One TV; on music for the documentary "The Secret Life of 118 Green Street"

Chapter 4

On working on Roots: The Next Generations and scoring the theme to different decades; on composing for miniseries "The Rebels", "The Seekers"; on the Disney documentary "A Gift of Time"; on "Freedom", and miniseries "Mystic Warrior"
On working with Stan Margulies and David Wolper; on censorship in his music; on then-current projects; on how film composing has changed over the years; on composing for the Stanley Kubrick film "Paths of Glory"; on the role of music in a TV score
On the business side of television music; on the highlight of his career; on advice to aspiring composers; on his longevity in the music business
B-roll photos from Roots, Flamingo Road, and other projects on which he's worked; on demonstrations of some of his compositions from Star Trek
Shows

Ben Casey

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Gerald Fried on composing music for TV shows Ben Casey, Slattery's People and Gilligan's Island
01:10
Gerald Fried on working on the music for an episode of Ben Casey featuring Ricardo Montalban
00:54

Dynasty

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Gerald Fried on composing for Dynasty
02:14

Emergency!

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Gerald Fried on composing for Emergency
00:22

Executive Suite

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Gerald Fried on composing for Executive Suite
00:26

Gilligan's Island

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Gerald Fried on feeling typecast at studios after composing for specific shows
00:13
Gerald Fried on composing music for TV shows Ben Casey, Slattery's People and Gilligan's Island
01:10
Gerald Fried on working on the incidental music for Gilligan's Island
04:47

It's About Time

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Gerald Fried on working on the music and theme for It's About Time
01:45

Lost in Space

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Gerald Fried on composing for a few episodes of Lost in Space
00:39

M Squad

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Gerald Fried on his first job in television, for M Squad
01:54

Man From U.N.C.L.E., The

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Gerald Fried on feeling typecast at studios after composing for specific shows
00:36
Gerald Fried on working on the music (including kazoos) for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
02:23
Gerald Fried on he enjoyed writing for the locations on The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
00:23

Medical Story

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Gerald Fried on composing for Medical Story
07:22

National Geographic Specials

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Gerald Fried on working on the music for various National Geographic specials
01:49

Police Woman

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Gerald Fried on composing for Police Woman
00:35

Riverboat

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Gerald Fried on composing music for the TV show Riverboat
00:14

Roots

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Gerald Fried on using a lot of folk music in his scores, as in the music for Roots
00:25
Gerald Fried on composing for Roots
06:28
Gerald Fried on a photo from Roots
00:14
Gerald Fried on a photo from Roots
00:15

Roots: The Next Generations

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Gerald Fried on working on Roots: The Next Generations and scoring the theme to different decades
01:25

Shotgun Slade

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Gerald Fried on his first job in television, for M Squad and being put on staff at the studio with John Williams to then work on Shotgun Slade
01:54

Simpsons, The

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Gerald Fried on getting royalty checks from The Simpsons for quoting his music from Star Trek's "Amok Time" for Bart's anger scenes
00:32

Slattery's People

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Gerald Fried on composing music for TV shows Ben Casey, Slattery's People and Gilligan's Island
01:10

Square One TV

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Gerald Fried on composing for "Mathnet" on Square One TV
01:31

Star Trek

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Gerald Fried on his work on Star Trek (including his work on the episodes "Shore Leave", "Cat's Paw", "Amok Time", "The Paradise Syndrome")
14:03
Gerald Fried on demonstrations of some of his compositions from Star Trek
03:08
Topics

Censorship / Standards & Practices

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Gerald Fried on censorship in his music
00:44

Characters & Catchphrases

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Gerald Fried on working on the theme for It's About Time
00:27
Gerald Fried on "Spock's theme" for Star Trek
01:09

Emmy Awards

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Gerald Fried on winning an Emmy for the main theme for Roots
00:19

Hollywood Blacklist

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Gerald Fried on blacklisted musicians
01:43

Pop Culture

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Gerald Fried on his first job in television, for M Squad and being put on staff at the studio with John Williams to then work on Shotgun Slade
01:54
Gerald Fried on working on the theme for It's About Time
00:27
Gerald Fried on "Spock's theme" for Star Trek
01:09
Gerald Fried on composing music for the characters of Roots
00:42
Gerald Fried on composing the main theme for Roots
00:45

TV Theme Songs

View Topic
Gerald Fried on his first job in television, for M Squad and being put on staff at the studio with John Williams to then work on Shotgun Slade
01:54
Gerald Fried on "Spock's theme" for Star Trek
01:09
Gerald Fried on composing music for the characters of Roots
00:42
Gerald Fried on composing the main theme for Roots
00:45

Technological Innovation

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Gerald Fried on using videotapes to help compose
00:28
Gerald Fried on the business side of television music and how the Internet has affected it
00:14

Television Industry

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Gerald Fried on blacklisted musicians
01:43
Gerald Fried on censorship in his music
00:44
Gerald Fried on the business side of television music
02:20
Professions

Composer

View Profession
Gerald Fried on his musical influences when he was growing up
01:15
Gerald Fried on what he learned attending Juilliard
02:13
Gerald Fried on conducting his scores for film and television
02:09
Genres

Children's Programming

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Gerald Fried on composing for "Mathnet" on children's show Square One TV
01:31

News and Documentary

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Gerald Fried on working on the music for various National Geographic specials and the composing of music for documentaries in general
01:49

Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series

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Gerald Fried on his work on Star Trek (including his work on the episodes "Shore Leave", "Cat's Paw", "Amok Time", "The Paradise Syndrome")
13:45
Gerald Fried on demonstrations of some of his compositions from Star Trek
03:08

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

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Gerald Fried composing for made-for-TV movies, including The Ordeal of Dr. Mudd and The Incredible Journey of Doctor Meg Laurel
04:14
People

David L. Wolper

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Gerald Fried on composing for David Wolper's documentary, "Bees Do It, Birds Do It"
00:28
Gerald Fried on composing for Roots
02:32
Gerald Fried on working with Stan Margulies and David L. Wolper
00:46
Gerald Fried on a photo with David L. Wolper and others
00:19

Gene Roddenberry

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Gerald Fried on taking chances when composing for Star Trek
01:31

John Williams

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Gerald Fried on fellow composer John Williams
00:11
Gerald Fried on his first job in television, for M Squad and being put on staff at the studio with John Williams to then work on Shotgun Slade
01:54

Leonard Nimoy

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Gerald Fried on Leonard Nimoy
00:30

Quincy Jones

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Gerald Fried on composing for Roots
02:32

Robert Aldrich

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Gerald Fried on composing for Robert Aldrich movies including The Killing of Sister George and Whatever Happened to Aunt Alice?
01:02

Robert Justman

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Gerald Fried on taking chances when composing for Star Trek
01:31
Gerald Fried on working closely with Bob Justman and taking chances when composing for Star Trek
00:39

Sal Mineo

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Gerald Fried on scoring the film "Dino" starring Sal Mineo
00:14

Sherwood Schwartz

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Gerald Fried on working on the music for Gilligan's Island
04:47
Gerald Fried on working on the music and theme for It's About Time
01:45

Stan Margulies

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Gerald Fried on composing for Roots
02:32
Gerald Fried on working on Roots: The Next Generations and scoring the theme to different decades
01:25
Gerald Fried on working with Stan Margulies and David Wolper
00:46

Stanley Kubrick

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Gerald Fried on scoring for film - a Stanley Kubrick movie
01:33
Gerald Fried on scoring for Stanley Kubrick movies
01:03
Gerald Fried on composing for the Stanley Kubrick film "Paths of Glory"
01:42
Gerald Fried on a photo with musicians from a Stanley Kubrick movie
00:25

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