Gerald Fried

Composer

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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

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

Gerald Fried on composing for Dynasty

02:14

Emergency!

Gerald Fried on composing for Emergency

00:22

Executive Suite

Gerald Fried on composing for Executive Suite

00:26

Gilligan's Island

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

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

01:45

Lost in Space

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

00:39

M Squad

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

01:54

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

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

Gerald Fried on composing for Medical Story

07:22

National Geographic Specials

Gerald Fried on working on the music for various National Geographic specials

01:49

Police Woman

Gerald Fried on composing for Police Woman

00:35

Riverboat

Gerald Fried on composing music for the TV show Riverboat

00:14

Roots

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

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

01:25

Shotgun Slade

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

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

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

01:10

Square One TV

Gerald Fried on composing for "Mathnet" on Square One TV

01:31

Star Trek

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

Gerald Fried on censorship in his music

00:44

Characters & Catchphrases

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

Gerald Fried on winning an Emmy for the main theme for Roots

00:19

Hollywood Blacklist

Gerald Fried on blacklisted musicians

01:43

Pop Culture

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

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

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

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

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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

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

01:31

News and Documentary

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

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

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