Henry Mancini
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Henry Mancini ( ; born Enrico Nicola Mancini, ; April 16, 1924 – June 14, 1994) was an American composer, conductor, arranger, pianist and flautist. Often cited as one of the greatest composers in the history of film, he won four
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
, a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of ...
, and twenty
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
, plus a posthumous
Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award is a special Grammy Award that is awarded by The Recording Academy The Recording Academy (formally the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; abbreviated NARAS) is an American learned academy of ...
in 1995. His works include the theme and soundtrack for the ''Peter Gunn'' television series as well as the music for '' The Pink Panther'' film series ("
The Pink Panther Theme "The Pink Panther Theme" is an jazz composition by Henry Mancini written as the theme for the 1963 film ''The Pink Panther'' and subsequently nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Score at the 37th Academy Awards but lost to the She ...
") and "
Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song also won the ...
" from '' Breakfast at Tiffany's''. ''
The Music from Peter Gunn ''The Music from Peter Gunn'' is a soundtrack album to the TV series ''Peter Gunn'', composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, and released in 1959 on RCA Victor. It was the first album ever to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1959. ...
'' won the inaugural
Grammy Award for Album of the Year The Grammy Award for Album of the Year is presented by the The Recording Academy, National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording ...
. Mancini enjoyed a long collaboration in composing film scores for the film director
Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...
. Mancini also scored a No. 1 hit single during the rock era on the
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100 is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), radio play, and online streaming ...
: his arrangement and recording of the " Love Theme from ''Romeo and Juliet''" spent two weeks at the top, starting with the week ending June 28, 1969.


Early life

Henry Mancini was born Enrico Nicola Mancini in the Little Italy neighborhood of
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the United States, U.S. U.S. state, state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along ...
and raised in West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, near
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
. Both his parents were Italian immigrants. Originally from Scanno, Abruzzo, his father Quintiliano "Quinto" Mancini was a laborer at the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company and amateur musician who first came to the U.S. as a teenager around 1910. His mother Anna () came to the U.S. from Forlì del Sannio as an infant. At age eight, Mancini began learning the
piccolo The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the s ...
. Mancini said that hearing Rudolph G. Kopp's score in the 1935 Cecil B. DeMille film ''
The Crusades The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
'' inspired him to pursue film music composition despite his father's wishes for him to become a teacher. He later studied piano and orchestral arrangement under Pittsburgh concert pianist and Stanley Theatre (now
Benedum Center The Benedum Center for the Performing Arts (formerly the Stanley Theatre) is a theater and concert hall located at 237 7th Street in the Cultural District of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Designed by the Philadelphia architectural firm Hoffman-Hen ...
) conductor Max Adkins. Not only did Mancini produce arrangements for the Stanley Theatre bands, but he also wrote one for
Benny Goodman Benjamin David Goodman (May 30, 1909 – June 13, 1986) was an American clarinetist and bandleader known as the "King of Swing". From 1936 until the mid-1940s, Goodman led one of the most popular swing big bands in the United States. His conc ...
, an up-and-coming bandleader introduced to him by Adkins. According to Mancini biographer John Caps, the young Mancini "preferred music arranging to any kind of musical performance, but taking apart a Chopin
mazurka The mazurka ( Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character ...
or Schumann
sonata Sonata (; Italian: , pl. ''sonate''; from Latin and Italian: ''sonare'' rchaic Italian; replaced in the modern language by ''suonare'' "to sound"), in music, literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''canta ...
in order to play it helped him see...how the puzzle of form, meter, melody, harmony, and counterpoint had been solved by previous composers." After graduating from
Aliquippa High School Aliquippa Junior/Senior High School is a public high school in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, United States. It is the only high school in the Aliquippa School District. Athletic teams compete as the Aliquippa Quips in the Western Pennsylvania Intersc ...
in 1942, Mancini first attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now
Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...
) in Pittsburgh. Later that year, Mancini transferred to the
Juilliard School of Music The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Established in 1905, the school trains about 850 undergraduate and graduate students in dance, drama, and music. It is widely regarded as one of the most el ...
in New York City following a successful audition in which he performed a
Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...
sonata and improvisation on " Night and Day" by
Cole Porter Cole Albert Porter (June 9, 1891 – October 15, 1964) was an American composer and songwriter. Many of his songs became standards noted for their witty, urbane lyrics, and many of his scores found success on Broadway and in film. Born to ...
. Because he could only take orchestration and composition courses in his second year, Mancini studied only piano in his first year at Juilliard, in a condition Caps called "aimless and oppressed—a far cry from Adkins's enabling protective environment." After turning 18, Mancini enlisted in the
United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
in 1943. While in
basic training Military recruit training, commonly known as basic training or boot camp, refers to the initial instruction of new military personnel. It is a physically and psychologically intensive process, which resocializes its subjects for the unique deman ...
in
Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.
, he met musicians being recruited by
Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the US Army Air Forc ...
. Owing to a recommendation by Miller, Mancini was first assigned to the 28th Air Force Band before being reassigned overseas to the 1306th Engineers Brigade in France. In 1945, he helped liberate the
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp Mauthausen was a Nazi concentration camp on a hill above the market town of Mauthausen (roughly east of Linz), Upper Austria. It was the main camp of a group with nearly 100 further subcamps located throughout Austria and southern German ...
in Austria.


Career

Newly discharged, Mancini entered the music industry. In 1946, he became a pianist and arranger for the newly re-formed
Glenn Miller Orchestra Glenn Miller and His Orchestra was an American swing dance band formed by Glenn Miller in 1938. Arranged around a clarinet and tenor saxophone playing melody, and three other saxophones playing harmony, the band became the most popular and com ...
, led by 'Everyman' Tex Beneke. After World War II, Mancini broadened his skills in composition, counterpoint, harmony and orchestration during studies opening with the composers Ernst Krenek and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco. In 1952, Mancini joined the Universal-International's music department. During the next six years, he contributed music to over 100 movies, most notably '' Creature from the Black Lagoon'', '' The Creature Walks Among Us'', '' It Came from Outer Space'', ''
Tarantula Tarantulas comprise a group of large and often hairy spiders of the family Theraphosidae. , 1,040 species have been identified, with 156 genera. The term "tarantula" is usually used to describe members of the family Theraphosidae, although m ...
'', '' This Island Earth'', '' The Glenn Miller Story'' (for which he received his first
Academy Award The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination), ''The Benny Goodman Story'' and
Orson Welles George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter, known for his innovative work in film, radio and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential f ...
' '' Touch of Evil''. During this time, he also wrote some popular songs. His first hit was a single by Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians titled ''I Won't Let You Out of My Heart''. Mancini left Universal-International to work as an independent composer/arranger in 1958. Soon afterward, he scored the television series ''
Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
'' for writer/producer
Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio s ...
. This was the genesis of a relationship in which Edwards and Mancini collaborated on 30 films over 35 years. Along with Alex North,
Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein ( '; April 4, 1922August 18, 2004) was an American composer and conductor. In a career that spanned over five decades, he composed "some of the most recognizable and memorable themes in Hollywood history", including over 150 origi ...
, Leith Stevens and
Johnny Mandel John Alfred Mandel (November 23, 1925June 29, 2020) was an American composer and arranger of popular songs, film music and jazz. The musicians he worked with include Count Basie, Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Anita O'Day, Barbra Streisand, Tony Benn ...
, Henry Mancini was a pioneer of the inclusion of jazz elements in the late romantic orchestral film and TV scoring prevalent at the time. Mancini's scores for Blake Edwards included '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (with the standard "
Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song also won the ...
") and '' Days of Wine and Roses'' (with the title song, " Days of Wine and Roses"), as well as ''
Experiment in Terror ''Experiment in Terror'' is a 1962 American neo-noir thriller film released by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Blake Edwards and written by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon based on their 1961 novel ''Operation Terror''. The film stars Gle ...
'', '' The Pink Panther'' (and all of its sequels), ''
The Great Race ''The Great Race'' is a 1965 American Technicolor slapstick comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood, directed by Blake Edwards, written by Arthur A. Ross (from a story by Edwards and Ross), and with music by Henry Manci ...
'', '' The Party'', '' 10'' (including "It's Easy to Say") and '' Victor Victoria''. Another director with whom Mancini had a longstanding partnership was Stanley Donen (''
Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and Au ...
'', ''
Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
'', '' Two for the Road''). Mancini also composed for
Howard Hawks Howard Winchester Hawks (May 30, 1896December 26, 1977) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter of the classic Hollywood era. Critic Leonard Maltin called him "the greatest American director who is not a household name." A ...
(''
Man's Favorite Sport? ''Man's Favorite Sport?'' is a 1964 American comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss and directed and produced by Howard Hawks. Hawks intended the film to be an homage to his own 1938 screwball classic ''Bringing Up Baby'' with Katha ...
'', '' Hatari!'' – which included the " Baby Elephant Walk"), Martin Ritt ('' The Molly Maguires''),
Vittorio de Sica Vittorio De Sica ( , ; 7 July 1901 – 13 November 1974) was an Italian film director and actor, a leading figure in the Italian neorealism, neorealist movement. Four of the films he directed won Academy Awards: ''Shoeshine (film), Sciuscià ...
(''
Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), ...
''), Norman Jewison (''
Gaily, Gaily ''Gaily, Gaily'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Chicago, Chicago'') is a 1969 American comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. It is a fictionalized adaptation of a 1963 memoir of the same name by Ben Hecht and stars Beau Bridges, Brian K ...
''),
Paul Newman Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and entrepreneur. He was the recipient of numerous awards, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, three ...
('' Sometimes a Great Notion'', '' The Glass Menagerie)'',
Stanley Kramer Stanley Earl Kramer (September 29, 1913February 19, 2001) was an American film director and producer, responsible for making many of Hollywood's most famous "message picture, message films" (he would call his movies ''heavy dramas'') and a libera ...
('' Oklahoma Crude''), George Roy Hill ('' The Great Waldo Pepper''),
Arthur Hiller Arthur Hiller, (November 22, 1923 – August 17, 2016) was a Canadian-American television and film director with over 33 films to his credit during a 50-year career. He began his career directing television in Canada and later in the U.S. By t ...
('' Silver Streak''), Ted Kotcheff ('' Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?''), and others. Mancini's score for the
Alfred Hitchcock Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
film ''
Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squa ...
'' (1972) in Bachian organ andante, for organ and an orchestra of strings was rejected and replaced by Ron Goodwin's work. Mancini scored many TV movies, including ''
The Moneychangers ''The Moneychangers'' is a 1975 novel written by Arthur Hailey. The plot revolves around the politics inside a major bank. Plot summary As the novel begins, the position of CEO of one of America's largest banks, ''First Mercantile American'', ...
'', '' The Thorn Birds'' and '' The Shadow Box''. He wrote many television themes, including '' Mr. Lucky'' (starring John Vivyan and Ross Martin), ''
NBC Mystery Movie ''The NBC Mystery Movie'' is an American television anthology series produced by Universal Pictures, that NBC broadcast from 1971 to 1977. Devoted to a rotating series of mystery episodes, it was sometimes split into two subsets broadcast on di ...
'', '' Tic Tac Dough'' (1990 version), '' Once Is Not Enough'', and '' What's Happening!!'' In the 1984–85 television season, four series featured original Mancini themes: '' Newhart'', ''
Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
'', ''
Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...
'', and '' Ripley's Believe It or Not''. Mancini also composed the "Viewer Mail" theme for ''
Late Night with David Letterman ''Late Night with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on NBC, the first iteration of the ''Late Night'' franchise. It premiered on February 1, 1982, and was produced by Letterman's production compa ...
''. Mancini composed the theme for ''NBC Nightly News'' used beginning in 1975, and a different theme by him, titled ''Salute to the President'' was used by NBC News for its election coverage (including primaries and conventions) from 1976 to 1992. ''Salute to the President'' was published only in a school-band arrangement, although Mancini performed it frequently with symphony orchestras on his concert tours. Songs with music by Mancini were staples of the
easy listening Easy listening (including mood music) is a popular music genre and radio format that was most popular during the 1950s to 1970s. It is related to middle-of-the-road (MOR) music and encompasses instrumental recordings of standards, hit songs, ...
radio format from the 1960s to the 1980s. To advertisers, Mancini's style symbolized the bright, confident, hospitable voice of bourgeois, inspired by the idealistic Kennedy-era of the 1960s. Some of the artists who have recorded Mancini songs include
Andy Williams Howard Andrew Williams (December 3, 1927 – September 25, 2012) was an American singer. He recorded 43 albums in his career, of which 15 have been gold certified and three platinum certified. He was also nominated for six Grammy Awards. He hos ...
, Paul Anka,
Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...
,
Anita Bryant Anita Jane Bryant (born March 25, 1940) is an American singer known for anti-gay activism. She scored four "Top 40" hits in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s, including " Paper Roses" which reached No. 5 on the charts. She was t ...
,
Jack Jones Jack Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *Jack Jones (American singer) (born 1938), American jazz and pop singer *Jack Jones, stage name of Australian singer Irwin Thomas (born 1971) *Jack Jones (Welsh musician) (born 1992), Welsh mu ...
,
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the " Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular entertainers of the 1940s, 1950s, and ...
,
Perry Como Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an Italian-American singer, actor and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, after signin ...
,
Connie Francis Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero (born December 12, 1937), known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
, Eydie Gorme, Steve Lawrence, Trini Lopez, George Maharis,
Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
, Jerry Vale,
Ray Conniff Joseph Raymond Conniff (November 6, 1916 – October 12, 2002) was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s. Biography Conniff was born November 6, 1916 in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United St ...
,
Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
,
The Lennon Sisters The Lennon Sisters are an American vocal group made up of four sisters. The quartet originally consisted of Dianne (aka DeeDee; born Dianne Barbara, December 1, 1939), Peggy (born Margaret Anne, April 8, 1941), Kathy (born Kathleen Mary, Augu ...
,
The Lettermen The Lettermen are an American male pop vocal trio. The Lettermen's trademark is close-harmony pop songs with light arrangements. The group started in 1959. They have had two Top 10 singles (both No. 7), 16 Top 10 singles on the Adult Contempor ...
, Herb Alpert, Eddie Cano, Frank Chacksfield,
Warren Covington Warren Covington (August 7, 1921 – August 24, 1999) was an American big band trombonist. He was active as a session musician, arranger, and bandleader throughout his career. Biography Covington, who was born in Philadelphia, played early on ...
,
Sarah Vaughan Sarah Lois Vaughan (March 27, 1924 – April 3, 1990) was an American jazz singer. Nicknamed "Sassy" and " The Divine One", she won two Grammy Awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award, and was nominated for a total of nine Grammy Award ...
, Shelly Manne, James Moody, Percy Faith, Ferrante & Teicher, Horst Jankowski, Andre Kostelanetz, Peter Nero,
Liberace Władziu Valentino Liberace (May 16, 1919 – February 4, 1987) was an American pianist, singer, and actor. A child prodigy born in Wisconsin to parents of Italian and Polish origin, he enjoyed a career spanning four decades of concerts, recordi ...
, Mantovani,
Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American retired singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. Bennett is also a painter, having created works under his birt ...
,
Julie London Julie London (née Peck; September 26, 1926 – October 18, 2000) was an American singer and actress whose career spanned more than 40 years. A torch singer noted for her sultry, languid contralto vocals, London recorded over thirty album ...
, Wayne Newton, Arthur Fiedler, Secret Agent and the Boston Pops Orchestra,
Peggy Lee Norma Deloris Egstrom (May 26, 1920 – January 21, 2002), known professionally as Peggy Lee, was an American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalis ...
, and Matt Monro. The
Anita Kerr Anita Jean Kerr (née Grilli, October 13, 1927 – October 10, 2022) was an American singer, arranger, composer, conductor, pianist, and music producer. She recorded and performed with her vocal harmony groups in Nashville, Los Angeles, and Eur ...
Quartet won a Grammy award (1965) for their album ''We Dig Mancini'', a cover of his songs. Lawrence Welk held Mancini in very high regard, and frequently featured Mancini's music on '' The Lawrence Welk Show'' (Mancini made at least two guest appearances on the show). Mancini briefly hosted his own musical variety TV show in a similar format to Welk's, ''The Mancini Generation'', which aired in syndication during the 1972–73 season. Mancini recorded over 90 albums, in styles ranging from
big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s ...
to light classical to
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...
. Eight of these albums were certified gold by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/ ...
. He had a 20-year contract with
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
, resulting in 60 commercial record albums that made him a household name among artists of easy-listening music. Mancini's earliest recordings in the 1950s and early 1960s were of the jazz idiom; with the success of ''Peter Gunn'', ''Mr. Lucky'', and ''Breakfast at Tiffany's'', Mancini shifted to recording primarily his own music in record albums and film soundtracks. (Relatively little of his music was written for recordings compared to the amount that was written for film and television.) Beginning with his 1969 hit arrangement of Nino Rota's ''A Time for Us'' (as his only ''Billboard'' Hot 100 top 10 entry, the No. 1 hit "Love Theme from ''Romeo and Juliet''") and its accompanying album ''A Warm Shade of Ivory'', Mancini began to function more as a piano soloist and easy-listening artist recording music primarily written by other people. In this period, for two of his best-selling albums he was joined by trumpet virtuoso and '' The Tonight Show'' bandleader
Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) ...
. Among Mancini's orchestral scores are (''Lifeforce'', ''
The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (also known as ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' for its 1992 theatrical re-release and ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produc ...
'', ''Sunflower'', ''Tom and Jerry: The Movie'', ''Molly Maguires'', ''
The Hawaiians Hawaiians are the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiians or The Hawaiians may also refer to: * The Hawaiians (WFL) The Hawaiians were a professional American football team based in Honolulu that played in the World Football Lea ...
''), and darker themes (''Experiment in Terror'', ''The White Dawn'', ''Wait Until Dark'', ''The Night Visitor''). Mancini was also a concert performer, conducting over fifty engagements per year, resulting in over 600 symphony performances during his lifetime. He conducted nearly all of the leading symphony orchestras of the world, including the
London Symphony Orchestra The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London. Founded in 1904, the LSO is the oldest of London's orchestras, symphony orchestras. The LSO was created by a group of players who left Henry Wood's Queen's ...
, the
Israel Philharmonic The Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (abbreviation IPO; Hebrew: התזמורת הפילהרמונית הישראלית, ''ha-Tizmoret ha-Filharmonit ha-Yisra'elit'') is an Israeli symphony orchestra based in Tel Aviv. Its principal concert venue ...
, the Boston Pops, the
Los Angeles Philharmonic The Los Angeles Philharmonic, commonly referred to as the LA Phil, is an American orchestra based in Los Angeles, California. It has a regular season of concerts from October through June at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, and a summer season at th ...
and the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO) is a British symphony orchestra based in London, that performs and produces primarily classic works. The RPO was established by Thomas Beecham in 1946. In its early days, the orchestra secured profitable ...
. One of his favorites was the
Minnesota Orchestra The Minnesota Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Founded originally as the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra plays most of its concerts at Minneapolis's Orchestra Hall. History Em ...
, where he debuted the ''Thorn Birds Suite'' in June 1983. He appeared in 1966, 1980 and 1984 in command performances for the British Royal Family. He also toured several times with Johnny Mathis and also with Andy Williams, who had both sung many of Mancini's songs; Mathis and Mancini collaborated on the 1986 album ''The Hollywood Musicals''. In 1987 he conducted an impromptu charity concert in London in aid of Children In Need. The concert included Tchaikovsky's ''
1812 Overture ''The Year 1812, Solemn Overture'', Op. 49, popularly known as the ''1812 Overture'', is a concert overture in E major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to commemorate the successful Russian defense against Napoleon I ...
'' with firework accompaniment over the
River Thames The River Thames ( ), known alternatively in parts as the The Isis, River Isis, is a river that flows through southern England including London. At , it is the longest river entirely in England and the Longest rivers of the United Kingdom, se ...
.


Cameos

Shortly before his death in 1994, he made a one-off cameo appearance in the first season of the sitcom series ''
Frasier ''Frasier'' () is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for 11 seasons. It premiered on September 16, 1993, and ended on May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee (as Grub ...
'', as a call-in patient to Dr. Frasier Crane's radio show. Mancini voiced the character Al, who speaks with a melancholy drawl and hates the sound of his own voice, in the episode "Guess Who's Coming to Breakfast?" Moments after Mancini's cameo ends, Frasier's radio broadcast plays "Moon River". Mancini also had an uncredited performance as a pianist in the 1967 movie '' Gunn'', the movie version of the series ''Peter Gunn'', the score of which he had composed. In the 1966 Pink Panther cartoon ''
Pink, Plunk, Plink This is a list of the original 124 ''Pink Panther'' animated shorts produced between December 18, 1964, and February 1, 1980, by DePatie–Freleng Enterprises (DFE Films). 92 shorts were released theatrically. The first 62 entries appeared on Sa ...
'', the panther commandeered an orchestra and proceeded to conduct Mancini's theme for the series. At the end, the shot switched to rare live action, and Mancini was seen alone applauding in the audience. Mancini also made a brief appearance in the title sequence of 1993's ''
Son of the Pink Panther ''Son of the Pink Panther'' is a 1993 comedy film. It is the ninth and final installment of the original '' The Pink Panther'' film series starting from the 1963 film. Directed by Blake Edwards, it stars Roberto Benigni as Inspector Clouseau's ...
'', allowing the panther to conduct Bobby McFerrin in performing the film's theme tune.


Death and legacy

Mancini died of
pancreatic cancer Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a mass. These cancerous cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body. A number of types of pancr ...
in Los Angeles on June 14, 1994. He was working at the time on the Broadway stage version of '' Victor/Victoria'', which he never saw on stage. Mancini was survived by his wife of 43 years, singer Virginia "Ginny" O'Connor, with whom he had three children. She died on October 25, 2021, at age 97. They had met while both were members of the Tex Beneke orchestra, just after World War II. In 1948, Mrs. Mancini was one of the founders of the
Society of Singers Society of Singers, (1984 – 2017), known as SOS, was an American nonprofit 501(c)3 charitable organization, the only one devoted exclusively to helping professional singers. History and programs SOS was co-founded in 1984 by Ginny Mancini, wido ...
, a non-profit organization which benefits the health and welfare of professional singers worldwide. One of Mancini's twin daughters,
Monica Mancini Monica Jo Mancini (born May 4, 1952) is an American singer and the daughter of composer Henry Mancini. Career Mancini grew up in Northridge, California. Her father, Henry, was a popular, award winning composer and her mother, Virginia, was a si ...
, is a professional singer; her sister Felice runs
The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization established in 1996 by Michael Kamen (1948-2003), the composer for the motion picture ''Mr. Holland's Opus''. It is headquartered in Studio City, Los Angeles. According to the Foundati ...
(MHOF). His son Christopher is a music publisher and promoter in Los Angeles. Henry Mancini created a scholarship at UCLA and some of his library and works are archived in the music library at UCLA, with additional materials preserved at the Library of Congress. In 1996, the Henry Mancini Institute, an academy for young music professionals, was founded by Jack Elliott in Mancini's honor, and was later under the direction of composer-conductor Patrick Williams. By the mid-2000s, however, the institute could not sustain itself and closed its doors on December 30, 2006. The
American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
(ASCAP) Foundation "Henry Mancini Music Scholarship" has been awarded annually since 2001. In 2005, the Henry Mancini Arts Academy was opened as a division of the Lincoln Park Performing Arts Center. The center is located in Midland, Pennsylvania, minutes away from Mancini's hometown of Aliquippa. The Henry Mancini Arts Academy is an evening-and-weekend performing arts program for children from pre-K to grade 12, with some classes also available for adults. The program includes dance, voice, musical theater, and instrumental lessons. The
American Film Institute The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees. Lead ...
ranked Mancini's songs "
Moon River "Moon River" is a song composed by Henry Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was originally performed by Audrey Hepburn in the 1961 movie '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'', winning an Academy Award for Best Original Song. The song also won the ...
" No. 4 and " Days of Wine and Roses" No. 39 on their list of the greatest songs and his score for '' The Pink Panther'' No. 20 on their list of the greatest film scores. His scores for '' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961), ''
Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and Au ...
'' (1963), '' Hatari!'' (1962), '' Touch of Evil'' (1958) and '' Wait Until Dark'' (1967) were also nominated for the list.


Awards

Mancini was nominated for 72 Grammy Awards and won 20. He was nominated for 18 Academy Awards and won four. He also won a Golden Globe Award and was nominated for two Emmy Awards. In 1961, Mancini won two Academy Awards, one for "Moon River" for Best Original Song and one for Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture for the movie ''Breakfast at Tiffany's''. In 1962, he won Best Original Song again, this time for "Days of Wine and Roses". He won Best Original Score again in 1982 for the movie '' Victor/Victoria''. In 1989, Mancini received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement. In 1997, Mancini was posthumously awarded an honorary doctorate of music from
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...
. On April 13, 2004, the United States Postal Service honored Mancini with a thirty-seven cent commemorative stamp. The stamp was painted by artist
Victor Stabin Victor Stabin (born March 5, 1954) is an American artist, "eco-surrealist" painter, author and illustrator. He is noted for his work in education and has used his book ''Daedal Doodle'' as a teaching tool in several schools, an endeavor sponsor ...
and shows Mancini conducting in front of a list of some of his movie and TV themes.


Discography


Hit singles


Albums

* ''The Versatile Henry Mancini'' (
Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...
LST-7121, 1957) * ''Sousa in Stereo'' ( Warner Bros. BS-1209, 1958) * ''March Step in Hi-Fi'' (Warner Bros. BS-1312, 1959) * ''
The Music from Peter Gunn ''The Music from Peter Gunn'' is a soundtrack album to the TV series ''Peter Gunn'', composed and conducted by Henry Mancini, and released in 1959 on RCA Victor. It was the first album ever to win the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1959. ...
'' (
RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
LSP-1956, 1959) * '' More Music from Peter Gunn'' (RCA Victor LSP-2040, 1959) * '' The Mancini Touch'' (RCA Victor LSP-2101, 1959) * ''
The Blues and the Beat ''The Blues and the Beat'' is an album by Henry Mancini that won the Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance in 1961. Track listing Personnel * Dick Nash, Jimmy Priddy, John Halliburton, Karl De Karske – trombone * Conrad Gozz ...
'' (RCA Victor LSP-2147, 1960) * ''Music from Mr. Lucky'', (RCA Victor LSP-2198, 1960) * ''Combo!'' (RCA Victor LSP-2258, 1960) * ''Mr. Lucky Goes Latin'' (RCA Victor LSP-2360, 1961) * '' Our Man In Hollywood'' (RCA Victor LSP-2604, 1963) * ''Uniquely Mancini'' (RCA Victor LSP-2692, 1963) * ''The Best of Mancini'' ompilation(RCA Victor LSP-2693, 1964) * ''Mancini Plays Mancini'' ( RCA Camden CAS-2158) * ''Everybody's Favorite'' (RCA Camden CXS-9034) * ''The Concert Sound of Henry Mancini'' (RCA Victor LSP-2897, 1964) * ''Dear Heart (And Other Songs About Love)'' (RCA Victor LSP-2990, 1965) * ''The Latin Sound of Henry Mancini'' (RCA Victor LSP-3356, 1965) * ''The Academy Award Songs'' (RCA Victor LSP-6013, 1966) * '' A Merry Mancini Christmas'' (RCA Victor LSP-3612, 1966) * ''Mancini '67: The Big Band Sound of Henry Mancini'' (RCA Victor LSP-3694, 1967) * ''Music of Hawaii'' (RCA Victor LSP-3713, 1967) * ''Encore! More of the Concert Sound of Henry Mancini'' (RCA Victor LSP-3887, 1967) * ''The Mancini Sound'' (RCA Victor LSP-3943, 1968) * ''The Big Latin Band of Henry Mancini'' (RCA Victor LSP-4049, 1968) * ''Debut! Henry Mancini Conducting the First Recording of the Philadelphia Orchestra Pops'' ( RCA Red Seal LSC-3106, 1969) * '' A Warm Shade of Ivory'' (RCA Victor LSP-4140, 1969) * ''Six Hours Past Sunset'' (RCA Victor LSP-4239, 1969) * ''Mancini Country'' (RCA Victor LSP-4307, 1970) * ''Theme from "Z" and Other Film Music'' (RCA Victor LSP-4350, 1970) * ''Mancini Plays the Theme from "Love Story"'' (RCA Victor LSP-4466, 1970) * ''This is Henry Mancini'' ompilation(RCA Victor VPS-6029, 1970) * ''Mancini Concert'' (RCA Victor LSP-4542, 1971) * ''Brass on Ivory'' with
Doc Severinsen Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen (born July 7, 1927) is an American retired jazz trumpeter who led the NBC Orchestra on '' The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson''. Early life Severinsen was born in Arlington, Oregon, to Minnie Mae (1897–1998) ...
(RCA Victor LSP-4629, 1972) * ''Big Screen - Little Screen'' (RCA Victor LSP-4630, 1972) * ''Music from the TV Series "The Mancini Generation"'' (RCA Victor LSP-4689, 1972) * ''Brass, Ivory & Strings'' with Doc Severinsen (RCA APL1-0098, 1973) * ''Country Gentleman'' (RCA APL1-0270, 1974) * ''Hangin' Out'' (RCA CPL1-0672, 1974) * ''Pure Gold'' ompilation(RCA ANL1-0980, 1975) * ''Symphonic Soul'' (RCA APL1-1025, 1975) * ''The Cop Show Themes'' (RCA Victor APL1-1896, 1976) * ''Mancini's Angels'' (RCA CPL1-2290, 1977) * ''The Theme Scene'' (RCA APL1-3052, 1978) * ''In The Pink'' with James Galway (RCA Red Seal RCD1-5315, 1984) * ''The Hollywood Musicals'' with
Johnny Mathis John Royce Mathis (born September 30, 1935) is an American singer of popular music. Starting his career with singles of standard music, he became highly popular as an album artist, with several dozen of his albums achieving gold or platinum s ...
(
Columbia Columbia may refer to: * Columbia (personification), the historical female national personification of the United States, and a poetic name for America Places North America Natural features * Columbia Plateau, a geologic and geographic region i ...
CK-40372, 1986) * ''As Time Goes By and Other Classic Movie Love Songs'' (RCA Victor 09026-60974-2, 1992)


Ballets

* ''Coffee House'' (1959), written for the Gene Kelly Show


Soundtracks

Note: Most of Mancini's scores were not released on LP soundtrack albums. His TV movie music albums were not soundtrack albums but are titled "Music from ..." or "Music from the Motion Picture ..." He routinely retained the rights to his music. Mancini's contracts allowed him to release his own albums for which he rearranged the score music into arrangements more appropriate for listening outside of the context of the film/theater. Actual film scores using players from Hollywood unions recording under major motion picture studio contracts were expensive to release on LP (ex: the soundtrack for ''Our Man Flint'' (not a Mancini score) cost $1 more than other LP albums of the day). Many soundtrack albums used to claim "Original Soundtrack" or words to that effect, but were not necessarily the actual soundtrack recordings. These albums were usually recorded with a smaller orchestra than that used for the actual scoring (ex: Dimitri Tiomkin's score to ''The Alamo''). However, many Hollywood musicians were featured on Mancini's albums recorded in RCA's Hollywood recording studios and faux "Original Soundtrack" albums. Eventually some of his scores and faux "Original Soundtrack" scores by numerous composers were released in limited edition CDs. *''
Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
'', RCA Victor LSP-3623 *'' Bachelor in Paradise'', Film Score Monthly FSMCD vol. 7 nr. 18 *'' Breakfast at Tiffany's: Music from the Motion Picture'', RCA Victor LSP-2362 *''
Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and Au ...
'', RCA Victor LSP-2755 *''
Darling Lili ''Darling Lili'' is a 1970 American romantic-musical spy film, written by William Peter Blatty and Blake Edwards, the latter also directing the film. It stars Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, and Jeremy Kemp, with music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by ...
'', RCA LSPX-1000 *''
Experiment in Terror ''Experiment in Terror'' is a 1962 American neo-noir thriller film released by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Blake Edwards and written by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon based on their 1961 novel ''Operation Terror''. The film stars Gle ...
'', RCA Victor LSP-2442 *''
Gaily, Gaily ''Gaily, Gaily'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Chicago, Chicago'') is a 1969 American comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. It is a fictionalized adaptation of a 1963 memoir of the same name by Ben Hecht and stars Beau Bridges, Brian K ...
'', United Artists UAS-5202 *'' The Glass Menagerie'', MCA MCAD-6222 *''
The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (also known as ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' for its 1992 theatrical re-release and ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produc ...
'', Varèse Sarabande/MCA VSD-5359 *''
The Great Race ''The Great Race'' is a 1965 American Technicolor slapstick comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood, directed by Blake Edwards, written by Arthur A. Ross (from a story by Edwards and Ross), and with music by Henry Manci ...
'', RCA Victor LSP-3402 *'' The Great Waldo Pepper'', MCA MCA-2085 *'' Gunn ...Number One!'', RCA Victor LSP-3840 *'' Harry & Son'', Quartet Records QRSCE-023 *'' Hatari!'', RCA Victor LSP-2559 *''
The Hawaiians Hawaiians are the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiians or The Hawaiians may also refer to: * The Hawaiians (WFL) The Hawaiians were a professional American football team based in Honolulu that played in the World Football Lea ...
'', United Artists UAS-5210 *'' High Time'', RCA Victor LSP-2314 *'' Lifeforce'', Varèse Sarabande STV-81249 *''
Me, Natalie ''Me, Natalie'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe about a homely young woman from Brooklyn who moves to Greenwich Village and finds romance with an aspiring painter. The screenplay by A. Martin Zweiback is based on an orig ...
'', Columbia OS-03350 *'' The Molly Maguires'', Paramount PAS-6000 *'' Mommie Dearest'', Real Gone Music RGM-0640 *''
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation ''Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation'' is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara. The film is based on the novel ''Mr. Hobbs' Vacation'', by Edward Streeter and features a popular singer of the ...
'', Intrada special collection vol. 11 *''
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
'', Varèse Sarabande VCL-0309-1091 *'' Oklahoma Crude'', RCA Victor APL1-0271 *'' The Party'', RCA Victor LSP-3997 *'' The Pink Panther'', RCA Victor LSP-2795 *'' The Pink Panther Strikes Again'', United Artists UA-LA694 *'' The Return of the Pink Panther'', RCA Victor ABL1-0968 *''
Revenge of the Pink Panther ''Revenge of the Pink Panther'' is a 1978 comedy film. It is the sixth film in '' The Pink Panther'' comedy film series. Released in 1978, it is the final on-set performance of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It was al ...
'', United Artists UA-LA913-H *'' Santa Claus: The Movie'', EMI America SJ-17177 *'' Silver Streak'', Intrada special collection vol. 5 *'' Sometimes a Great Notion'', Decca DL-79185 *''
Son of the Pink Panther ''Son of the Pink Panther'' is a 1993 comedy film. It is the ninth and final installment of the original '' The Pink Panther'' film series starting from the 1963 film. Directed by Blake Edwards, it stars Roberto Benigni as Inspector Clouseau's ...
'', Milan/BMG 74321-16461-2 *''
Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), ...
'', Avco Embassy AVE-0-11001 *''
Sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spr ...
'', Quartet Records QRSCE-045 *''
The Thief Who Came to Dinner ''The Thief Who Came to Dinner'' is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin. Based on the novel by Terrence Lore Smith, the film stars Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset, with Charles Cioffi, Warren Oates, and in an early appearance, ...
'', Warner Bros. BS-2700 *'' The Thorn Birds'', Varèse Sarabande/Universal 302 066 564-2 *'' Tom and Jerry – The Movie'', MCA MCAD-10721 *'' Touch of Evil'', Challenge CHL-602 *'' Two for the Road'', RCA Victor LSP-3802 *'' Victor Victoria'', GNP Crescendo GNPD-8038 *'' Visions of Eight'', RCA Victor ABL1-0231 *'' W.C. Fields and Me'', MCA MCA-2092 *''
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? ''What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' is a 1966 comedy DeLuxe Color film written by William Peter Blatty and directed by Blake Edwards for the Mirisch Company in Panavision. It stars James Coburn and Dick Shawn. Filming was at Lake Sherwoo ...
'', RCA Victor LSP-3648 *'' Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?'', Epic SE-35692 *'' Without a Clue'', BSX BSXCD-8832


Filmography

*'' The Raiders'' (1952) *'' The Glenn Miller Story'' (1953) *'' Abbott and Costello Go to Mars'' (1953) *'' Law and Order'' (1953) *'' City Beneath the Sea'' (1953) *'' Destry'' (1954) *'' Creature from the Black Lagoon'' (1954) *'' The Private War of Major Benson'' (1955) *'' The Benny Goodman Story'' (1956) *'' The Creature Walks Among Us'' (1956) *''
Rock, Pretty Baby ''Rock, Pretty Baby'' is a 1956 American comedy musical film directed by Richard Bartlett and starring Sal Mineo, John Saxon and Luana Patten. Plot Young musician Jimmy Daley (Saxon) needs to come up with $300 to purchase the electric guitar he ...
'' (1956) *'' Summer Love'' (1957) *'' Damn Citizen'' (1958) *'' Touch of Evil'' (1958) *'' The Big Beat'' (1958) *'' Operation Petticoat'' (1959) *'' High Time'' (1960) *''
The Great Impostor ''The Great Impostor'' is a 1961 American comedy-drama film movie based on the true story of an impostor named Ferdinand Waldo Demara. The film is loosely based on Robert Crichton's 1959 biography of the same name, it stars Tony Curtis in the ...
'' (1960) *'' Breakfast at Tiffany's'' (1961) *'' Bachelor in Paradise'' (1961) *''
Experiment in Terror ''Experiment in Terror'' is a 1962 American neo-noir thriller film released by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Blake Edwards and written by Mildred Gordon and Gordon Gordon based on their 1961 novel ''Operation Terror''. The film stars Gle ...
'' (1962) *''
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation ''Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation'' is a 1962 American comedy film directed by Henry Koster and starring James Stewart and Maureen O'Hara. The film is based on the novel ''Mr. Hobbs' Vacation'', by Edward Streeter and features a popular singer of the ...
'' (1962) *'' Hatari!'' (1962) *'' Days of Wine and Roses'' (1962) *''
Soldier in the Rain ''Soldier in the Rain'' is a 1963 American comedy buddy film directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Jackie Gleason and Steve McQueen. Tuesday Weld portrays Gleason's character's romantic partner. Produced by Martin Jurow and co-written by Mauric ...
'' (1963) *''
Charade Charade or charades may refer to: Games * Charades, originally "acting charades", a parlor game Films/TV * ''Charade'' (1953 film), an American film featuring James Mason * ''Charade'' (1963 film), an American film starring Cary Grant and Au ...
'' (1963) *'' The Pink Panther'' (1963) *''
Man's Favorite Sport? ''Man's Favorite Sport?'' is a 1964 American comedy film starring Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss and directed and produced by Howard Hawks. Hawks intended the film to be an homage to his own 1938 screwball classic ''Bringing Up Baby'' with Katha ...
'' (1964) *'' A Shot in the Dark'' (1964) *'' Dear Heart'' (1964) *''
The Great Race ''The Great Race'' is a 1965 American Technicolor slapstick comedy film starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood, directed by Blake Edwards, written by Arthur A. Ross (from a story by Edwards and Ross), and with music by Henry Manci ...
'' (1965) *'' Moment to Moment'' (1966) *''
Arabesque The arabesque is a form of artistic decoration consisting of "surface decorations based on rhythmic linear patterns of scrolling and interlacing foliage, tendrils" or plain lines, often combined with other elements. Another definition is "Foli ...
'' (1966) *''
What Did You Do in the War, Daddy? ''What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?'' is a 1966 comedy DeLuxe Color film written by William Peter Blatty and directed by Blake Edwards for the Mirisch Company in Panavision. It stars James Coburn and Dick Shawn. Filming was at Lake Sherwoo ...
'' (1966) *'' Two for the Road'' (1967) *'' Gunn ...Number One!'' (1967) *'' Wait Until Dark'' (1967) *'' The Party'' (1968) *''
Me, Natalie ''Me, Natalie'' is a 1969 American comedy-drama film directed by Fred Coe about a homely young woman from Brooklyn who moves to Greenwich Village and finds romance with an aspiring painter. The screenplay by A. Martin Zweiback is based on an orig ...
'' (1969) *''
Gaily, Gaily ''Gaily, Gaily'' (released in the United Kingdom as ''Chicago, Chicago'') is a 1969 American comedy film directed by Norman Jewison. It is a fictionalized adaptation of a 1963 memoir of the same name by Ben Hecht and stars Beau Bridges, Brian K ...
'' (1969) *'' The Molly Maguires'' (1970) *''
Sunflower The common sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') is a large annual forb of the genus ''Helianthus'' grown as a crop for its edible oily seeds. Apart from cooking oil production, it is also used as livestock forage (as a meal or a silage plant), ...
'' (1970) *''
The Hawaiians Hawaiians are the indigenous people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiians or The Hawaiians may also refer to: * The Hawaiians (WFL) The Hawaiians were a professional American football team based in Honolulu that played in the World Football Lea ...
'' (1970) *''
Darling Lili ''Darling Lili'' is a 1970 American romantic-musical spy film, written by William Peter Blatty and Blake Edwards, the latter also directing the film. It stars Julie Andrews, Rock Hudson, and Jeremy Kemp, with music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by ...
'' (1970) *'' The Night Visitor'' (1971) *'' Sometimes a Great Notion'' (1971) *''
Frenzy ''Frenzy'' is a 1972 British thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It is the penultimate feature film of his extensive career. The screenplay by Anthony Shaffer was based on the 1966 novel ''Goodbye Piccadilly, Farewell Leicester Squa ...
'' (Rejected Score) (1972) *''
The Thief Who Came To Dinner ''The Thief Who Came to Dinner'' is a 1973 American comedy film directed by Bud Yorkin. Based on the novel by Terrence Lore Smith, the film stars Ryan O'Neal and Jacqueline Bisset, with Charles Cioffi, Warren Oates, and in an early appearance, ...
'' (1973) *'' Visions of Eight'' (1973) *'' Oklahoma Crude'' (1973) *'' That's Entertainment!'' (1974) *'' The White Dawn'' (1974) *'' The Girl from Petrovka'' (1974) *'' 99 and 44/100% Dead'' (1974) *'' The Great Waldo Pepper'' (1975) *'' The Return of the Pink Panther'' (1975) *'' Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough'' (1975) *'' W.C. Fields and Me'' (1976) *'' Silver Streak'' (1976) *'' The Pink Panther Strikes Again'' (1976) *''
Angela Angela may refer to: Places * Angela, Montana * Angela Lake, in Volusia County, Florida * Lake Angela, in Lyon Township, Oakland County, Michigan * Lake Angela, the reservoir impounded by the source dam of the South Yuba River Fiction * An ...
'' (1977) *'' House Calls'' (1978) *''
Revenge of the Pink Panther ''Revenge of the Pink Panther'' is a 1978 comedy film. It is the sixth film in '' The Pink Panther'' comedy film series. Released in 1978, it is the final on-set performance of Peter Sellers in the role of Inspector Jacques Clouseau. It was al ...
'' (1978) *'' Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?'' (1978) *''
The Prisoner of Zenda ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' is an 1894 adventure novel by Anthony Hope, in which the King of Ruritania is drugged on the eve of his coronation and thus is unable to attend the ceremony. Political forces within the realm are such that, in orde ...
'' (1979) *''
Nightwing Nightwing is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character has appeared in various incarnations; the identity was adopted by Dick Grayson when he left his role as Batman's vigilante partner Robin. Although ...
'' (1979) *'' 10'' (1979) *''
Little Miss Marker ''Little Miss Marker'' (also known as ''The Girl in Pawn'') is an American Pre-Code 1934 comedy-drama film directed by Alexander Hall. It was written by William R. Lipman, Sam Hellman, and Gladys Lehman after a 1932 short story of the same n ...
'' (1980) *'' A Change of Seasons'' (1980) *'' Back Roads'' (1981) *'' S.O.B.'' (1981) *'' Condorman'' (1981) *'' Mommie Dearest'' (1981) *'' Victor Victoria'' (1982) *'' Trail of the Pink Panther'' (1982) *'' Better Late Than Never'' (1983) *'' Second Thoughts'' (1983) *''
Curse of the Pink Panther ''Curse of the Pink Panther'' is a 1983 comedy film and a continuation of ''The Pink Panther'' series of films created by Blake Edwards in the early 1960s. The film was one of two produced concurrently following the death of the series' star Pe ...
'' (1983) *'' The Man Who Loved Women'' (1983) *'' Harry & Son'' (1984) *'' That's Dancing'' (1985) *'' Lifeforce'' (1985) *'' Santa Claus: The Movie'' (1985) *''
The Great Mouse Detective ''The Great Mouse Detective'' (also known as ''The Adventures of the Great Mouse Detective'' for its 1992 theatrical re-release and ''Basil the Great Mouse Detective'' in some countries) is a 1986 American animated mystery adventure film produc ...
'' (1986) *'' A Fine Mess'' (1986) *''
That's Life! ''That's Life!'' was a satirical TV consumer affairs programme on the BBC, at its height regularly reaching audiences of fifteen to twenty million, and receiving 10–15,000 letters a week. The series broadcast on BBC1 for twenty-one years, ...
'' (1986) *'' Blind Date'' (1987) *'' The Glass Menagerie'' (1987) *''
Sunset Sunset, also known as sundown, is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon due to Earth's rotation. As viewed from everywhere on Earth (except the North and South poles), the equinox Sun sets due west at the moment of both the spr ...
'' (1988) *'' Without a Clue'' (1988) *'' Physical Evidence'' (1989) *'' Welcome Home'' (1989) *'' Ghost Dad'' (1990) *''
Fear Fear is an intensely unpleasant emotion in response to perceiving or recognizing a danger or threat. Fear causes physiological changes that may produce behavioral reactions such as mounting an aggressive response or fleeing the threat. Fear ...
'' (1990) *''
Switch In electrical engineering, a switch is an electrical component that can disconnect or connect the conducting path in an electrical circuit, interrupting the electric current or diverting it from one conductor to another. The most common type of ...
'' (1991) *''
Married to It ''Married to It'' is a 1991 film directed by Arthur Hiller starring Beau Bridges, Stockard Channing, Robert Sean Leonard, Mary Stuart Masterson, Cybill Shepherd and Ron Silver. The film is about three New York City couples with disparate careers, a ...
'' (1991) *'' Tom and Jerry: The Movie'' (1992) *''
Son of the Pink Panther ''Son of the Pink Panther'' is a 1993 comedy film. It is the ninth and final installment of the original '' The Pink Panther'' film series starting from the 1963 film. Directed by Blake Edwards, it stars Roberto Benigni as Inspector Clouseau's ...
'' (1993)


TV Themes

*''
Peter Gunn ''Peter Gunn'' is an American private eye television series, starring Craig Stevens as Peter Gunn with Lola Albright as his girlfriend, Edie Hart. The series aired on NBC from September 22, 1958, to 1960 and on ABC in 1960–1961. The seri ...
'' (1958) *'' Mr. Lucky'' (1959) *'' Man of the World'' (1962) *'' The Richard Boone Show'' (1963) *'' Blaulicht'' (1968) *'' The Pink Panther Show'' (1969) *'' Cade's County'' (1971) *''
The NBC Mystery Movie ''The NBC Mystery Movie'' is an American television anthology series produced by Universal Pictures, that NBC broadcast from 1971 to 1977. Devoted to a rotating series of mystery episodes, it was sometimes split into two subsets broadcast on di ...
'' (1971) *'' The Blue Knight'' (1975) *'' What's Happening!!'' (1976) *'' Kingston: Confidential'' (1977) *'' Sanford Arms'' (1977) *''
The All-New Pink Panther Show ''The Pink Panther Show'' is a showcase of animated shorts produced by David H. DePatie and Friz Freleng between 1969 and 1978, starring the animated Pink Panther character from the opening credits of the live-action films. The series was p ...
'' (1978) *'' NBC Nightly News'' (1978) *'' Newhart'' (1982, one of the few shows to credit Mancini in the opening credits) *''
Remington Steele ''Remington Steele'' is an American television series co-created by Robert Butler and Michael Gleason. The series, starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan, was produced by MTM Enterprises and first broadcast on the NBC network from O ...
'' (1982) *''
Ripley's Believe It or Not! ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' is an American franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so strange and unusual that readers might question the claims. Originally a newspaper panel, the ''Believe It or Not'' fea ...
(1982) *''
Hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...
'' (1983) *'' Pink Panther and Sons'' (1984) *'' What's Happening Now!!'' (1985) *'' Tic Tac Dough'' (1990) *''
Julie Julie may refer to: * Julie (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the name Film and television * ''Julie'' (1956 film), an American film noir starring Doris Day * ''Julie'' (1975 film), a Hindi film by K. S. Sethumadhav ...
'' (1992) *'' Pink Panther and Pals'' (2010)


Bibliography

* Mancini, Henry. ''Sounds and Scores: A Practical Guide to Professional Orchestration'' (1962) *


References


Sources

* * Henry Mancini: Sounds and Scores, Northridge Music, Inc. 1973, 1986 * Liner notes to RCA Victor LPM/LSP-1956 * Liner notes to RCA Victor LPM/LSP-3840


Further reading

* Brown, Royal S. ''Overtones and Undertones: Reading Film Music'' (1994) * Büdinger, Matthias. "An Interview with Henry Mancini" (''Soundtrack'', vol. 7, No. 26, 1988) * Büdinger, Matthias. "Feeling Fancy Free" (''Film Score Monthly'', vol. 10, No. 2) * Büdinger, Matthias. "Henry Mancini 1924–1994" (''Film Score Monthly'', No. 46/47, p. 5 * Büdinger, Matthias. "Henry Mancini Remembered' (''Soundtrack'', vol. 13, No. 51) * Büdinger, Matthias. "Henry Mancini" (''Soundtrack'', vol. 13, No. 50, 1994) * Büdinger, Matthias. "Whistling Away the Dark" (''Film Score Monthly'', No. 45, p. 7 * Larson, Randall. "Henry Mancini: On Scoring 'Lifeforce' and 'Santa Claus'" (interview) (''CinemaScore'', No. 15, 1987) * Thomas, Tony. ''Music for the Movies'' (1973) * Thomas, Tony. ''Film Score'' (1979)


External links

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