None other than Henry Mancini was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He was born in our state on April 16th, 1924. Soon after his birth, his family moved to West Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, where he would be raised.
I could do the standard thing that I usually do with these articles, and tell you Mancini’s story (of his life). But, to do that, this piece would take an hour for you all to read on your phones. Mancini has been acknowledged as one of the greatest composers in American and television film history, and his accomplishments are vast. So, I’m gonna do something different. I’ll mention his two most well known songs; the iconic The Pink Panther Theme (from the The Pink Panther film franchise) and Moon River (from the classic movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s). For the rest of this article, I’ll just list his works and accomplishments. Trust me…they’re mind blowing.
Henry Mancini’s hit songs (from movies and television shows):
Charade
Dear Heart
Hawaii
Two for the Road
Wait Until Dark
Love Theme from Romeo and Juliet
Theme from Love Story
Theme from Charlie’s Angels
Film scores and themes by Henry Mancini:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Operation Petticoat
Charade
The Pink Panther
Wait Until Dark
That’s Entertainment!
The Return of the Pink Panther
10
Victor Victoria
Silver Streak
Revenge of the Pink Panther
Television scores and themes by Henry Mancini:
Peter Gunn
The Pink Panther Show
The NBC Mystery Movie
What’s Happening !!
NBC Nightly News
Newhart
Remington Steele
Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Hotel
Tic Tac Dough
Amazing, huh? Mancini died in 1994, but his fantastic legacy shines on. Ain’t it cool what Ohio born people are capable of?
Miami Valley Music Focus explores the places and people behind the music of Southwest, Ohio. This series is made possible by support from Ohio Arts Council.
