Cultureshark Remembers Earle Hagen

I'm embarrassed to say I don't really remember Earle Hagen; in fact, I had no idea that the man who created the memorable theme songs for "The Andy Griffith Show" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" also composed plenty of other notable TV tunes as well as working on a host of classic movies. I mean, man, what an amazing career Hagen had, and it's a shame that it takes reading his obituary for many of us to realize it.

I sure do remember some of his work, though, especially that "Andy Griffith" theme. I don't know if there's an opening tune more suitable for what follows than that one. I find out now that it was actually Hagen whistling it, too, so there you go--another accomplishment for the man.

That show is so linked with the song that it's bizarre to see them separated. A few years back, my mother bought a cheapo multi-disc set of episodes that apparently lapsed into public domain. One night my parents opened the box, put in a disc, started an episode, and laughed their asses off. Unfortunately, they were laughing because whoever put these prints together had removed the classic theme--you know, the right one--and replaced it with a laughable pastiche. There was a guy whistling, and it was a jaunty tune, but it was clearly recorded 40 years after the footage of Andy and Opie goin' fishin', and it was absurd.

My dad called me up and played it for me over the phone because it was so bad. As a casual watcher of the series, I always found it more of a chuckle show than a LOL show--no disrespect intended, fans--but I certainly laughed long and hard at this new version. I mean, whoever composed the ripoff tried and all, but the result was just too ridiculous for words. Part of the problem, though, was that "Andy Griffith" is unthinkable without that song. Any replacement would throw off a viewer.

Speaking of pastiche, when my wife and I upgraded our cell phones a few months ago, she selected a default ringtone that certainly suggests a certain beloved TV theme song. It's not the same key, it's much slower, and the melody is different. Really, the only thing that reminds me of "Andy" is the breezy whistling. BUT THAT'S ENOUGH. See, that is how recognizable and enduring Hagen's composition is. The mere suggestion of a man whistling in a certain manner is enough to summon memories of the show. What better standard can there be for a theme?