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A collection of Hoyt Curtin's best theme songs
We like Curtin, that's for certain!
If you have ever watched a Hanna-Barbera cartoon, chances are you've seen the name Hoyt Curtin before. As Hanna-Barbera's musical director, Curtin was the music man behind the scores and theme songs of some of your favorite cartoons.
It all started back in Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera's MGM days, when they met Curtin as the three creatives collaborated on a Schlitz beer commercial for the Leo Burnett agency. When Hanna and Barbera struck out at MGM and went off to start their own animation studio, they called Curtin to compose the theme song for their new cartoon, The Ruff and Reddy Show.
Curtin composed a melody in under five minutes, and this theme song led to Hanna-Barbera hiring Curtin as the Music Director of Hanna-Barbera cartoons. If you look closely at the credits, you see his name in most Hanna-Barbera cartoons and even today, his influence is felt in the scores of new cartoons and the structure of theme songs.
The King of the Jingles wrote over 250 cartoon theme songs, but here are a few of our favorites!
The Flintstones
The Flintstones theme song was Curtin's all-time favorite. In an interview for the 1994 live-action movie, Curtin said, "It's a catchy little tune, just a simple thing arranged for jazz and singers."
The Smurfs
The Smurfs was the last cartoon Curtin worked on, and he also considered it one of his favorites because he got to incorporate classical music into the background music, including works from Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and more!
The Jetsons
After the Jetsons revival, the theme song actually reached No. 9 on the Billboard charts in 1986!
Yogi Bear
Hoyt Curtin is catchier than the average composer! Curtin composed the music for The Yogi Bear Show as well as its spinoffs Yogi's Gang, Yogi's Space Race, Galaxy Goof-Ups, and Yogi's Treasure Hunt. Additionally, Curtin composed the music for Yogi Bear's musical movies Yogi's First Christmas and Yogi's All-Star Comedy Christmas Caper.
The New Scooby-Doo Movies and more!
While Curtin did not compose the original Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! theme song, he did compose most of the spinoffs' theme songs, including The New Scooby-Doo Movies. He also composed the theme song to the animated versions of Jeannie and The Addams Family, whose castmembers were guest stars on The New Scooby-Doo Movies.
Josie and the Pussycats
Unlike the other shows on this list, most of the music on Josie and the Pussycats was produced by La La Productions to give the cast a more authentic girl band sound. But, Curtin wrote the theme song with Hanna and Barbera.
Wacky Races
On your mark, get set, go! Curtin composed the spoken/instrumental theme song to Wacky Races, but fellow Hanna-Barbera music director Ted Nichols wrote the theme songs to The Perils of Penelope Pitstop and Dastardly and Muttley in their Flying Machines.
The Huckleberry Hound Show
When Hanna-Barbera took the risk of creating the first half-hour cartoon show, some would say the biggest show in town, they knew Hoyt Curtin would reliably deliver the theme song and fun music to carry the viewers through the episode.
Jonny Quest
In an interview, Curtin said that the Jonny Quest theme song was one of his personal favorites, tied with The Flintstones and The Jetsons. As an action and adventure cartoon, Curtin got to lean into more serious musical scoring but he still had some fun. As an avid trombone player, Curtin wrote the Jonny Quest theme song as a challenge for the six trombone players in the orchestra. In an email interview with the Classic Jonny Quest blog, Curtin recalled "I had to stay in the booth because I was laughing so hard, watching my buddies, the bone players, trying to cut that tune! Nobody would quit of course. It was written in the worst possible key for trombones...LOVE IT!"
The Peter Potamus Show, The Magilla Gorilla Show, and more!
Curtin wrote the theme songs and composed the music for all of the following cartoons: Peter Potamus, Magilla Gorilla, Ricochet Rabbit and Droop-a-long, Punkin' Puss and Mushmouse, Breezly and Sneezly, Hokey Wolf, Loopy de Loop, Wally Gator, Lippy the Lion and Hardy Har Har, Touché Turtle and Dum Dum, Top Cat, and Yippee, Yappee, and Yahooey. Additionally, Curtin was uncredited but contributed to the music from The Atom Ant/Secret Squirrel Show.
