Irving Gertz, 93; composed music for sci-fi films, TV

LOS ANGELES - Irving Gertz, a composer who contributed music to 1950s science-fiction films such as "It Came From Outer Space" and "The Incredible Shrinking Man" and to 1960s television series such as "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," died Nov. 14 at his home in Los Angeles. He was 93.

From the late 1940s to the late 1960s, Mr. Gertz wrote music for 200 movies and television episodes. Among his film credits are "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy," "Francis Joins the WACS," "The Alligator People," "The Monolith Monsters," "The Creature Walks Among Us," "Overland Pacific," "To Hell and Back," "The Thing That Couldn't Die," and "Flaming Star."

Among his television credits were "Daniel Boone," "The Invaders," "Land of the Giants," and "Peyton Place."

"He had a tremendous dramatic sense of writing the appropriate music for a picture; he was just a superb composer," said David Schecter, a record producer and film-music historian who was a close friend. Schechter said most of the work Mr. Gertz did at Universal-International in the 1950s was uncredited.

As was customary at the time, he said, the studio used multiple composers on the same picture, such as Henry Mancini, Hans Salter, and Herman Stein, but only the head of the music department received screen credit.

Mr. Gertz also composed concert works, including "Boutade for Orchestra," "Leaves of Grass," "Liberty! Liberte!" and "Salute to All Nations."

The youngest of eight children, Mr. Gertz was born in Providence. He played a variety of instruments at an early age and went on to study at Providence College of Music.

Although his classical compositions were being performed by the Providence Symphony Orchestra, Schecter said, Mr. Gertz developed an interest in film music and landed a job in at Columbia Pictures in 1938.

He was hired by 20th Century-Fox in 1960 and spent the decade working there as a composer and music director.

Mr. Gertz leaves his wife of 64 years, Dorothy; two daughters, Susie Anson and Madeleine Herron; and four grandchildren.