Today’s news brings the second in our series of three deaths connected to Charles Nelson Reilly. Specifically, the Los Angeles Times is reporting the death of George Greeley. Who is George Greeley? Simply put, he’s the man that composed the theme to My Favorite Martian, an early 1960s television show starring Ray Walston and Bill Bixby. For those not familiar with the theme:
For “My Favorite Martian,” Greeley used an electro-theremin to make the weird science-fiction-like sound every time the Martian’s antennae went up or he used his powers of levitation. This was one of the first times electronic music was used on television.
So, what’s the connection to Charles Nelson Reilly? Greeley also wrote background music for “The Ghost and Mrs. Muir” (in which Reilley starred) and “Nanny and the Professor.”
So who’s next? Both Bill Bixby and Ray Walson are dead. So are Hope Lange and Edward Mulhare. So is Richard Long. My guess is Juliet Mills, who co-starred in Nanny and the Professor, and was also on Match Game.
