Izzy Friedman

Irving “Izzy” Friedman (b. Linton, December 25, 1900 – d. Beverly Hills, November 21, 1981) – Saxophonist, clarinetist, film/TV composer, and music executive. Inspired by a teacher in his home town of Linton, Friedman found theatre work as a reed player in nearby Terre Haute and, in 1923, made it to Chicago. While in Chicago, he studied the clarinet with a member of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and played with a house band at the Moulin Rouge. The following year, he moved to New York City and worked for a couple seasons with the Vincent Lopez Orchestra before moving on to gigs with Paul Whiteman and Frankie Trumbauer. In short, his name appears in numerous recording credits with dance bands form this period through the 1940s. From 1934 to 1943, he was assistant head of the music department at Warner Brothers and then worked for MGM (1943), Eagle Lion Studios (1946), and his own company (1950). Films for which he served as musical director include The Big Cat (1949), Tulsa (1949), and The Adventures of Casanova (1948, screen-play by Shelburn native Walter Bullock). Friedman’s own music could be heard on Dennis the Menace (1959-63), Father Knows Best (1954-60), and The Donna Reed Show (1958-66).