[Deathwatch] Sheldon Allman, "George of the Jungle" Songwriter, 77

[Deathwatch Central <cdw@slick.org>]

Message-Id: <20020211022407.405E175FAF@mail.slick.org>
Date: Sun, 10 Feb 2002 18:24:07 -0800 (PST)

'George of the Jungle' songwriter dead
February 8, 2002 Posted: 9:22 AM EST (1422 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Sheldon Allman, the songwriter whose
words "Watch out for that tree!" helped turn clumsy cartoon hero George
of the Jungle into a national icon, died January 22 in his Culver City
home. He was 77. 

Allman also wrote and sang the songs mouthed by television's popular
talking horse, "Mister Ed." 

Although he acted in numerous movies and television shows, provided
voices for cartoon characters and wrote, sang and recorded many other
songs, Allman may have left his greatest mark with the words to "George
of the Jungle." 

The theme song was performed by the rock group Presidents of the United
States when the cartoon show was made into a movie starring Brendan
Fraser in 1997. 

Allman said he and his collaborator Stan Worth, who did most of the
music, wrote that song and two others one afternoon in 1967. The others
were the themes to "Super Chicken" and "Tom Slick." 

Before "George of the Jungle" Allman had worked on "Mister Ed" in the
early 1960s. 

Although the show featured former Western star Allan "Rocky" Lane as
the baritone voice of the talking palomino, it was Allman who took over
whenever Ed would burst into song. 

Among the tunes he wrote for the show were "Pretty Little Filly With
the Pony Tail" and "The Empty Feedbag Blues." 

Working regularly in Hollywood, he did the theme music for such game
shows as "Split Second," "Let's Make a Deal" and "Your First
Impression." 

He also did voice-over work for the "Undercover Elephant" cartoon show
and appeared in front of the cameras in such popular shows as
"Gunsmoke," "Maverick" "The Untouchables," "My Favorite Martin," "The
Fugitive," "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Little House on the Prairie." 

His movie credits included "Hud," "In Cold Blood," "Sons of Katie
Elder" and "Nevada Smith." 

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