(CBS Primetime, 1957) [A joint production with CBS Films, that aired on the British ATV network first in 1956 - 57; Then in the U.S. on CBS Tuesday nights in 1957. Merle Oberon hosted this anthology of behind-the-scenes stories about war correspondents who wrote about activities of the French Foreign Legion in Algeria and Morocco. The series began filming in those two countries in the 1950's. But due to conflicts that arose with the Foreign Legion, filming had to be relocated to studios and locations within England. During it's 26-week run, episodes included appearances by British actors who later became known world-wide, such as Roger Moore, Christopher Lee and Anthony Newly.]
[aka: "Assignment: Foreign Legion"; aka: "Le Régiment de Sambre-et-Meuse (the French National Défilé)"] [Jean Robert Planquette was a French composer who lived between 1848 - 1903; One of his early melodies (written when he was 23) became the main theme of this series about the French Foreign Legion. British composers are credited with arranging the tune for the T.V. series and for publication in a piano arr. We compared the melody attributed to Planquette in this theme song, and conclusively identified it as "Le Régiment de Sambre-et-Meuse", which is called the "French National Défilé" [the "French National Parade-March".] Planquette composed this march in 1871. Then when he needed money he had to to sell all his rights in the work to a publisher. Although Planquette was indeed the original composer of the "Franch National Défilé", and is mentioned in some filings of arrangements, there was one U.S. copyright in 1908 by the music publisher Carl Fischer that gave credit erroneously to "A. Turlet" (Andre Turlet) who had made an early American arrangement of it. So several sources list Turlet as the writer or co-writer with Planquette. But the tune is actually Robert Planquette's all alone. A footnote on the publisher listed below -- two years later after the U.S. copyright was filed -- in 1959, Peter Maurice Music Company merged into the newly formed "KPM Music" -- the "M" stood for Peter Maurice. Then KPM became the biggest producer of production music in the world, with APM Music selling it in the United States. KPM is now part of EMI Music.] Composer(s): based on a melody by Robert Planquette, and adapted/arranged by Herbert Griffiths (PRS) Publisher: Peter Maurice Music Co. Ltd. (PRS) of London, England U.S. Copyright Date: April 3, 1957; EP 109 604. U.S. Renewal Date: Recordings: