Assignment: Foreign Legion (dramatic anthology, hosted by Merle Oberon)

     (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.]

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Theme: "March Theme from 'Assignment: Foreign Legion', The"

     [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:

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