(CBS Monthly Specials, 1948 - 1949; live from New York; CBS Weekly Primetime, 1949 - 1951; live from New York; NBC Weekly Primetime, 1952 - 1956; on film from Screen Gems; ABC Weekly Primetime, 1956 - 1957; on film from Screen Gems; Syndicated) [aka: "Ford Television Theater Hour"; aka: "Ford Theater"; aka: "Ford's V-8 Theater" also syndicated under the titles: "All Star Theatre"; or "Your All-Star Theatre"; and other titles for local market sponsorship; This was the first dramatic anthology series on network television. It was an extension of "The Ford Theater" radio series which began on NBC in 1947. A year later, in 1948 sponsor Ford decided to try producing a prestigious series on the new medium of television; they continued on radio for another two years. On TV they began sponsoring a series of monthly plays broadcast live on CBS from New York under the direction of Marc Daniel who later directed "I Love Lucy"; These monthly broadcasts were scheduled in the time slot normally reserved for another pioneering dramatic anthology -- "Studio One", which see. In it's second year on television (1949) "Ford Television Theater Hour" became a weekly live series; It's run ended in 1951 on CBS. The following year, in 1952, "Ford Theater" returned on NBC as a filmed series produced by Screen Gems in Hollywood. (Ford decided to also sponsor live variety shows including "Ford Festival" and "Ford Startime.") The "Ford Theater" remained on NBC for four years. In 1956 it switched networks again -- to ABC. Production lasted only one more year. Reruns of the many filmed episodes produced during the five years from 1952 - 1957 were then aired under various other network umbrella titles; and also syndicated nationally by Screen Gems to local stations under the titles "All Star Theatre" and "Your All-Star Theatre", presumably giving local advertisers the right to customize the title in local markets if desired; The titles "Your All-Star Theatre" and "All Star Theatre" are listed as separate series produced by Screen Gems in the Catalog of Copyright Entries for Motion Pictures (1950 - 1960 volume); Each of the above titles has a number of episodes following it and there are none listed under the title "Ford Theater"; But there may not have been any distinction in terms of the content and THEMEs; If anything the difference may have been simply two different packages offered for syndication by Screen Gems at two different years; I am grateful to contributor T. Perrone for his research into various THEMEs used during the years, and helping sort out the various melodies and their years of use, despite the fact we have yet to identify all the composers except two.]
[aka: "Ford Theatre Opening Theme" and aka: "Ford Theatre Closing Theme"; Same theme used on NBC radio since 1947; Lyn Murray mentions his work on the "Ford Theatre" radio series in his published journal entitled "Musician". This THEME was not filed for copyright until nearly a decade later, in 1957; it is presumed that it was primarily the radio theme but also may have been heard on television at some point...] Composer: Lyn Murray (ASCAP) [pseudonym of Lionel Breeze] 1978 Publisher: M. Baron Co. (ASCAP) 1999 Publisher: M. Baron Company, Inc. of Oyster Bay, NY [as "Ford Theatre Opening Theme"]: Copyright Date: Sep. 30, 1947; Eu 95 722. Renewal Date: [as "Ford Theatre Closing Theme"]: Copyright Date: Sep. 30, 1947; Eu 95 723. Renewal Date: Recordings:
[aka: "Concerto for Violin and Cello in A Minor, 2nd Mvt."; aka: "2nd Movement Theme, from the "Concerto in A Minor, Opus 102, for Violin, Cello and Orchestra" aka: "2nd Movement Theme, from the Brahms 'Double Concerto'"; In 1948 Lyn Murray left, and Cy Feuer conducted the radio and television series; In his book, "The Golden Age of Television", Max Wilk who wrote for the first episode of the "Ford Television Theater Hour" describes the premiere broadcast of the series with Cy Feuer conducting the TV orchestra... So it's probable that Feuer adapted this broad, warm melody from the Brahms "Double Concerto" in A minor for Violin and Cello; This was the last concerto (and last orchestral work) Brahms ever wrote; it was composed in 1887 and the melody has come to signify a sort of "farewell" from the composer. Cy Feuer went on to become a Broadway impressario producing hit musical shows with his partner Ernest H. Martin. An aircheck provided by THEME contributor T. Perrone from the 1949 radio broadcast verified that this was the THEME in use at that time...in an full arrangement for studio orchestra, perhaps even expanded to a 4/4 meter (the original was in 3/4); This same melody was used as the 1970 THEME for the TV soap opera "The Secret Storm" in a more subdued adaptation by Charles Paul] Composer: music by Johannes Brahms (predates ASCAP & BMI), and Adapter/Arranger: Cy Feuer (ASCAP) [professional name of Seymour Arnold Feuer] 1978 Publisher: in the Public Domain 1999 Publisher: in the Public Domain Composition Date: 1887 Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings:
[During the first season on NBC the series was produced on film by the Screen Gems Television division of Columbia Pictures, this rather weak neutral/romantic THEME was used; No writer credit is listed in ASCAP yet for this library track; indicating it may be a BMI writer or a writer with no known affiliation with either ASCAP or BMI. This piece is in a 6/8 meter in Eb; with some phrases extended by a 9/8 measure -- a rather awkward device which didn't hold together very well; it sounds like a library track which was ill suited for a Main Title; so it is an "educated guess" that this THEME must match the ASCAP credit below which was a track from the Movietone/Sam Fox library... Of all the composers I have studied it sounds a bit like the End Credits THEME for "Westinghouse Playhouse" by John W. Green which was also a bit weak...but I cannot blame him for this one as yet...:-)] Composer: under investigation 1978 Publisher: Movietone Music Corp. (ASCAP) 2001 Publisher: Movietone Music Corporation (ASCAP) c/o Sam Fox Publishing Company, Inc., of Scottsdale, AZ Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings:
[This is a Latin beguine-style composition that has a melody with a resemblance to Jack Shaindlin's "A True Blue Heart"; but after the first 15 notes, the melody differs; So it may be a composition written by someone else... It was used for two seasons and was probably the nicest of the THEMEs for this series; No composer has yet been discovered.] Composer/Adapter: under investigation 1978 Publisher: [no listing found in ASCAP or BMI] 1999 Publisher: [no listing found in ASCAP or BMI] Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings:
[The THEME in F Major begins with "French Horns" and was only used for one season...I cannot explain why a new THEME was needed for this season (the last on NBC), except since there was a change of networks the following season. Changing the THEME was a typical thing that was done when a show starts dropping in the ratings -- to "freshen up the show" before giving up on it completely...] Composer: under investigation 1978 Publisher: [no listing found in ASCAP or BMI] 1999 Publisher: [no listing found in ASCAP or BMI] Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings:
[aka: "Opening and Closing Theme"; THEME and Composer information via T. Perrone from producer and library music expert P. Mandell who researched ASCAP cue sheets, which indicates this Opening and Closing THEME was "...furnished by Sponsor, the Ford Motor Co." This phrase on music cue sheets may indicate the THEME was written under a contract which precluded future royalties -- which would have been paid by the Sponsor, who was also the show's producer; The THEME is in waltz tempo with a wordless "vocalise" sung by a chorus; There is a curious resemblance between this THEME and the Gershwin song "S'Marvelous" which might possibly have been licensed for Ford advertising during that season; So it's possible Schumann was merely the arranger; that would also explain why he never filed it for ASCAP credit...] Composer/Arranger: Walter Schumann (ASCAP) Original Publisher: Schumman Music, Inc. (ASCAP) [later a div. of The Bourne Co.] 2001 Publisher: [not found in ASCAP or BMI Databases under the above title] Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings:
[The THEME is the one T. Perrone remembers most vividly -- it was used when episodes of the Ford Theater were syndicated under the titles "Your All-Star Theatre" and "All Star Theatre" and other titles referring to local station sponsors; It has a distinct effect of editing together two sections -- the first of which has a broad melody, and the second section sounds like an introduction...this editing may have been done to fit the visual title sequence...] Composer: under investigation 1978 Publisher: [no listing found in ASCAP or BMI] 1999 Publisher: [no listing found in ASCAP or BMI] Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings:
[The ASCAP Index of Performed Compositions, 1978 lists both titles as arrangements, indicated by an asterisk (*). So it is possible that this melody of this THEME was taken from a Ford advertising jingle of the day... If so, Ferde Grofé may have orchestrated a Ford jingle or other composition into a series THEME, which might be one of the above THEMEs which are under investigation; ...or this may have been used for another Ford-sponsored series such as the variety show "Ford Startime"...] Composer: Ferde Grofé (ASCAP) 1978 Publisher: [listed without publisher or composer] 2000 Publisher: [listed without publisher or composer] Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings: