[based upon popular radio comedy show starring Hal Peary and Willard Waterman, which began in 1941] (Syndicated by NBC Films; produced by Hal Roach Studios, 1955 )
[BMI title: "Great Gildersleeve"; The most well-known "Great Gildersleeve" RADIO THEME, called "Big Boy", was written in 1945 by Jack Meakin -- who was also hired as "Music Supervisor" for the TV series filmed at Hal Roach Studios 10 years later. Due to budget constraints for the TV series, no original music could be created. Therefore Meakin's role was limited to selecting THEMEs and background cues from various production music libraries. The track used for the "Gildersleeve" TV THEME is also found in the MUTEL ("Music For Television") music service of producer David Chudnow -- a part of which was sub-licensed to Capitol Special Products for its Capitol "Q" Series library which provided music for local radio and TV stations. The chicken-and-egg question of which came first is always hard to pin down some 50 years later -- was it originally the Gildersleeve TV THEME commissioned for the series and recycled in the MUTEL/Capitol "Q" library? Or was it a track composed for another radio series or film, that was recycled via the library and licensed by Hal Roach for Gildersleeve? This same library THEME was used as the THEME for the 1st "Blondie" TV SERIES on NBC in 1957 starring Arthur Lake. Hard to believe that in those early days of the medium, that two TV series produced 2 years apart would use the same library track as their Main Title/End Credits THEME, but airchecks from both series verify that fact. The "Gildersleeve Theme" is listed in the BMI repertoire database as being a composition of Georges Tzipine, who was a French conductor. He may or may not have been the actual composer since the practice of ghost-writing was rampant at MUTEL... Jon Burlingame's book "TV's Biggest Hits" mentions that MUTEL cues were recorded by a 40-piece orchestra "conducted by an anonymous Frenchman". So it is likely Tzipine was involved in some capacity...and this citation is proof of some connection with MUTEL, if only as conductor.] Composer: Georges Samuel Tzipine (French SACEM/ASCAP/BMI) Original Publisher: Byron Music Company (BMI) 1997 Publisher: Byron Music Company (BMI) [a BMI publishing subsidiary of MUTEL] Copyright Date: Recordings: From the MUTEL music library [original versions] 78rpm reference disks in the Capitol "Q" Series library Q-307: cut 3: Theme No. 655 - OPENING (Bright) Q-307: cut 4: Theme No. 655 - CLOSING (Bright)