The Great Gildersleeve (situation comedy, starring Willard Waterman)

     [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 ) 


Theme: "The Great Gildersleeve"

    [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)



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