Ripley's Believe It Or Not (human interest)

    (NBC Primetime, 1949 - 1950;
     NBC Primetime, 1982 - 1986;
         Syndicated, 1993 -- the British animated series;
     TBS Primetime, 2000 - Present)

    [In 1918, cartoonist Robert L. Ripley began a newspaper feature 
     illustrating amazing but true facts and feats of derring do --
     unusual occupations, world records, historical oddities and
     circus sideshow freaks plus ordinary citizens triumphing over
     adversity -- all were fodder for the strip, and people loved 
     to indulge their curiosity by reading it -- much the same as
     tabloid journalism but in a succinct package;

     Later Ripley appeared on a number of radio series and segments
     of radio series on these same topics...from 1931 to 1945;

     From 1949 - 1950 NBC produced an early TV version; Ripley
     was the first host, narrating from an armchair the strange but
     true stories, sometimes with visual aids and even dramatic
     recreations; But three months after the TV show began, Ripley
     died suddenly; so a series of guest hosts finally led to a 
     permanent replacement in the form of Robert St. John; but 
     the series only lasted until 1950;

     35 years later, in 1982, NBC revived the concept with host 
     Jack Palance whose spooky characterizations seemed appropriate
     to the mystique of the show...and a few co-hosts; film crews
     scoured the world for interesting stories and presented them 
     in this pioneering actuality effort; but the boom in "reality" 
     programming in the 80's made these less novel than they might
     have been a few decades earlier...

     A British-produced animated cartoon version was attempted for 
     children in 1993 called "The Adventures of Ripley's Believe 
     It or Not"...which apparently was not aired in the U. S.

     In the year 2000, Turner Broadcasting produced another version
     of the series hosted by Dean Cain (who formerly played the role
     of Clark Kent/Superman on network television); this version
     is back for its third season in 2002 on the TBS Cable TV network;

     So what Ripley started in America in 1918 has bounced all
     around the world in several mediums and formats for the next
     85 years -- who in 1918 would have believed that possible? 
    (or not?)
    
     Three sets of possibilities and Cues were listed in the 1978
     Index of Performed Compositions, which could be clues to the
     early THEME for the radio or tv series or both:
   
     1.) "Believe It Or Not" by Ernest Joseph Orosco
   
     2.) "Believe It Or Not Cues" by Egbert Van Alstyne
   
     3.) "Believe It Or Not Cues" by Harry Richman and Louis Silvers]


Theme for the 1949 - 1950 version: [Title Under Investigation]

     Composer: under investigation
     
     1978 Publisher:
     
     Copyright Date:
     
     Recordings:


Theme 2 (1982 NBC version): "Ripley's Believe It Or Not (Main Title) (Sig)"

    [ASCAP title variations...
     aka: "Believe It Or Not (Sig)"]

     Composer: Henry Mancini (ASCAP)
              [professional name of Enrico Nicola Mancini]

     2001 Publisher: EMI-Golden Torch Music Corp. (ASCAP)
                        c/o EMI Music Publishing, Inc.
                        of New York, NY; and
                     Henry Mancini Enterprises, Inc. (ASCAP)
                        c/o Universal-MCA Music Publishing
                        a div. of Universal Studios, Inc.
                        of Los Angeles, CA

     Copyright Date: 
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:


Theme 3 (animated version, 1993): "Ripley's Theme Song"

    [above is title as filed for copyright]

     Composer: Thomas Joseph ("T. J.") Kuenster (British PRS)

     2001 Publisher: [not found in ASCAP or BMI databases]

     Copyright Date: Feb. 24, 1993; PAu-1-721-409.

     Recordings:


Theme 4 (2000 TBS version): "Ripley's Believe It Or Not Theme"

    [aka: "Open Host"]

     Composer: Mark Randall Leggett (ASCAP)

     2001 Publisher: Columbia Torch Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
                        c/o Sony/ATV Tunes, LLC
                        of Nashville, TN; and
                     Legativity Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
                        of Agoura, CA

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:



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