(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]
Composer: under investigation
1978 Publisher:
Copyright Date:
Recordings:
[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:
[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:
[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: