Siskel & Ebert (At the Movies) / Sneak Previews (film
reviews)
(PBS Weekends, 1979;
Syndicated, 1986)
[The series featured two film critics -- Gene Siskel and Roger
Ebert, who worked for rival Chicago newspapers -- each giving
their often conflicting opinions of the same movies. It first
began in 1975 as a local Chicago series titled, "Coming Soon
to a Theater Near You..."
In 1979, they found a national audience via PBS, the Public
Broadcasting System, under the title "Sneak Previews", which
was produced by WTTW-TV, the PBS station in Chicago, and became
the highest rated show on the PBS network at the time;
In 1982, Buena Vista Television, a division of the Walt Disney
company, offered Siskel & Ebert the chance to "go commercial"
by syndicating the series nationally under the new title
"At the Movies" which eventually became known as "Siskel &
Ebert At the Movies", which most people remembered as simply
"Siskel & Ebert";
When the critical duo left PBS "the plot thickened"...PBS
kept the title "Sneak Previews" for its most popular series,
and hired another younger duo of film critics -- Jeffrey Lyons
and Neal Gabler to present reviews under the same format.
Meanwhile, back at "Siskel & Ebert"...
In 1999 Gene Siskel died from complications of a brain tumor --
an illness which he kept private until very near the end.
The show continued with the title "Roger Ebert & the Movies",
with a series of guest critics who were allowed to try out
their wits with Roger Ebert and test the possible chemistry.
A new partner named Richard Roeper finally joined Ebert late
in 2000 and the title was changed again to "Ebert & Roeper
And the Movies".
Tragically Roger Ebert began a long battle with cancer, and
had to retire from the series. He died in April, 2013.]
Theme 1 (1979 - 1982): "Summer Vacation"
[alternate title aka: "Happy Feet";
Music writer-producer William Loose (1910 - 1991) previously
edited and provided this piece to "Zenith/db Studios"
of Chicago under the title "Summer Vacation" -- which was
the title by which it was used and known at the "Siskel and
Ebert" production office at WTTW, Chicago, whose correspondence
during the 1980s also identified it as "Summer Vacation";
Information courtesy Steve Friedman, Director, Copyright, PBS]
Composers: William G. ("Bill") Loose (ASCAP/BMI)
1978 Publisher: Sam Fox Pub. Co. Inc. (ASCAP)
2002 Publishers: [for current Title, Publisher and Licensing
information regarding this THEME...
contact Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) and
the American Society of Composers, Authors
and Publishers (ASCAP)]
Original Licensor: Timbrewood Prod. Music (BMI)
a division of Dick Girvin Productions
of Chicago, IL
Composition Date: 1960
[as Sound Recording under "May-Loo Catalog #72"]:
Copyright Date: Oct. 28, 1998; SRu 395-760.
Recordings:
Theme 2 (1982): "At The Movies Theme (Sig)"
[ASCAP title variation...
aka: "At The Movies";
Dick Marx was a Chicago-based jingle writer who also wrote
"Two Scoops In Kellogg's Raisin Bran", "Ask Any Mermaid"
for Chicken of the Sea Tuna, and "Sears, Where America Shops"
among other national jingles; Dick Marx's son, Richard B.
Marx, was a pop idol in the 1980s and later produced songs
for the pop band 'N'Sync]
Composers: Richard H. ("Dick") Marx (ASCAP) and
Frank ("Porky") Panico (ASCAP)
2001 Publisher: Magnificent Mile Music (ASCAP)
of Lake Zurich, IL
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
Theme 3 (1986): "Siskel & Ebert Theme Song"
[above is title as filed for copyright; ASCAP title variation:
aka: "Siskel And Ebert And The Movies"]
Composer: David Feldstein (ASCAP)
[Copyright records spell the name David Feldestein]
Original Publisher: Wonderland Music Company, Inc (BMI)
2001 Publisher: Wonderland Music Company, Inc (BMI)
c/o Buena Vista Media, Inc.
a div. of The Walt Disney Co.
of Burbank, CA
Creation Date: 1986
Copyright Date: Aug. 12, 1991; PAu-1-545-634.
Recordings:
Copyright 1960 - 2018 by The Media Management Group. All Rights Reserved