CTVA
The Classic TV Archive - US  Music Variety
<Previous      "The Bell Telephone Hour"         Next>
Season 2 (NBC) (1959-60)
Episode Guide compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by: Rina Fox
references:
TV Guide / Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive

 ############ The Bell Telephone Hour #########
############## season 2 1959-60 ##############
##############################################
NBC

2.01 [05] A NIGHT OF MUSIC
59-1352
09Oct1959
Executive producer, Barry Wood
produced by Roger Englander
written by Larry Markes
directed by Sid Smith
conductor, Donald Voorhees
choreographer, Donald Saddler
choreographer for Ballet Russe segment, Leonide Massine ; music for Ballet Russe segment, Ivan Boutnikoff
starring
singer-actor Alfred Drake, actress Sally Ann Howes
violinist Zino Francescatti, Kingston Trio
Red Nichols and His 5 Pennies
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo starring ballerina Nina Novak and dancer George Zoritch
actor Alan Howard, vocalist Connee Boswell

Highlights:
Sally Ann Howes and Alfred Drake sing "Tonight", "Wunderbar", "Thou Swell" and "I Could Have Danced All Night".
Violin virtuoso Zino Francescatti plays Debussy and Sarasate solos.
Red Nichols and His 5 Pennies perform "Basin Street Blues", "Georgia On My Mind" and "Chicago".
The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo perform two dances from Offenbach's "Gaite Parisienne".

2.02 [06] MUSIC OF THE WEST
Prod no. 59-1419
23Oct1959
Executive producer, Barry Wood
Written by Lucille Kallen
Produced & directed by Bill Hobin
Conductor, Donald Voorhees
Music numbers staged by James Starbuck
Announcer Mel Brandt
Host Burl Ives
starring
Edie Adams
Johnny Cash,
Patrice Munsel, Brian Sullivan
Walter Cassel, Edmond Karlsrud
Dolores Gray, Art Lund
dancers Ruth Ann Koesun, John Kriza, Fernand Nault, Scott Douglas
and The American Ballet Theatre.

Highlights:
Patrice Munsel and Brian Sullivan perform "La Fanciulla del West" (Puccini): Final Scene (sung in English)
Johnny Cash sings "Camptown Races".
The American Ballet Theatre dances Eugene Loring's ballet "Billy the Kid" with music by Aaron Copland.
Dolores Gray sings songs from Harold Rome's "Destry Rides Again" and the song "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun" with Art Lund and he Broadway cast of the show.

(Color). Musically refreshing look at the Old West, courtesy of host Burl Ives. Dolores Gray, Art Lund, Patrice Munsel, Brian Sullivan, Edie Adams, Johnny Cash, and the American Ballet Theater.
Miss Gray and Lund offer a scene from "Destry Rides Again".
Miss Munsel and Sullivan delight with their duet from Puccini's opera "Girl of the Golden West"
Miss Paige and Cash sing in a Western-music hall
and John Kriza and Miss Koesun dance excerpts from "Billy the Kid."

2.03 [07] ON STAGE WITH MUSIC
Prod. no. 59-1529
06Nov1959
written by Ted Mills
directed by David Brown
produced by Ted Mills
Hosted by Burgess Meredith
with performances by
John Raitt, Jaye P. Morgan
Gene Nelson, Taina Elg
Johnny Desmond, Lorin Hollander
The Four Lads
Allegra Kent, Jacques d'Amboise
U.S. Coast Guard Academy Choir
Hollander plays a Chopin waltz and a Saint-Saens concerto. (Live)

Highlights:

"Girl That I Marry" ....... Nelson
"What'll I Do?" ........... Elg
"Always" .................. Raitt
"Remember" ................ Morgan
"Lovely Day" .............. Desmond, Nelson, Morgan, Elg
"They Say It's Wonderful" . Raitt
"Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Heat Wave" ..... Morgan
"I Never Knew", "Simple Melody" ........ Morgan, Desmond
"No Strings" .............. Nelson
"Let's Face the Music and Dance" ....... Nelson, Elg
"Song Is Ended" ........... Raitt

2.04 [08] THE MUSIC OF GERSHWIN
59-1657
20Nov1959
Executive producer, Barry Wood
produced by Sid Smith
written by Tom Waldman
directed by Sid Smith & Gower Champion
conductor, Donald Voorhees ; music numbers staged by Gower Champion
starring
Polly Bergen, Vic Damone
Marge and Gower Champion
Ella Fitzgerald, Andre Previn
Teddy Wilson, Ira Gershwin
Earl Wild

Highlights:
Ella sings "Lady Be Good" and "S'Wonderful".
Marge and Gower Champion dance to "I Got Rhythm".
Polly Bergen and Vic Damone duet with "Embraceable You" and "Our Love Is Here to Stay".
Pianist Andre Previn performs "Concerto in F".

2.05 [09] THE GIFT OF MUSIC
59-1948
18Dec1959
written by Lucille Kallen
produced & directed by Bill Hobin
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; music numbers staged by James Starbuck
Host Thomas Mitchell
starring
Rosemary Clooney
Lisa della Casa
Giorgio Tozzi, Penny Ambrose
The Lennon Sisters
Harry Simeone Chorale
Little Singers of Paris
Agnes DeMille Dance Theatre

Highlights:
The "Little Singers of Paris" sing delighful French songs.
Georgio Tozzi and Lisa Della Casa ring out with old English standards like "Deck the Halls" and "Greensleeves".
Rosemary Clooney and the Lennon Sisters do justice to a group of popular American Christmas standbys from "Jingle Bells", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", to "Silver Bells".
One of Ihe loveliest segments is a sensitive little dance-pantomime about the Nativity, based on an English 14th century legend by the Agnes De Mille dance group, that's played against the voice of Tozzi and the choir.

BELL TELEPHONE HOUR
The Gift of Music
Host Thomas Mitchell easily convinces you that music is an eloquent gift for Christmas, especially when the "Little Singers of Paris" thrill to their delighful French songs, and the full voices of Georgio Tozzi and Lisa Della Casa ring out with old English standards like "Deck the Halls" and "Greensleeves". Not as impressive but fun, Rosemary Clooney and the Lennon Sisters do justice to a group of popular American Christmas standbys from "Jingle Bells", "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", to "Silver Bells". One of Ihe loveliest segments is a sensitive little dance-pantomime about the Nativity, based on an English 14th century legend by the Agnes De Mille dance group, that's played against the voice of Tozzi and the choir.

2.06 [10] OUR MUSICAL AMBASSADORS (live, color)
01Jan1960
Donald Voorhees conducts
Hosted by Dave Garroway
with performances by
Louis Armstrong
Shirley Jones
Jack Cassidy
Jane Froman
Gene Nelson
Taina Elg
Jacques d'Amboise
Allegra Kent
Grant Johannesen
Summary:
This program is built around American entertainers who have performed overseas.

Highlights:
Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones sing "Around the World in 80 Days", "If I Had a Talking Picture of You" and "Forty Second Street".
Shirley Jones solos with "As Time Goes By".
Grant Johannesen performs Grieg's Piano Concerto in A Minor.
Jane Froman does "I Got Plenty o' Nuttin'," "I Loves You, Porgy" and "It Ain't Necessarily So".
Louis Armstrong All Stars perform "Tiger Rag", "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen", "12th Street Rag" and "West End Blues".

2.07 [11] WE TWO
15Jan1960
Executive producer Barry Wood
Producer Sid Smith
Written by Larry Markes
Choreographer Ralph Beaumont
Theme Music by Donald Voorhees
Annoucer Mel Brandt
The Bell Telephone Orchestra
Host Art Carney
starring
Gordon MacRae & Sheila MacRae, Les Paul & Mary Ford, Marge & Gower Champion, Jose Iturbi and Amparo Iturbi and Dorothy Collins.
Also The Raymond Scott Quintet.

Highlights:
The Raymond Scott Quintet perform a medley with "Lute Song", "Mountain High, Valley Low" and "Power House".
Emmanuel Chabrier performs Valses romantiques "Danses andaluses nos. 2 & 3."
Morgan Lewis does a medley of nursery rhyme tunes.
Other songs include, "We're in Love with New York", "Take Me Along", "Small World", "Till Tomorrow", "The Sound of Music", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "My Heart is Calling You", "All Night Long" and "How High the Moon".

2.08 [12] THE FOUR OF US
60-149
29Jan1960
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreography, James Starbuck.
Produced & directed by Bill Hobin
Written by Lucille Kallen
Choreographer James Starbuck
Composer Carl Maria von Weber
Announcer Mel Brandt
The Mel Paul Singers
The Bell Telephone Orchestra
starring
Ray Bolger, Ethel Merman
Beatrice Lillie, Benny Goodman

Highlights:
Ray Bolger sings and dances "Slaughter on Tenth Avenue" from "On Your Toes".
Clarinetist Benny Goodman plays Carl Maria von Weber's Concertino in E-flat Major.
Beatrice Lillie sings ballads.
Ethel Merman sings ragtime tunes.
Songs include, "We're Off to See the Wizard", "Sad But True", "There's a Small Hotel", "Everything I've Got Belongs to You", "The Old Soft Shoe", "Oh, Tonight", "Please Be Kind".
Other music performed "Alexander's Ragtime Band", "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Tweet, Tweet, Tweet", "After You've Gone Away", "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans", "Once In Love With Amy", "Girl Crazy", "I Got Rhythm" and "One O'Clock Jump".

2.09 [13] PORTRAITS IN MUSIC
60-233
12Feb1960
written by Burt Shevelove
directed by Sid Smith
produced by Burt Shevelove
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreography, Don Saddler.
Hosted by Carl Sandburg
starring
Julie Andrews, Larry Douglas
Nanette Fabray,
Victoria de los Angeles
Brian Sullivan
The Buster Davis Singers.

Highlights:
Julie Andrews and Larry Douglas perform Sigmund Romberg's "Operetta Miniatures".
Victoria de los Angeles and Brian Sullivan perform an excerpt from "La Boheme" by Giacomo Puccini.
In "Portrait of a Lady from 1860 to 1960", Nanette Fabray salutes one hundred years of the American woman.
A celebration of President Abraham Lincoln, the orchestra performs Aaron Copeland's "A Lincoln Portrait" with poet Carl Sandburg reading from the President's writings.

2.10 [14] THE MUSIC MAKERS
60-330
26Feb1960
written by Lucille Kallen
produced & directed by Bill Hobin
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreography, James Starbuck
Hosted by Polly Bergen
with performances by
Barbara Cook, John Raitt, Lorin Hollander
The Dukes of Dixieland
Bob Hamilton Trio (Bob Hamilton, Gloria Stevens, Katherine Damon)
football team Buffalo Bills
and Mel Pahl Singers.

Highlights:
Barbara performs songs from Meredith Willson's "The Music Man" with the Buffalo Bills "Till There Was You" "Lida Rose" and "Will I Ever Tell You".
Other songs include, "Basin Street Blues", "Blacksmith Blues", "Mexican Rain Dance", "Mandy & Me", "Sweet & Low", "Oklahoma!", "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Carolina", "Jumbo, Little Girl Blue", "Just In Time", "All the Things You Are" and "You'll Never Walk Alone".

2.11 [15] MAIN STREET U.S.A.
60-414
11Mar1960
written by Larry Markes
produced & directed by Sid Smith
Executive producer, Barry Wood
conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreography, Donald Saddler.
Hosted by Howard Keel
starring
Connie Francis, Carol Lawrence
The Hi-Los
Eddie Hodges, Roger Williams
The American Ballet Theatre
The Clay Warnick Singers

Highlights:
Songs performed include "It’s a Most Unusual Day" (Adamson/ McHugh). "Have You Met Miss Jones" (Rodgers/Hart), "Let’s Be Buddies" (Porter), "Almost Like Being In Love" (Lerner/Loewe), "Lazy Afternoon" from "The Golden Apple" (Latouche/Moross), "What Say?", "Brigadoon", "Almost Like Being in Love" (Frederick Loewe) and "Isn’t This a Lovely Day (To Be Caught in the Rain)?" (Berlin).
Other music includes "Ho-dee-I, Hoo-dee-A", "76 Trombones", "Warsaw concerto", "Tico-tico", "Time After Time", "Side By Side", "Yes Indeed", "Whoop-dee-doo". Ballroom dance music and "God of Our Fathers".

2.12 [16] CONCERT HALL
60-551
01Apr1960
produced & directed by Sid Smith
Executive producer, Barry Wood
conductor, Donald Voorhees
Hosted by Ralph Bellamy
with performances by
Alicia Alonso, Melissa Hayden
Nora Kaye, Mia Slavenska
Gregor Piatigorsky, Lucine Amara
Nicolai Gedda, Jerome Hines
Jose Iturbi, Warren Martin
The Westminster Choir

Highlights:
Music includes "Pax de quatre", "Elegy" / Gabriel Faure, "Allegro appassionato op. 43 / Camille Saint-Saens, "Faust Alerte! Alerte! / Charles Gounod, "Amor brujo, danza ritual del fuego / Manuel de Falla.
Concertos, piano, orchestra, E minor, Finale / Franz Liszt.
Medley of music for Easter & Spring.
A prayer for Spring (reading) Robert Frost.
Our Father / Albert Hay Malotte.

*https://www.vaimusic.com/VIDEO/DVD_4343_AliciaAlonso.htm

2.13 [17] THE MIKADO
29Apr1960
adaptation by Martyn Green
produced & directed by Martyn Green
starring
Dennis King ......... the Mikado
Robert Rounseville .. Nanki-Poo
Groucho Marx ........ Ko-Ko
Stanley Holloway .... Pooh-Bah
Barbara Meister ..... Yum-Yum
Sharon Randall ...... Pitti-Sing
Melinda Marx ........ Peep-Bo
Helen Traubel ....... Katisha
The comic Gilbert and Sullivan operatic story about a man named Nanki-Poo who has fallen in love with Yum-Yum who is engaged to be married to her guardian Ko-Ko. Nanki-Poo banishes himself from the village but returns upon hearing that Ko-ko has been condemned to death for the capital crime of flirting.
The Norman Luboff Choir

*https://www.cris.com/~oakapple/gasdisc/mikmarx.htm

 ############ The Bell Telephone Hour #########
################ end of season 2 #############
##############################################

 Have you any comments, corrections, episode titles, air dates, production numbers, directors, writers, story/synopsis, guest stars, cast lists, etc?
Have you any old videos, or tv guides? Dust them off and let us know if you have any information on this series or any other tv series from the
Golden Age of TV, which is missing from any episode guides on the web. Perhaps a certain episode of a particular series coincided with a key
moment in your life, or in world events - and or has left a vivid memory of when it was shown. Let us know. Would you like to see any other
tv series guides on this site? If so please e-mail The Classic TV Archive - see Feedback below.
This guide may be distributed and copied freely, in its entirety, for personal use. All original author and copyright information must
remain intact. Any sales or other uses of this document are expressly forbidden, without the specific consent of the author(s).
Copyright © The Classic TV Archive. All rights reserved.

Return to The Classic TV Archive Home Page
Feedback  -  MusicVariety Forum