CTVA US Music Variety - "The Bell Telephone Hour" (NBC) Season 3 (1960-61)

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The Classic TV Archive - US  Music Variety

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Season 3 (NBC) (1960-61)
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 3 1960-61 ##############
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NBC Fridays 9:00-10:00pm Eastern

3.01 [18] HOLIDAY IN MUSIC
60-1625
30Sep1960
written by Larry Markes
produced & directed by Clark Jones
Executive producer, Barry Wood
conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreographer, Bob Herget ; choral director, Mel Pahl
Hosted by Howard Keel
with performances by
Sally Ann Howe
Benny Goodman Sextet (Benny Goodman, Red Norvo, Flip Phillips, Ernie
Green, Maria Marshall)
Melissa Hayden, André Eglevsky
Francisco Moncion, Conrad Ludlow
Michael Lland, Van Cliburn

Highlights:
Melissa Hayden and a male quartet of ballet dancers move through the entrancing Rose Adagio from "The Sleeping Beauty Ballet".
Van Cliburn plays a Franz Liszt solo and the second movement of Brahms' "Concerto No. 2" in B-Flat.
Other songs include "Over the Rainbow", "Stout Hearted Man", "Tonight" and "If I Loved You" from "South Pacific", "Some Enchanted Evening", "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair", "You Gotta Have Heart", "September Song", "The World Is Waiting", "Bill Bailey" and "I Wanna Be Happy".

3.02 [19] THE UNFORGETTABLE MUSIC OF VINCENT YOUMANS
14Oct1960
Hosted by Patrice Munsel
with performances by
Janet Blair
Earl Wrightson
Gretchen Wyler
dancers Kelly Brown
and Bambi Linn
Norman Luboff Choir
Red Nichols & the 5 Pennies
and duo-pianists Whittemore & Lowe.

Highlights:
Songs include, "Hallelujuah", "Great Day", "Without a Song", "More Than You Know", "Flying Down to Rio", "No, No, Nanette", "I Want to Be Happy", "Hit the Deck", "Sometimes I'm Happy", "Take a Chance", "Wildflower", "Bambalina", "You're Everywhere", "Smiles", "Come to My Heart", "Time on My Hands", "Tea for Two" and "Through the Years".

3.03 [20] ONE NATION INDIVISIBLE
60-1842
28Oct1960
written by Draper Lewis
directed by Dick Feldman
produced by Frederick Heider
Hosted by Robert Preston
with performances by
Mahalia Jackson, Peter Palmer
Jo Stafford, Dorothy Collins
Bill Hayes and The Dukes of Dixieland

Highlights:
Songs include, "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning", "76 Trombones", "Shrimp Boats" and "A Rovin'."
Also a campaign medley with "Jefferson and Liberty" and "Keep Cool with Coolidge".

3.04 [21] AND FREEDOM SINGS
60-1948
11Nov1960
written by Draper Lewis
directed by Grey Lockwood
produced by Frederick Heider
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreographer, Robert Pagent.
Hosted by Burgess Meredith
with performances by
Alfred Drake, Barbara Cook
Gisele Mackenzie, Mindy Carson
The West Point Glee Club and The Harry Simeone Chorale.

Highlights:
Veterans Day program tribute honors the mood and the songs of servicemen from the Revolutionary War through World War II.
Alfred Drake takes on the uniform of the soldier of the Revolution, the Civil War, World War I and World War II and has a lovely girl to sing in each.
There's Mindy Carson in a New England tavern in the Revolutionary War, Barbara Cook to wait for him during the Civil War, Genevieve to sing to him from a French farm in World War I and Gisele Mackenzie to serenade him and all the boys at the USO.
Barbara Cook performs a Civil War Medley "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" "He's Gone Away" (Appalachian Folksong) "The Cumberland Crew" / "Blow the Man Down" (Sea Shanties) "The Battle Hymn of the Republic".
The West Point Glee Club sings the service songs of today.

3.05 [22] THE MUSIC OF ROMANCE
60-2039
25Nov1960
written by Arch Oboler
produced & directed by Norman Campbell
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreography by Donald Saddler ; choral director, Mel Pahl.
Hosted by Jane Powell
starring
Helen Hayes as Baroness Nadedja von Meck
Farley Granger as Nicholas Rubinstein
Johnny Desmond, Grant Johannesen
Lupe Serrano, Jacques d'Amboise
Michael Rabin

Highlights:
For the major portion of this all-Tchaikovsky program, you'll hear the orchestral music of the famed romantic composer and the Tin Pan Alley treatments it has inspired.
Pianist Grant Johannesen's virtuoso solo.
Michael Rabin's singing violin solo.
A Ballet performance from Lupe Serrano and Jacques D'Amboise.
A duet from Jane Powell and Johnny Desmond.

3.06 [23] 'TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE ... (Live)
23Dec1960
Hosted by Maureen O'Hara
with performances by
John Raitt
Rise Stevens
Donald Voorhees Conducts
with
The Columbus Boys' Choir
Ballet Dancers Igor Youskevitch and Roberta Lubell
the American Ballet Theatre starring Royes Fernandez, Scott Douglas and Ruth Ann Koesun.
On the night before Christmas, Maureen O'Hara reads the story of the Nativity from the Gospel of Luke. She also sings a group of traditional airs.

Highlights
The Ballet Theatre performs Les Patineurs.
Maureen O'Hara sings "What Child Is This?", "I Wonder as I Wander" and "Christ Child's Lullaby".
The Columbus Boys' Choir performs "Joy to the World", "O Holy Night" and "Angels We Have Heard On High".
John Raitt sings "At Christmas Time".
Rise Stevens solos with "Friendly Beasts".
The Chorus performs "Deck the Halls".
John Raitt sings "Winter Song".
Igor Youskevitch and Roberta Lubell perform the "Ornaments Dance".
Rise Stevens sings "Toyland".
John Raitt sings "We Three Kings of Orient Are".
The Columbus Boys' Choir sings "O Little Town of Bethlehem".
Rise Stevens with the Columbus Boys' Choir sing "O Come, All Ye Faithful".

3.07 [24] AND THERE SHALL BE MUSIC
61-40
06Jan1961
Directed by Sid Smith
Produced by Burt Shevelove
Executive producer, Barry Wood
Conductor, Donald Voorhees
Announcer Mel Brandt
Host Marilyn van Derbur celebrates 21 years of the "Bell Telephone Hour",
with performances by
Shirley Jones, Keith Andes
Renata Tebaldi, Maria Tallchief
Erik Bruhn, Jose Iturbi
and The Georgian State Dancers.

Highlights:
Renata Tebaldi sings "Un Bel Di" and "Tu? Tu? Piccolo Iddio" from Puccini's "Madame Butterfly."
Erik Bruhn and Maria Tallchief dance the grande pas de deux from "Don Quixote."
Shirley Jones and Keith Andes sing a medley including "Till There Was You" and "Make Someone Happy."
Jose Iturbi plays the finale of Grieg's A Minor piano concerto.
Closes with the Georgian State Dancers performing to traditional Russian music.

3.08 [25] MUSIC HATH CHARMS
61-149
20Jan1961
directed by Sid Smith
produced by Burt Shevelove
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreographer, Donald Saddler ; choreographer for Duke Ellington music, Valerie Bettis
starring
Sally Ann Howes, Valerie Bettis
Rosemary Clooney
Mildred Miller, Jeanmarie
Dirk Sanders, Dolores Gray
The Eddie Condon Jazz All-Stars (Eddie Condon, Bobby Hackett, Ralph
Sutton, Peanuts Hucke, Joe Williams, Mickey Sheen)

Highlights:
Dolores Gray sings Cole Porter songs.
Rosemary Clooney sings 7 Irving Berlin songs.
Sally Ann Howes sings a medley of Jerome Kern songs.
The Eddie Condon Jazz All-Stars perform "Sophisticated Lady" and "Pistols at Dawn"
Jeanmarie performs her "Merry Widow" dances.
Opera singer Mildred Miller performs the arias from "Carmen" and the "Gypsy Song".
Valerie Bettis dances to a jazz accompaniment.

3.09 [26] ALMANAC FOR FEBRUARY
61-258
03Feb1961
Written by Draper Lewis
Directed by Dick Feldman
Produced by Frederick Heider
Executive producer, Barry Wood
Conductor, Donald Voorhees
Dances and musical numbers staged by Bob Pagent
Choral director, Mel Pahl.
Hosted by Polly Bergen
with performances by
Roberta Peters, Theodor Uppman
Carol Lawrence, Russell Arms
Kelly Brown, Paul Whiteman
and Jorge Bolet.

Highlights:
Songs include “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story (Bernstein/Sondheim), “Love is a Simple Thing” (Carroll/Siegel), and “Love is a Many-Splendored Thing” Fain/Webster).
The show will be a re-creation of the premiere of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" which took place in New York's Aeolian Hall on February 12, 1924 with Paul Whiteman as conductor.
Whiteman and Jorge Bolet as pianist will re-creat the piece.
Also featured are a salute to St. Valentine's Day, a salute to Vaudeville and commemoration of Victor Herbert's birthday.

An all-Tchaikovsky program. It includes music and
dance performances and a dramatic presentation of the love story of
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky and Baroness Nadedja von Meck.

3.10 [27] THE SOUNDS OF AMERICA
61-326
17Feb1961
directed by Sid Smith & Irving Jacoby
produced by Sid Smith
words & music, Gordon Jenkins
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreographer, Hermes Pan ; editors, George Brand & Richard Scovill.
starring
The Earl Twins (Tessie & Bessie)
Scott Lane (as a boy)
Dwight Marfield (as Mark Twain)
Gene Nelson, Jacques d'Amboise
Ralph Brewster Singers.

Highlights:
The "Sounds of America" presents a trip through Disneyland aboard a miniature train. In the first act, the chorus sings about the sights that are seen, such as waterfalls, Pinocchio's village and Alice in Wonderland's home. In the second act, the train travels through Frontierland and western sights are seen. In the third act, the trip continues via a steamboat, which travels on the Mississippi. Mark Twain tells of his days on the river. In the fourth act, the scene is Main Street in early America and the chorus sings about life there. For the finale, a band marches down the street.
Medley of songs about "travel". Disney film songs medley -- Medley of songs from the western U.S.A -- Ballad of Bessie and Tessie -- Medley of music from the Mississippi river -- Mark Twain monologue -- Island, a tree house, and a cave -- Mark Twain monologue -- Medley of songs about life on "main street" -- Ballin' theJack -- When you wish upon a star.

3.11 [28] A GALAXY OF MUSIC
61-448
03Mar1961
directed by Sid Smith
produced by Burt Shevelove
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreographer, Donald Saddler.
Hosted by Burl Ives
with performances by
Gracie Fields
Stanley Holloway
Renata Tebaldi
The Robert Iglesias Ballet
Los Chavales de España
Virginia Bosler Dancers
The Bell Telephone Orchestra, The Buster Davis Singers

MINSTREL Burl Ives and soprano Renata Tebaldi will join a cast of talented performers for the full-hour colorcast, "A Galaxy of Music:" tonight on the BELL TELEPHONE HOUR.
The program will offer folk song, opera, musical comedy, singing and dancing. Other stars include Gracie Fields and Stanley Holloway, two of Britain's best loved musical comedy stars; instrumentalists and singers Los Chavales de Espana; and the Roberto Iglesias Ballet, outstanding Mexican dance group.

Highlights:
Burl Ives sings "Blue Tail Fly" and "Lavender Cowboy".
Gracie Fields and Stanley Holloway perform a kind of music hall turn and loving London in every tune.
Renata Tebaldi sings "Vissi D'Arte" from "Tosca".
Flamenco dances and Spanish songs from the Roberto Iglesias Ballet and Los Chavales De Espana.

3.12 [29] MUCH ADO ABOUT MUSIC
61-547
17Mar1961
Written & directed by Richard Dunlap
Produced by Burt Shevelove
Executive producer, Barry Wood ; conductor, Donald Voorhees ; choreographer, Donald Saddler.
Hosted by Dr. Frank Baxter
with performances by
Sir John Gielgud, Violette Verdy
Jacques d'Amboise, Joan Sutherland
Patrice Munsel, Alfred Drake
Allessandro Giannini, Freda Holloway
Polly Rowles, Thomas Andrew
Barbara Meister, Anita Darian
Don McKay, Buddy Schwab
*
Highlights
Jacques d'Amboise and Violette Verdy perform "Midsummer Night's Dream" Ballet.
Joan Sutherland sings "Willow Song".
Patrice Munsel and Alfred Drake do "Boys From Syracuse".
Violette Verdy and Jacques d'Amboise perform "Juliette" Ballet.
Joan Sutherland does "Mad Scene from "Hamlet".
Alfred Drake and Patrice Munsel do excerpts from "Kiss Me Kate".
The Chorus does "Wind and the Rain".
Joan Sutherland does "Hark, Hark, the Lark".
The Chorus performs "Who Is Sylvia?" and "Come Unto These Yellow Sands".
Patrice Munsel sings "Women Are So Simple".
The Chorus performs "Lover and His Lass".
*
Summary:
Everything from operas to musical comedies has been based on Shakespeare's plays and this show consists largely of such Bard-inspired music. Performers include, Sir John Gielgud, who recites from "As You Like It", "The Merchant of Venice" and "The Tempest". Singers Patrice Munsel, Alfred Drake, Joan Sutherland and Anita Darian: dancers Violette Verdy and Jacques d'Amboise and actors Alessandro Giannini, Freda Holloway, Polly Rowles and Thomas Andrew.
The actors and Miss Darian contrast several scenes in "Romeo and Juliet" with parallel scenes in Leonard Bernstein's "West Side Story" Dr. Frank Baxter, an authority on Shakespeare, is host of the live hour long show. Donald Vorhees directs the orchestra and chorus. Donald Saddler choreographed the "Dream" ballet.

3.13 [30] THE SIGNS OF SPRING
61-646
31Mar1961
Written by Draper Smith
Directed by Sid Smith
Producer Frederick Heider
Executive producer, Barry Wood
Conductor, Donald Voorhees
Cchoreographer, Bob Pagent
Choral director, Mel Pahl.
Hosted by John Raitt
with performances by
Martha Wright, Birgit Nilsson
Allegra Kent, Tommy Rall,
Paul Hartman, Wolfgang Schanzer
The Brothers Four and The Schola Cantorum.

Highlights:
Birgit Nilsson performs Handel's Messian "Come Unto Him" and Rossini's Stabat Mater "Inflammatus".
Other songs include "Oh, My Little John Henry", "Green Fields", "Younger Than Springtime", "My Romance".
John Raitt and Martha Wright performs Spring songs.
A charming ballet-pantomime sequence with Paul Hartman playing the clown in love with ballerina-circus rider Allegra Kent.

3.14 [31] THE YOUNGER GENERATION
61-742
14Apr1961
Produced by Burt Shevelove
Directed by Sid Smith
The Bell Telephone Orchestra
The Buster Davis Singers.
Executive producer, Barry Wood
Conductor, Donald Voorhees
Choreographer, Tony Charmoli
Hosted by Arlene Francis
with performances by
tenor George Shirley,
singers Ron Husmann,
Paula Stewart, Lauri Peters,
Brian Davies, Eileen Rodgers
and Harve Presnell,
ballet dancers
Edward Villella,
Patricia McBride,
Ruth and Jane Earl,
violinist Jaime Laredo,
folk singers the Chad Mitchell Trio,
belly dancer Francesca Roberto
dancers The Earl Twins
and the national winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions.

Highlights:
Paula Stewart sings "Hey, Look Me Over" from "Wildcat".
Harve Presnell sings "I'll Never Say No" from "The Unsinkable Molly Brown".
Brian Davies and Lauri Peters sing "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" from "The Sound of Music".
Eileen Rodgers and Ron Husmann perform "Little Old New York" and Rodgers sings "My Gentle Young Jonny" from "Tenderloin."
A ballet segment features Edward Villella and Patricia McBride from the New York City Ballet dancing the "Bluebird Pas de Deux" and "Tchaikovsky Variations".
Jaime Laredo plays the final movement from Felix Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto.
The Earl Twins and Tony Charmoli dance in "Time to Improvise".
George Shirley and Francesca Roberto (winners of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions) sing.

3.15 [32] ENCORE!
61-848
28Apr1961
Written by Draper Lewis
Directed by Hal Venho
Produced by Burt Shevelove
Hosted by Marilyn van Derbur
with six repeated performances from past Telephone Hour shows with
Robert Preston, Mahalia Jackson
Rosemary Clooney, Alan Howard
Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo
Nina Novak, George Zoritch
violinist Zino Francescatti
dancers Marge and Gower Champion
and The Eddie Condon Jazz All-Stars.

Highlights:
Mahalia Jackson sings "Summertime".
Robert Preston performs "76 Trombones".
Marge and Gower Champion do a nursery-rhyme dance.
Other songs include, "Fille Aux Cheveux de lin" and "Zigeunerweisen op. 20 no.1".

  ############ The Bell Telephone Hour #########
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