The Bell Telephone Hour
“The Bell Telephone Hour” was a musical variety show that aired on “NBC” TV from 12 January 1959 to 14 June 1968 that showcased the best in Broadway, Classical, Concert, Jazz and Popular music each week. The series had its’ own house band appropriately named the “Bell Telephone Orchestra”. The show also had its’ own theme song being the “Bell Waltz” composed by “Donald Voorhees” who was also the show's Orchestra conductor. Some of the greatest violinists of the 1960’s performed on this show that aired in the old “Black & White” format. Some of these great violinists included “Erica Mornin”, “Isaac Stern", "Michael Rabin", "Ruggiero Ricci", "Yehudi Menuhin" and "Zino Francesacatti". From time to time some of the great singers and bandleaders of the 1960’s would perform on the show as well. Some of these were “Bing Crosby”, “Gordon MacRae”, “John Gary”, “Leslie Uggams”, “Mary Martin”, “Nelson Eddy”, “Patti Page” and “Roy Rogers”. The TV show followed on the heels of its’ predecessor with the same name on “NBC” radio that aired from 29 April 1940 to 1958 on Monday nights at 8 PM. The name of the show was derived from its’ Major sponsor “Bell Telephone Laboratories”. The TV version began airing on Friday nights at 8:30 PM once a month. It later was given it’s same time slot now airing every other week alternating with another show on the other weeks such as News shows and specials. The show time slot changed quite often over the years. In September 1960 it aired at 9 PM and in September 1961 it moved to 9:30 PM. In October 1963 it moved to Tuesday nights at 10 PM, September 1965 it moved to Sunday night at 6:30 PM and in September 1967 it made its' final move back to Friday night at 10 PM.
Seasons
E1Adventures In Music
Jan 12, 1959
E2American Festival
Feb 10, 1959
E3Concert 1959
Mar 4, 1959
E4An Hour of Music
Apr 9, 1959
E1A Night Of Music
Oct 9, 1959
E2Music of the West
Oct 23, 1959
E3On Stage With Music
Nov 6, 1959
Burgess Meredith is host. Performers are John Raitt, Jayne P. Morgan, Johnny Desmond, Gene Nelson, Taina Elg, The Four Lads, pianist Loren Hollander, dancers Allegra Kent and Jacques d'Amboise, and the Coast Guard Academy Choir.
E4The Music of Gershwin
Nov 20, 1959
E5The Gift of Music
Dec 18, 1959
E6Our Musical Ambassadors
Jan 1, 1960
E7We To
Jan 15, 1960
Musical variety show with this episode focusing on famous couples: recording artists Les Paul and Mary Ford; dancers Marge and Gower Champion; singers Gordon and Sheila MacRae; concert pianist JosZ iturbi and his sister Amparo Iturbi; and Raymond Scott and his wife Dorothy Collins.
E8The Four of Us
Jan 29, 1960
Four entertainers perform songs not readily associated with them: Ray Bolger sings and dances 'Slaughter on Tenth Avenue;' clarinetist Benny Goodman plays Carl Maria von Weber's Concerto in E-flat Major; Beatrice Lillie sings ballads in a comic style; and Ethel Merman sings ragtime tunes.
E9Portraits In Music
Feb 12, 1960
E10The Music Makers
Feb 26, 1960
Polly Bergen is the host with singers John Raitt and Barbara Cook, 15-year-old concert pianist Lorin Hollander; the jazz combo Dukes of Dixieland; the barbershop quartet Buffalo Bills; and the Bob Hamilton dance trio.
E11Main Street USA
Mar 11, 1960
E12Concert Hall
Apr 1, 1960
E13The Mikado
Apr 29, 1960
E1Holiday In Music
Sep 30, 1960
E2The Unforgettable Music of Vincent Youmans
Oct 14, 1960
E3One Nation Indivisible
Oct 28, 1960
E4And Freedom Sings
Nov 11, 1960
E5The Music Of Romance
Nov 25, 1960
E6'Twas Was the Night Before
Dec 23, 1960
E7And There Shall Be Music
Jan 6, 1961
E8Music Hath Charms
Jan 20, 1961
E9Almanac for February
Feb 3, 1961
E10The Sounds of America
Feb 17, 1961
E11A Galaxy of Music
Mar 3, 1961
E12Much Ado About Music
Mar 17, 1961
E13The Signs of Spring
Mar 31, 1961
E14The Younger Generation
Apr 14, 1961
E15Encore!
Apr 28, 1961
E1Opening Night
Sep 29, 1961
E2Salute to Autumn
Oct 13, 1961
E3Trio
Oct 27, 1961
E4The Music Of Richard Rodgers
Nov 10, 1961
E5Designs In Music
Dec 8, 1961
E6Trip To Christmas
Dec 22, 1961
E7A Measure Of Music
Jan 19, 1962
E8Weavers Of Song
Feb 2, 1962
E9Portals Of Music
Feb 16, 1962
E10The Songs Of Irving Berlin
Mar 2, 1962
Ginger Rogers is hostess of this program devoted to the music of Irving Berlin. Guests include John Raitt, Johnny Desmond, Janet Blair, Mindy Carson, the Joe Bushkin Trio, the NORAD Command Band and Chorus. AnnouncerL Mel Brandt.
E11The Music Of Love
Mar 16, 1962
E12Gala Performance
Mar 30, 1962
E13Springtime In The Park
Apr 13, 1962
E14Till Autumn
Apr 27, 1962
E1Season 5, Show 1
Sep 24, 1962
E2Season 5, Show 2
Oct 22, 1962
E3Season 5, Show 3
Nov 22, 1962
E4Season 5, Show 4
Dec 23, 1962
E5Season 5, Show 5
Jan 18, 1963
E6Season 5, Show 6
Feb 4, 1963
E7Season 5, Show 7
Mar 13, 1963
E8Season 5, Show 8
Apr 11, 1963
E1Season 6, Show 1
Oct 8, 1963
E2Season 6, Show 2
Oct 22, 1963
E3Season 6, Show 3
Nov 5, 1963
E4Season 6, Show 4
Nov 19, 1963
E5Season 6, Show 5
Dec 3, 1963
E6Season 6, Show 6
Dec 17, 1963
E7Season 6, Show 7
Dec 24, 1963
E8The Younger Generation
Jan 14, 1964
E9Cole Porter: An All-Star Tribute
Jan 28, 1964
E10Almanac
Feb 11, 1964
E11Season 6, Show 11
Feb 25, 1964
E12Season 6, Show 12
Mar 10, 1964
E13Season 6, Show 13
Mar 24, 1964
E14Season 6, Show 14
Apr 7, 1964
E15Season 6, Show 15
Apr 21, 1964
E16Season 6, Show 16
May 5, 1964
E17Season 6, Show 17
May 19, 1964
E18Season 6, Show 18
Jun 16, 1964
E19Season 6, Show 19
Jun 30, 1964
E1Season 7, Show 1
Oct 6, 1964
E2Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein
Nov 10, 1964
Henry Fonda hosts a tribute to the late Oscar Hammerstein II.
E3Season 7, Show 3
Nov 24, 1964
E4Season 7, Show 4
Dec 8, 1964
E5Season 7, Show 5
Dec 22, 1964
E6Love Makes The World Go Round
Jan 5, 1965
E7The Sound Of Music
Jan 19, 1965
E8The American Song
Feb 2, 1965
E9The Masques Of Music
Feb 16, 1965
E10The American Girl
Mar 2, 1965
E11Wayfarer On The Mississippi
Mar 16, 1965
E12Festival Of Spring
Apr 13, 1965
E13Great Moments
Apr 27, 1965
E14Tin Pan Alley
May 11, 1965
E15The Many Faces Of Cole Porter
May 25, 1965
E1Salute To Jerome Kern
Sep 26, 1965
E2Music In Manhattan
Oct 10, 1965
E3Joan Sutherland
Oct 24, 1965
E4Salute To Veteran's Day
Nov 7, 1965
E5Thanksgiving
Nov 21, 1965
E6The Music Of Harold Arlen
Dec 5, 1965
E7An Old Fashioned Christmas
Dec 19, 1965
Martha Scott, opens with a tableau set in a small town in 1909. Townspeople gradually leave their still-frame poses, coming to life to sing holiday tunes. Melissa Hayden, as the Snow Queen, and Jacques D'Amboise, as the Prince, perform the "Snow" pas de deux from "The Nutcracker," with music by Tchaikovsky. The ensemble of singers perform carols in "Grandma's house," followed by a Christmas message from Frederick R. Kappel. A church scene with the Columbus Boychoir singing "Adeste Fideles," "The First Noel," and "Carol of the Bells". Martha Scott reads a biblical passage from Luke. Gianna d'Angelo and the Boychoir close singing "O Holy Night" and "Silent Night".
E8The Music Of The West
Jan 2, 1966
E9The Song And The Dance Man
Jan 16, 1966
E10A Gershwin Portrait
Jan 30, 1966
E11Valentine's Day
Feb 13, 1966
E12The Lyrics Of Allan Jay Lerner
Feb 27, 1966
E13Music Of The Movies
Mar 13, 1966
E14Masterpieces And Music
Mar 27, 1966
E15Songs Of Spring
Apr 10, 1966
E16Music That Mirrors The Times
Apr 24, 1966
E1Christmas Through The Ages
Dec 18, 1966
E2The First Ladies Of Opera
Jan 1, 1967
E3The Sounds And Sights Of San Fransisco
Jan 29, 1967
E1The Many Faces of Romeo and Juliet
Sep 8, 1967
E2On The Road With Duke Ellington
Oct 13, 1967
E3Benjamin Britten and His Aldeburgh Festival
Nov 3, 1967
E4The Virtuoso Teacher
Nov 24, 1967
E5Casals at Marlboro
Dec 29, 1967
E6Carnival of the Menuhins
Jan 19, 1968
E7The Secret Musical Life of George Plimpton
Feb 2, 1968
E8The Sights and Sounds of Chicago
Feb 16, 1968
E9Man Who Dances: Edward Villella
Mar 8, 1968
E10Opera: Two to Six
Mar 22, 1968
E11Going to Bethlehem
Apr 14, 1968
E12Jazz - The Intimate Art
Apr 26, 1968
E13Discover America with Jose Jimenez
May 17, 1968
Storyline
“The Bell Telephone Hour” was a musical variety show that aired on “NBC” TV from 12 January 1959 to 14 June 1968 that showcased the best in Broadway, Classical, Concert, Jazz and Popular music each week. The series had its’ own house band appropriately named the “Bell Telephone Orchestra”. The show also had its’ own theme song being the “Bell Waltz” composed by “Donald Voorhees” who was also the show's Orchestra conductor. Some of the greatest violinists of the 1960’s performed on this show that aired in the old “Black & White” format. Some of these great violinists included “Erica Mornin”, “Isaac Stern", "Michael Rabin", "Ruggiero Ricci", "Yehudi Menuhin" and "Zino Francesacatti". From time to time some of the great singers and bandleaders of the 1960’s would perform on the show as well. Some of these were “Bing Crosby”, “Gordon MacRae”, “John Gary”, “Leslie Uggams”, “Mary Martin”, “Nelson Eddy”, “Patti Page” and “Roy Rogers”. The TV show followed on the heels of its’ predecessor with the same name on “NBC” radio that aired from 29 April 1940 to 1958 on Monday nights at 8 PM. The name of the show was derived from its’ Major sponsor “Bell Telephone Laboratories”. The TV version began airing on Friday nights at 8:30 PM once a month. It later was given it’s same time slot now airing every other week alternating with another show on the other weeks such as News shows and specials. The show time slot changed quite often over the years. In September 1960 it aired at 9 PM and in September 1961 it moved to 9:30 PM. In October 1963 it moved to Tuesday nights at 10 PM, September 1965 it moved to Sunday night at 6:30 PM and in September 1967 it made its' final move back to Friday night at 10 PM.
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