Big Town (newspaper drama)

     (CBS Primetime, 1950 - 1954;
      NBC Primetime, 1954 - 1956)

     [Originated on CBS radio 1937 - 1948; then on NBC radio 1948-;
      The tv series was broadcast live from New York until 1952, 
      and was then filmed in Hollywood afterwards;

      On CBS, the role of crusading newspaper reporter Steve Wilson
      was played by Patrick McVey for four years; then when the
      series switched to NBC, the character of reporter Steve Wilson
      got a promotion to the job of the crusading editor, and was
      played on NBC by Mark Stevens (who had previously played the
      role of Martin Kane, Private Eye);

      Dumont ran re-runs in 1953 under the name "City Assignment";
      Syndicated titles included: "Byline: Steve Wilson", 
                     "Headline", and "Heart of the City"]

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Theme 1 (1950 - 1952): "Tell the Story"

    [Radio theme as per Frank De Vol's album "More Radio's Great 
     Old Themes"; The "Big Town" radio THEME was thought to have
     been used as the very first "Big Town" TV theme during its
     live broadcasts originating from New York]

     Composer: F. Frey (ASCAP)

     Original Publisher: Frey & Frey Co. (ASCAP)

     2002 Publisher: [not found in ASCAP or BMI databases]

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:
        LP: "More Radio's Great Old Themes" (1962)
             Frank De Vol and his Orchestra
             Columbia CL 1778 / CS 8578

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Theme 2 (1952 - 1954): "Big Town Main Title and Closing Title"

    [LP liner notes say this theme was recorded in 1952, 
     so it could not have been the original theme.]

     Composer: Albert Glasser (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher: American Academy of Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

     1998 Publisher: EMI-Mills Music, Inc. [Old Acct.] (ASCAP),
                        c/o EMI Music Publishing
                        of New York, NY

     Creation Date: circa 1952, according to LP liner notes

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:
          LP: "The Fantastic Film Music of Albert Glasser"
              Starlog Records SR - 1001 (1978)
              Soundtrack recording [in Los Angeles]

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Theme 3: "Busy Big Town"

    [William Lava was a ubiquitous composer during the early 1950s
     on several TV shows and this may have been an alternate THEME
     or a Sub-Theme, since it is published by CBS.]

     Composer: William Lava (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher: April Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

     2000 Publisher: EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
                         c/o EMI Music Publishing
                         of New York, NY

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:

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Theme 4 (circa 1954): "Metropolitana (The New Big Town Theme)"

    [aka: "Metropolitana Main and End"]

     Composer: Alexander Laszlo (ASCAP)
              [professional name of Sandor Totis]

     Original Publisher: Guild Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

     1998 Publisher: Regents of the University of California,
                       o/b/o Alexander Publications, Inc. (ASCAP)
                       of Oakland, CA

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:

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