The Donna Reed Show (sitcom)

    [others in the cast besides Donna Reed were Carl Betz,
     Shelley Fabares and Paul Peterson]

    (ABC Primetime, 1958 - 1966)

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Theme 1 (1958 - 1965): "The Donna Reed Show Theme"

    [original title in the Capitol "Hi-Q" library: "Happy Days";
     alternate previous ASCAP title: "Donna Reed Theme";
     alternate May-Loo Recorded Music Catalog titles: 
               "TC-430" and "TC-430A";

     In the book "TV's Biggest Hits", Jon Burlingame quotes Capitol
     library executive Jack Cookerly about how this production
     library track was chosen as the THEME for the series:

    "When Screen Gems began production on 'The Donna Reed Show',
     executives 'came over looking for a theme'. Cookerly recalled,
    'Bill (Loose) had written a real nice, pleasant little melody"
     ...(originally titled 'Happy Days' in the Hi-Q library)...
    "which we eventually called 'Music To Wash Dishes By,' because
     it's so insipid. They picked that piece of music for 'The
     Donna Reed Theme'."

     Following its use as a main theme, it was removed from the
     Capitol Hi-Q library for other uses...but still shows up in 
     episodes of older TV shows...one correspondent mentioned
     he heard the familiar melody in the underscoring of an 
     episode of "Leave It To Beaver"...]

     Composers: William G. ("Bill") Loose (ASCAP/BMI), and
                John Seely (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher  [listed as "Happy Days" in the 1978 
                      ASCAP Index of Performed Compositions]: 
                      Sam Fox Pub. Co., Inc. (ASCAP)

     2002 Publishers: [for current Title, Publisher and Licensing
                       information regarding this THEME...
                       contact Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI)]

     Copyright Date: 1998 [as part of the "May-Loo Recorded 
                           Music Catalog", a sound recording
                           filed for copyright];

     Recordings:
            LP: "Television's Greatest Hits" [Vol. 1] (1985)
                 by TeeVee Toons Records (now TVT Records, NY)
                 TVT 1100

            CD: "Television's Greatest Hits" [Vol. 1] (1986)
                 by TeeVee Toons Records (now TVT Records, NY)
                 TVT 1100 CD

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Theme 2 (1965 - 66): "The Donna Reed Show Theme"

    [BMI alternate aka: "New Horizons and End Credits (??)"]
 
    [THEME credit in "BMI's Many Worlds of Music", Oct., 1965 issue.]

     Composers: Stuart John ("Stu") Phillips (BMI)

     1978 Publisher: [unknown]

     2000 Publisher: [not found in the BMI repertoire database;
                      may be Screen Gems-EMI Music (BMI)]

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:

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