(CBS Primetime, 1956 - 1957 as "Telephone Time"; ABC Primetime, 1957 - 1958 as "Telephone Time"; First Syndicated as "Curtain Time"; and Also Syndicated as "Star For Today") [78 episodes were produced at Hal Roach Studios; The first season on CBS was hosted by John Nesbitt, who adapted most of the short stories for television; after the series moved to ABC, Dr. Frank Baxter was the host.]
[TV Theme collector Mark Koldys of Dearborn, MI recognized the source melody in this film soundtrack recently recorded on the CD album containing "Ballade for Piano and Orchestra", as the End Credits THEME used on all three versions of the Series (the original network broadcasts and both syndicated versions.) Since the arrangement on the soundtrack is structurally different than the way it was heard on the airchecks from the 1950s, it is possible that this melody was re-cycled by Malcolm Arnold for use in a Production Music Library, and may have a different title in that form... Another connection was that, in the U.S., Lippert Pictures, a production and distribution company on the Hal Roach lot which had released "Supermen and the Mole-Men" in 1951, also released the film "Stolen Face" for U.S. distribution in 1952. David Chudnow, Music Director at Hal Roach Studios must have heard the melody from "Stolen Face" via the Lippert connection. While "Telephone Time Cues" are listed in BMI as published by Chudnow's Byron Music Co., the End Credits THEME by Malcolm Arnold has not yet been found in either ASCAP or BMI as a separate credit. So the only ASCAP credit found by Malcolm Arnold and "Stolen Face" was for "Stolen Face Cues", which may have contained the "Ballade for Piano and Orchestra" mentioned above.] Composer: Sir Malcolm Arnold (British PRS/ASCAP/BMI) 1978 Publisher: [listed in the ASCAP Index of Performed Compositions of 1978 but without publisher] 2000 Publisher: [listed in the ASCAP Database without publisher] US Copyright Date: US Renewal Date: Recordings: CD: "Film Music of Sir Malcolm Arnold, Vol. 2" The BBC Philharmoic conducted by Rumon Gamba, with pianist Phillip Dyson; (the "premiere [commercial] recording" arranged for full Symphony by Philip Lane) Chandos Records, Ltd. CHAN 9851 (2000)