(CBS Primetime, 1956 - 1957; ABC Primetime, 1957 - 1958; Syndicated) [aka: "West Point"] [An anthology program featuring stories of young men training to become officers at the United States Army's military academy along the Hudson river at West Point, New York, about 50 miles north of New York City. The TV series was inspired by a 1950 movie also called "The West Point Story" starring James Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Doris Day, produced by Warner Bros. The TV series was created by ZIV Productions which also produced "Men of Annapolis" -- a similar series about the U.S. Naval Academy. The CBS-TV series was produced in cooperation with the U.S. Defense Department; no doubt it had some positive effects on the recruitment efforts of the military...but had some trouble attracting ratings in sufficient numbers; it did get picked up by another network, but didn't last into a third season; it did have a respectable run in syndication, of which ZIV was a master. The series was based upon true events at the military academy, although "the names were changed..." (as they were on Dragnet)...to protect the innocent young cadets whose stories were re-enacted. A young actor named Donald May played a student cadet who appeared in and sometimes introduced episodes during the first season; his character did not return for the second season on ABC. Some episodes featured contemporary stories; but in later seasons they were occasionally set in historical times.]
[aka: "West Point March", as per TV Guide; Verified as the THEME in TV Guide article "When The Melody Lingers On..." May 17, 1958, pp. 22-23; The march was originally written for the U.S. Military Academy in 1928; The TV series used its final "Trio" section as the Open/Close THEME. A student at the Academy named Alfred Parham wrote the original 1928 words of the lyric, and then revised them in 1942. But this rousing march is mostly played as an instrumental. The composer of the music of this venerable tune, Lt. Philip Egner, was a music teacher who in 1910 had also composed the Army's fight song, named "On, Brave Old Army Team", which-- according to campus legend -- was composed on a walk near his house, during which the melody came to him, and he scribbled it on his starched shirt-sleeve so he wouldn't forget it. The trio section of the West Point March -- which was selected for use as the TV theme, is affectionately known as "The Thumper" by band members and cadets, according to a West Point Military Band Summer newsletter of 2001.] Composers: music & 1942 lyric revision by Philip Egner (ASCAP), with original lyric by Alfred H. Parham (ASCAP) Orig. Publisher: Carl Fischer Inc. (ASCAP) 1978 Publisher: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. (ASCAP) 2000 Publisher: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc. (ASCAP) of New York, NY Creation Date: 1928 Original Copyright Date: June 1, 1928; E 693 423. Original Renewal Date: Dec. 19, 1955; R 161 950. Revised Copyright Date: July 9, 1942; E pub. 106 334. Revised Renewal Date: [not found] Recordings: