(Syndicated, 1952) [starring Bud Abbott and Lou Costello, one of the most successful vaudeville and network radio comedy teams]
[may be based upon "Jazz Baby" (1919) composed by Blanche Merrill (words) and M. K. Jerome (music), a flapper tune which shares the same first five notes...; In two books, the Abbott and Costello theme was erroneously listed as "Jazz Babies' Ball", a 1919 composition of Charles A. Bayha (words) and Maceo Pinkard (music -- who also composed the jazz standard "Sweet Georgia Brown.") This tune does not have any resemblance to the Main Theme. The two books in which "Jazz Babies' Ball" is credited as the THEME erroneously were Craig Pattillo's "TV Theme Soundtrack Directory", and collector Mark Koldys says the error is also quoted in the book "Abbott and Costello in Hollywood" (by Furmanek, Bob, and Ron Palumbo, published in 1991.) However, a piano/conductor part of a dance-band arrangement of "Jazz Babies' Ball" was located at the UCLA "Archive of Popular American Music". This printed music was compared to the three known TV themes listed below, and it matched none of them! Perhaps the credit of "Jazz Babies' Ball" as the A&C Theme was the result of confusion with "Jazz Baby" which was published in the same year (1919), and does resemble the Kraushaar TV theme...which is an original composition...probably actually ghost-written by arranger/orchestrator Mort Glickman who was Kraushaar's writing partner] Credited Composer: Raoul Kraushaar (ASCAP), and arranged by Mort H. Glickman (ASCAP) 1978 Publisher: Gordon Music Company, Inc. (ASCAP) 1998 Publisher: Gordon Music Company, Inc. (ASCAP), of Canoga Park, CA Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings:
[Title credit in the "Mutel" library, in correspondence with early library expert Paul Mandell was "Toy March", but it seems that "Toy Soldiers" was the name according to ASCAP... On home video tapes of the "Abbott & Costello Show" this piece is heard played back about a third interval higher than originally recorded. In other words, it was recorded in D Major, but is heard in F Major at a faster tempo, indicating the track was sped up for comic effect... (Mahlon Merrick's pseudonym may have included "Gene" since his 2nd wife, Grace Merrick, was known as "Jean" or "Gene".)] Composer: Gene Le Grande (ASCAP/BMI) [pseudonym of Mahlon Legrand Merrick] Original Publisher: probably Palisades Music Pub. Co. (BMI) 1998 Publishers: Palisades Music Pub. Co. (BMI), of Tampa, FL Copyright Date: Renwal Date: Recordings: From the "MUTEL" (Music For Television) library, and 78 rpm reference disks in the Capitol "Q" Series library. Q-177: Theme No. 439 (Opening)
[Title credit in the "Mutel" library, in correspondence with early library expert Paul Mandell was "Toy March", but it seems that "Toy Soldiers" was the name according to ASCAP... (Mahlon Merrick's pseudonym may have included "Gene" since his 2nd wife, Grace Merrick, was known as "Jean" or "Gene".)] Composer: Gene Le Grande (ASCAP/BMI) [pseudonym of Mahlon Legrand Merrick] Original Publisher: probably Palisades Music Pub. Co. (BMI) 1998 Publishers: Palisades Music Pub. Co. (BMI) Copyright Date: Renwal Date: Recordings: From the "MUTEL" (Music For Television) library and 78 rpm reference disks in the Capitol "Q" Series library. Q-177: Theme No. 439 (Closing)