(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)