Big Town (newspaper drama)

     (CBS Primetime, 1950 - 1954;
      NBC Primetime, 1954 - 1956)

     [Originated on CBS radio 1937 - 1948; then on NBC radio 1948-;
      The tv series was broadcast live from New York until 1952, 
      and was then filmed in Hollywood afterwards;

      On CBS, the role of crusading newspaper reporter Steve Wilson
      was played by Patrick McVey for four years; then when the
      series switched to NBC, the character of reporter Steve Wilson
      got a promotion to the job of the crusading editor, and was
      played on NBC by Mark Stevens (who had previously played the
      role of Martin Kane, Private Eye);

      Dumont ran re-runs in 1953 under the name "City Assignment";
      Syndicated titles included: "Byline: Steve Wilson", 
                     "Headline", and "Heart of the City"]

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Theme 1 (1950 - 1952): "Tell the Story"

    [Radio theme as per Frank De Vol's album "More Radio's Great 
     Old Themes"; The "Big Town" radio THEME was thought to have
     been used as the very first "Big Town" TV theme during its
     live broadcasts originating from New York;
     
     The writer Fran Frey (1903-1962), who sometimes filed manuscripts 
     with just his first initial, as in "F. Frey", was of French heritage.
     
     He contributed episode scores to 1950's U.S. TV series including
     "77 Sunset Strip" and "The Alaskans"]

     Composer: F. ("Fran") Frey (French SACEM/ASCAP)
              [professional name of Francois Marcel Frey]

     Original Publisher: Frey & Frey Co. (ASCAP)

     2002 Publisher: [not found in ASCAP or BMI databases]

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:
        LP: "More Radio's Great Old Themes" (1962)
             Frank De Vol and his Orchestra
             Columbia CL 1778 / CS 8578

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Theme 2 (1952 - 1954): "Big Town Main Title and Closing Title"

    [LP liner notes say this theme was recorded in 1952, 
     so it could not have been the original theme.]

     Composer: Albert Glasser (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher: American Academy of Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

     1998 Publisher: EMI-Mills Music, Inc. [Old Acct.] (ASCAP),
                        c/o EMI Music Publishing
                        of New York, NY

     Creation Date: circa 1952, according to LP liner notes

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:
          LP: "The Fantastic Film Music of Albert Glasser"
              Starlog Records SR - 1001 (1978)
              Soundtrack recording [in Los Angeles]

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Theme 3: "Busy Big Town"

    [William Lava was a ubiquitous composer during the early 1950s
     on several TV shows and this may have been an alternate THEME
     or a Sub-Theme, since it is published by CBS.]

     Composer: William ("Bill") Lava (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher: April Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

     2000 Publisher: EMI April Music, Inc. (ASCAP)
                         c/o EMI Music Publishing
                         of New York, NY

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:

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Theme 4 (circa 1954): "Metropolitana (The New Big Town Theme)"

    [aka: "Metropolitana Main and End"]

     Composer: Alexander Laszlo (ASCAP)
              [professional name of Sandor Totis]

     Original Publisher: Guild Music, Inc. (ASCAP)

     1998 Publisher: Regents of the University of California,
                       o/b/o Alexander Publications, Inc. (ASCAP)
                       of Oakland, CA

     Copyright Date:
     Renewal   Date:

     Recordings:

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