(NBC Primetime, 1950 - 1951) [Network television's first late-night variety show was the brainchild of NBC VP Pat Weaver, who conceived of late-night television as a fertile field for entertainment, and is credited as the show's "creator" by several sources...although his exact role in producing this particular series on a nightly basis is not clear. Other sources credit head writer Stan Burns, producer Ray Buffum, and the producer/director Jac Hein who worked tirelessly "in the trenches", with much of the success of this pioneering effort. "Broadway Open House" was a predecessor to NBC's less slapstick and more long-lived "Tonight Show" -- which debuted in 1954 with two other comedians as hosts: Steve Allen and Ernie Kovacs dividing up hosting duties each week. The original star of "Broadway Open House" was supposed to have been the comedian Don "Creesh" Hornsby, who died tragically of complication from polio just two weeks before the series debuted.]
[Above is the version of the title with "Beanbag" as one word, registered for Published version; the Unpublished version registered it in two separate words -- "Bean Bag"; THEME identification in Gelfand's book "Television Theme Recordings"] Composers: Milton De Lugg (ASCAP), William ("Willie") Stein (ASCAP), and Jerry Lester (ASCAP) Original Publisher: Frank Music Corp. (ASCAP), of New York, NY 1998 Publishers: Frank Music Corp. (ASCAP), of New York, NY; and Amy Dee Music Corp. (ASCAP), of Los Angeles, CA [Registered as "The Bean Bag Song"]: Unpublished Copyright Date: Nov. 27, 1950; EU 222 279. [Published copyright info courtesy researcher T. Perrone]: Vocal Copyright Date: Jan. 9, 1951; Ep 52 203 Vocal Renewal Date: Apr. 20, 1979; RE-26-993 Recordings: 45rpm single: by "The Honeydreamers" RCA 47-4023 (1951)
[theme credit verified by collector R. Clark of Los Angeles] Composers: music by Frederick Loewe (ASCAP), with lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner (ASCAP) 1978 Publisher: Sam Fox Pub. Co., Inc. (ASCAP) 2000 Publisher: EMI U Catalog, Inc. (ASCAP) c/o EMI Music Publishing, Inc. of New York, NY Composition Date: 1947 Copyright Date: Renewal Date: Recordings: