The Continental (romatic readings, starring Renzo Cesana)
(CBS Primetime, 1952;
ABC Primetime, 1952 - 1953)
[a suave Italian sat in a living room set, wearing his
dinner jacket reading romantic poetry to the camera
twice a week, just after the 11pm news, around bedtime;
What might have seemed companionable on radio -- when a
woman's romantic fantasy could make up the scene in her
mind seemed a bit silly with this literal version on TV...
(perhaps the pictures are better on radio :-) at any rate
the idea of reading to people didn't work on the visual
medium of television despite the efforts of two networks;
Perhaps it should have been a radio series instead...]
Theme 1: "I Kiss Your Hand, Madame" from the 1929
film "The Emperor Waltz"
[This romantic ballad was originally a song in a German
operetta; it was first sung in English by Bing Crosby
shortly after sound came to the movies; in 1953 this song
was again featured in a film, "So This Is Love" with
a hopeful young crooner singing it, named Merv Griffin;
wonder whatever happened to him? :-)]
Composers: music by Ralph Erwin (ASCAP)
[professional name of Ralph Erwin Vogl],
German lyric by Fritz Rotter (ASCAP);
English lyric by Samuel M. ("Sam") Lewis (ASCAP) and
Joseph Widow ("Joe") Young (ASCAP)
Orig. Publisher: T. B. Harms, Inc. (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher: Harms, Inc. (ASCAP)
2001 Publisher: Harms, Inc. (ASCAP)
c/o Warner Bros., Inc.
a div. of Warner-Chappell Music, Inc.
of Los Angeles, CA
Composition Date: 1928, on sheet music
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recording:
Theme 2: "Don't Be Afraid (My Darling)"
[aka: "Don't Be Afraid";
THEME credit verified by TV theme collector R. Clark]
Composers: Renzo Cesana (ASCAP),
Edward R. White (ASCAP) and
Maxwell Alexander ("Mack") Wolfson (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher: Barton Music Corp. (ASCAP)
2001 Publisher: Barton Music Corporation (ASCAP)
of Burbank, CA
Composition Date:
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recording:
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