Four Star Playhouse (dramatic anthology)
(CBS Primetime, 1952 - 1956;
Syndicated)
[The four stars (of films and television) who were featured
in this anthology series from Four Star Productions were
Dick Powell, Charles Boyer, Joel McCrae and Rosalind Russell;
the last two soon departed due to other commitments and were
replaced by David Niven and Ida Lupino throughout most of
the run of the show;
The first season this program was seen every other week,
alternating with "Amos'n'Andy"; In the second season it
settled into its own weekly schedule;
For the most part, this dramatic anthology rotated different
characters each week; but one character proved popular, and
was seen so frequently it became a kind of arc within the
series, and later was spun off into its own series; that was
the character of "Dante", a San Francisco night club owner,
played by Dick Powell; (In the spin-off series Ida Lupino's
husband Howard Duff took over the role);
After the series ended it was syndicated; and even later
some episodes of it showed up on other Dramatic Anthology
programs]
Theme 1: "Four Star Opening
Sig[nature]"
[Verified as the THEME in TV Guide article "It Seems To Me
I've Heard That Theme Before" July 28, 1956, pp. 12-13;
In a 1983 telephone interview, Klatzkin was proud of his role
in supplying this THEME to Four Star from the MUTEL library
with which he was associated; but he bemoaned the fact
it was replaced by the THEME below by Herschel Burke Gilbert
when Gilbert became the Four Star Music Director]
Composer: Leon Klatzkin (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher: [listed without publisher in the 1978
ASCAP Index of Performed Compositions]
2001 Publisher: The Bourne Co. (ASCAP)
of New York, NY
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
From the MUTEL music library
[original versions]
78rpm reference disks in the Capitol "Q" Series library
Q-174: cut 3: Theme No. 434 - OPENING (Dramatic-Full)
Q-174: cut 4: Theme No. 434 - CLOSING (Dramatic-Full)
Q-195: cut 9: Bridge No. 434 (Dramatic)
Q-195: cut 10: Bridge No. 434 (Mystery-Dramatic)
Q-199: cut 10: Tag No. 434 (Production)
Theme 2: "Four Star Emblem"
Composer: Rudy Schrager (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher:
2001 Publishers: Vogue Music (BMI)
c/o Songs of Polygram International
of Chicago, IL;
May be subsumed by:
Universal-Songs of Polygram International (BMI)
c/o Universal Music Publishing
a div. of Universal Studios
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
Theme 3: "Four Star Trademark Theme"
[ASCAP title variation...
aka: "4-Star Trademark (Theme)"
...and verified by contributor T. Perrone...
Title in the Capitol 'Q' Series library:
aka: "THEME No. 436 - Opening (Dramatic - Full)"
aka: "THEME No. 436 - Closing (Dramatic - Full)" ]
Composer: Herschel Burke Gilbert (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher:
2001 Publishers: John Paul Music (ASCAP)
of Los Angeles; and
Universal-Songs of Polygram International (BMI)
c/o Universal Music Publishing
a div. of Universal Studios
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
From the MUTEL music library
[original versions]
78rpm reference disks in the Capitol "Q" Series library
Q-175: cut 3: Theme No. 436 - OPENING (Dramatic-Full)
Q-175: cut 4: Theme No. 436 - CLOSING (Dramatic-Full)
Theme 4: "Four Star Emblem"
Composer: Herschel Burke Gilbert (ASCAP)
1978 Publisher:
2001 Publishers: Vogue Music (BMI)
c/o Songs of Polygram International
of Chicago, IL;
May be subsumed by:
Universal-Songs of Polygram International (BMI)
c/o Universal Music Publishing
a div. of Universal Studios
of Los Angeles, CA
Copyright Date:
Renewal Date:
Recordings:
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