The West Point Story (dramatic anthology)

    (CBS Primetime, 1956 - 1957;
     ABC Primetime, 1957 - 1958;
     Syndicated)

    [aka: "West Point"]

    [An anthology program featuring stories of 
     young men training to become officers at the 
     United States Army's military academy along 
     the Hudson river at West Point, New York,
     about 50 miles north of New York City.
     
     The TV series was inspired by a 1950 movie also
     called "The West Point Story" starring James
     Cagney, Virginia Mayo and Doris Day, produced 
     by Warner Bros.
     
     The TV series was created by ZIV Productions
     which also produced "Men of Annapolis" -- a
     similar series about the U.S. Naval Academy.
    
     The CBS-TV series was produced in cooperation with
     the U.S. Defense Department; no doubt it had some
     positive effects on the recruitment efforts of
     the military...but had some trouble attracting
     ratings in sufficient numbers; it did get picked
     up by another network, but didn't last into a
     third season; it did have a respectable run in 
     syndication, of which ZIV was a master.
    
     The series was based upon true events at the
     military academy, although "the names were
     changed..." (as they were on Dragnet)...to
     protect the innocent young cadets whose
     stories were re-enacted.
    
     A young actor named Donald May played a student
     cadet who appeared in and sometimes introduced
     episodes during the first season; his character
     did not return for the second season on ABC.
    
     Some episodes featured contemporary stories;
     but in later seasons they were occasionally
     set in historical times.]

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Theme: "The Official West Point March" (Trio section)

    [aka: "West Point March", as per TV Guide;

     Verified as the THEME in TV Guide article "When The
     Melody Lingers On..." May 17, 1958, pp. 22-23;

     The march was originally written for the U.S. 
     Military Academy in 1928; The TV series used 
     its final "Trio" section as the Open/Close THEME.
     
     A student at the Academy named Alfred Parham
     wrote the original 1928 words of the lyric, and
     then revised them in 1942. But this rousing
     march is mostly played as an instrumental.
     
     The composer of the music of this venerable tune,
     Lt. Philip Egner, was a music teacher who in 1910
     had also composed the Army's fight song, named
     "On, Brave Old Army Team", which-- according to
     campus legend -- was composed on a walk near his
     house, during which the melody came to him, and
     he scribbled it on his starched shirt-sleeve so
     he wouldn't forget it.
     
     The trio section of the West Point March -- 
     which was selected for use as the TV theme, is
     affectionately known as "The Thumper" by band
     members and cadets, according to a West Point
     Military Band Summer newsletter of 2001.]

     Composers: music & 1942 lyric revision by Philip Egner (ASCAP), with
                original lyric by Alfred H. Parham (ASCAP)

     Orig. Publisher: Carl Fischer Inc. (ASCAP)

     1978 Publisher: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co. (ASCAP)

     2000 Publisher: Shapiro, Bernstein & Co., Inc. (ASCAP)
                       of New York, NY
                       
     Creation Date: 1928
    
     Original Copyright Date: June  1, 1928; E 693 423.
     Original Renewal   Date: Dec. 19, 1955; R 161 950.
     
     Revised Copyright Date: July 9, 1942; E pub. 106 334. 
     Revised Renewal   Date: [not found]

     Recordings:

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