MORE RADIO THEME SONGS

Originally broadcast on WNIB
Saturday, August 29, 1998

Once again we tune in to the signature music of radio: the theme songs that introduced so many of our favorite programs during the Golden Age.

Co-host for this second tiptoe through the tunes is our own KEN ALEXANDER who helped us with a similar program last year.

On today’s broadcast we’ll hear a great many familiar theme songs — from such programs as When A Girl Marries, Quiet Please, Charlie McCarthy Show, Telephone Hour, Voice of Firestone, and others— and we’ll listen to the original music from whence they came.

In addition to many sound clips and excerpts from vintage shows, we’ll hear complete broad­casts of:

SCREEN GUILD PLAYERS (9-20-43) “The Maltese Falcon” starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sidney Greenstreet and Peter Lorre in their original screen roles from the 1941 film. Dashiell Hammett’s character Sam Spade joins the search for the elusive Black Bird. The Screen Guild Players theme is from Symphonie Moderne composed by Max Steiner for the film Four Wives. Lady Esther Products, CBS. (29:35)

CURTAIN TIME (5-3-47) “Birds of a Feather” starring Harry Elders and Nanette Sergeant in “a gay, romantic comedy” about a slightly shady nephew who inherits a pet shop from his aunt. Cast features Myron Wallace, Sidney Ellstrom, George Cisar, Mary McKinley. Host is Patrick Allen. Bert Farber and the orchestra. The Curtain Time theme is Waltz from Suite Number One for Two Pianos by Anton Arensky. Mars Candy, NBC. (28:55)

SGT. PRESTON OF THE YUKON (5-10-55) Brace Beemer stars as Sgt. Preston with a cast that features Paul Hughes and the “WXYZ stock company.” Preston and his Wonder Dog, Yukon King are asked to capture some bad guys who have robbed a trading post. Fred Foy announces, with news of a special offer to Klondike Land Owners (those who already have the deed to that one square inch of land). The Sgt. Preston theme is the Overture to Donna Diana by Emil Von Reznicek. Quaker Cereals, MBS. (28:24)