"The Bell Telephone Hour" (1959) TV series 1959-1968

Directors:

Nathan Kroll
Donald Voorhees

Writers:

Gordon Cotler (writer)
Dan Lounsbery (writer)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | unknown

Release Date:

12 January 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Music

Plot:

The long-running television version of the long-running NBC radio series devoted to classical music as well as Broadway composers.

Plot Keywords:

Song | Singing | Musician | Singer

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Edward Villella	...	Himself - Ballet Dancer / ... (12 episodes, 1961-1968)
Jacques d'Amboise	...	Himself - Dancer / ... (10 episodes, 1959-1965)
Carol Lawrence	...	Herself - Singer / ... (10 episodes, 1960-1967)
Joan Sutherland	...	Herself - Opera Soprano / ... (10 episodes, 1961-1968)
Florence Henderson	...	Herself - Hostess / ... (10 episodes, 1962-1966)
John Raitt	...	Himself - Singer / ... (9 episodes, 1959-1966)
Patricia McBride	...	Herself - Ballerina / ... (8 episodes, 1961-1968)
Earl Wrightson	...	Himself - Singer / ... (8 episodes, 1961-1965)
Maria Tallchief	...	Herself - Ballerina / ... (7 episodes, 1959-1966)
Grant Johannsen	...	Himself - Pianist / ... (7 episodes, 1959-1965)
Barbara Cook	...	Herself - Singer / ... (7 episodes, 1960-1965)
The Brothers Four	...	Themselves - Folk Singers / ... (7 episodes, 1961-1966)
Donald Voorhees	...	Himself - Host / ... (6 episodes, 1965-1968)
Nicolai Gedda	...	Himself / ... (6 episodes, 1959-1968)
Dolores Gray	...	Herself - Singer / ... (6 episodes, 1959-1966)
André Previn	...	Himself - Pianist (6 episodes, 1959-1966)
Melissa Hayden	...	Herself - Ballerina (6 episodes, 1959-1965)
Howard Keel	...	Himself - Singer / ... (6 episodes, 1959-1965)
Martha Wright	...	Herself - Singer / ... (6 episodes, 1959-1964)
Ray Bolger	...	Himself - Host / ... (6 episodes, 1960-1966)
Benny Goodman	...	Himself - Clarinetist / ... (6 episodes, 1960-1966)
Erik Bruhn	...	Himself - Ballet Dancer / ... (6 episodes, 1961-1967)
Richard Tucker	...	Himself - Opera Tenor (6 episodes, 1961-1966)
Susan Watson	...	Herself - Singer (6 episodes, 1964-1966)
Polly Bergen	...	Herself - Host / ... (5 episodes, 1959-1966)
Burl Ives	...	Himself - Host / ... (5 episodes, 1959-1966)
Allegra Kent	...	Herself - Ballerina / ... (5 episodes, 1959-1966)
Harry Belafonte	...	Himself - Singer (5 episodes, 1959-1965)
Lorin Hollander	...	Himself - Pianist (5 episodes, 1959-1965)
Rosemary Clooney	...	Herself - Singer / ... (5 episodes, 1959-1961)
Anna Moffo	...	Herself - Opera Soprano (5 episodes, 1961-1967)
Birgit Nilsson	...	Herself - Opera Soprano / ... (5 episodes, 1961-1967)
Janet Blair	...	Herself - Singer (5 episodes, 1962-1966)
Robert Merrill	...	Himself - Opera Baritone / ... (5 episodes, 1962-1966)
Rudolf Nureyev	...	Himself - Ballet Dancer / ... (5 episodes, 1962-1965)
Patti Page	...	Herself - Singer (5 episodes, 1962-1965)
Matt Mattox	...	Himself - Dancer (5 episodes, 1963-1965)
Anita Gillette	...	Herself - Singer / ... (5 episodes, 1964-1966)

Also Known As:

The Telephone Hour (USA) (syndication title)

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Trivia:

Was one of the first TV series to be telecast exclusively in color (using the color TV system perfected by RCA in 1954) and recorded on videotape. Many of the taped performances (several now 50 years old) survive to this day.

Movie Connections:

Edited into The Bell Telephone Jubilee (1976) (TV)

A pioneer in color videotape.

There are currently some wonderful compilation DVDs of this musical anthology show. I have one which pays tribute to classical pianists (including Jose Iturbi, Grant Johanssen, and Van Cliburn) and another celebrating the most renowned opera stars: Rise Stevens & Renata Tebaldi in 1959, Robert Merrill and Roberta Peters in 1962, Leontyne Price and Joan Sutherland in 1963. These shows were originally broadcast on NBC and recorded on color videotape as early as 1959. These tapes appear to have been dusted off and remastered and they now look and sound as crystal clear as a live performance. That's why this VAI DVD series is so precious. Many of these Bell Telephone clips appear on the cable access station Classic Arts Showcase, but I suggest buying the DVDs in order to see the full performances. There are Bell DVDs of opera singers, violinists, and I think even one with ballet dancers. This was the last avenue for commercially broadcast classical music, before it all migrated to PBS. Don't miss it.