"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)

Nilsson in Recital

Soprano Birgit Nilsson is featured in a solo 45-minute opera recital, taken from a Bell Telephone Hour color telecast.

Beginning with "In Questa Reggia" from Puccini's "Turandot," Nilsson demonstrates she can sing works other than Wagner with great effectiveness.

The air, "Come Unto Me" from Handel's "Messiah" is given a smooth rendition, and Rossini's "Inflammatus et Acensus" presents Mme. Nilsson paired with a strong chorus of mixed voices.

The ensemble performs Faure's lovely "Sanctus" from "Requiem" by itself, and Nilsson concludes the program with three favorite arias, "Pace, Pace Mio Dio" from Verdi's "La Forza del Destino," "Vissi d'Arte" from Puccini's "Tosca" and finally "Brunnhilde's Immolation" from Wagner's "Die Gotterdammerung."

This last rendering, along with an earlier "Elisabeth's Prayer" from "Tannhauser," clearly shows Nilsson's instrument being ideally suited to the Wagnerian repertoire. Not only does she excel in cutting through that composer's often heavy orchestration, but her true personality comes vividly to life in German heroines.

Donald Vorhees beautifully conducts the Bell Telephone Hour Orchestra in this collector's item, produced by Henry Jaffe. Kultur Videos is responsible for having preserved this treasure, and making it available for today's public.