The Bell Telephone Hour (1959)

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The Bell Telephone Hour is a concert series which began April 29, 1940, on NBC Radio and was heard on NBC until June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone as the name implies, it showcased the best in classical and Broadway music, reaching eight to nine million listeners each week. It continued on television from 1959 to 1968. Throughout the program's run on both radio and television, the studio orchestra on the program was conducted by Donald Voorhees.

Original Release

01/12/1959 on NBC

US Release

01/12/1959

Cast

Name	Character

The Bell Telephone Orchestra	Themselves
Mel Brandt	Self - Announcer
The Buster Davis Singers	Themselves
Edward Villella	Self - Ballet Dancer
Earl Wrightson	Self
Carol Lawrence	Self - Singer
John Raitt	Self - Singer
Joan Sutherland	Self - Opera Soprano
Jacques d'Amboise	Self - Dancer
The Brothers Four	Themselves

(see additional cast & crew)

#	Title	Air Date
1	The Many Faces of Romeo and Juliet	Friday, 08 September 1967
2	On the Road with Duke Ellington	Friday, 13 October 1967
3	Benjamin Britten and His Aldeburgh Festival	Friday, 03 November 1967
4	The Virtuoso Teacher	Friday, 24 November 1967
5	Casals at Marlboro	Friday, 29 December 1967
6	The Sights and Sounds of Chicago	Friday, 16 February 1968
7	Man Who Dances: Edward Villella	Friday, 08 March 1968
8	Opera: Two to Six	Friday, 22 March 1968
9	Going to Bethlehem	Sunday, 14 April 1968
10	Jazz, the Intimate Art	Friday, 26 April 1968

Directors

Sid Smith, Clark Jones, Dave Geisel, Robert Scheerer, Bill Hobin, Kirk Browning, Ed Spiegel, Norman Campbell, Bill Colleran, Dick Feldman, Gene Nelson, Gower Champion, William A. Graham, Martyn Green, Walter C. Miller, Nathan Kroll, Grey Lockwood, Richard Dunlap, Jerome Schnur, Hal Venho, Irving Jacoby, David Brown, Mike Jackson

Writers

Lucille Kallen, Charles Andrews, Burt Shevelove, Draper Lewis, Robert Herridge, Bill Gammie, William Nichols, Marshall Barer, Larry Markes, Gordon Auchincloss, Joseph Liss, Harold C. Schonberg, Ted Mills, Will Glickman, Ed Spiegel, Martin Charnin, Robert Sherman, Arch Oboler, Martyn Green, Tom Waldman, W.S. Gilbert, William Jacobson, David Greggory, Francis Church, Herbert Sargent, Bernard Rothman, Richard Dunlap, Robert Noah, Margaret Lewerth, Draper Smith, William Hammerstein, Ed Scott, Walter Marks, Jim Bishop

Cast

Name	Character

The Bell Telephone Orchestra	Themselves
Mel Brandt	Self - Announcer
The Buster Davis Singers	Themselves
Edward Villella	Self - Ballet Dancer
Earl Wrightson	Self
Carol Lawrence	Self - Singer
John Raitt	Self - Singer
Joan Sutherland	Self - Opera Soprano
Jacques d'Amboise	Self - Dancer
The Brothers Four	Themselves
Grant Johannsen	Self - Pianist
Patricia McBride	Self - Ballerina
Richard Tucker	Self - Opera Tenor
Susan Watson	Self - Singer
André Previn	Self - Pianist
Maria Tallchief	Self - Ballerina
Melissa Hayden	Self - Ballerina
Ray Bolger	Self - Host
Harry Belafonte	Self - Singer
Howard Keel	Self - Singer

Producers

Name	Role

Barry Wood	Executive Producer
Henry Jaffe	Executive Producer
Dan Lounsbery	Executive Producer
Robert Drew	Executive Producer
Ben Wood	Executive Producer
Dan Lounsbery	Producer
Burt Shevelove	Producer
Charles Andrews	Producer
Frederick Heider	Producer
Sid Smith	Producer
Robert Herridge	Producer
Herbert Ross	Producer
William Hammerstein	Producer
Bill Hobin	Producer
Ed Cosgrove	Producer
Roger Englander	Producer
Mike Jackson	Producer
Barry Wood	Producer
Gary Smith	Producer
Harry Moses	Producer
Ted Mills	Producer
Ed Spiegel	Producer
Norman Campbell	Producer
William Nichols	Producer
Don Appell	Producer
Nathan Kroll	Producer
Robert Drew	Producer
Stanley Prager	Producer
Martyn Green	Producer
Robert Dwan	Producer
Clark Jones	Producer
Kirk Browning	Producer
Henry Jaffe	Producer
Nat Wilkes	Producer
Gerald Green	Producer

Editors

Anne Gilbert, Sidney Katz, Peter C. Johnson, Naomi Mankowitz

Year	Type	Category	Won

1968	Emmy	Outstanding Musical or Variety Series	Nominated
1968	Emmy	Outstanding Achievement in Film Editing	Won
1967	Emmy	Outstanding Musical Program	Nominated
1967	Emmy	Individual Achievements in Electronic Production - Sound Recording	Nominated
1966	Emmy	Outstanding Musical Program	Nominated
1966	Emmy	Individual Achievements in Music - Conducting	Nominated
1966	Emmy	Individual Achievements in Electronic Production - Lighting	Nominated
1966	Emmy	Individual Achievements in Electronic Production - Video Control	Nominated
1964	Emmy	Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Music	Won
1964	Emmy	Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety or Music	Nominated
1964	Emmy	Outstanding Achievement in Electronic Photography	Nominated
1963	Emmy	Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Music	Nominated
1962	Emmy	Outstanding Program Achievements in the Fields of Variety and Music - Music	Nominated
1961	Emmy	Outstanding Achievement in Electronic Camerawork	Won
1961	Golden Globe	Television Achievement	Won
1960	Emmy	Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Music	Nominated