The Bell Telephone Hour (1959–1968)

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

Stars:

Edward Villella, Jacques d'Amboise, Joan Sutherland

Won 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 2 wins & 12 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Edward Villella	...	Himself - Ballet Dancer (12 episodes, 1961-1968)
Jacques d'Amboise	...	Himself - Dancer (10 episodes, 1959-1965)
Joan Sutherland	...	Herself - Opera Soprano (10 episodes, 1961-1968)
Carol Lawrence	...	Herself - Singer (10 episodes, 1960-1967)
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)
Ray Bolger	...	Himself - Host (7 episodes, 1960-1966)
Barbara Cook	...	Herself - Singer (7 episodes, 1960-1965)
Richard Tucker	...	Himself - Opera Tenor (7 episodes, 1961-1967)
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)
Benny Goodman	...	Himself - Clarinetist (6 episodes, 1960-1966)
Erik Bruhn	...	Himself - Ballet Dancer (6 episodes, 1961-1967)
Susan Watson	...	Herself - Singer (6 episodes, 1964-1966)
Birgit Nilsson	...	Herself - Opera Soprano (5 episodes, 1961-1967)
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)
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)

Storyline

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

---

Genres:

Music

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1959 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Telephone Hour

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

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.

---

Connections

Edited into The Bell Telephone Jubilee (1976)

User Reviews

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.