Listening to many of the shows, I find it interesting when certain theme songs get used on OTHER shows. My assumption is that many of these are classical pieces to begin with, used because they're often public domain and are free of royalties.

We ALL know that the theme for the Lone Ranger comes from the cavalry charge of the William Tell Overture. However I've noticed in the course of certain episodes, suddenly I hear what appears to be the theme music for the Shadow! I've also heard that Shodow theme during parts of Buck Rogers. I assume this is another classical piece, but have no idea what it is.

Has anyone ever noticed that Dr. Kildare and Red Ryder have the same theme music? A little different beat, but the same tune.

The theme to Escape is obviously a classical tune, and is used elsewhere.

I had also heard that the very first tune specifically written for a movie was in 1915, to be played during a certain segment of the (silent) film. I don't recall the name of the tune, but it later became the theme music for Amos 'n Andy.

Any clues or other curious observations?

The Shadow Theme was "Omphale's Spinning Wheel" by Camille Saint-Saens.
www.old-time.com/themes.html

A part of "Les Preludes" was also a Lone Ranger theme along with the "William Tell Overture".

[quote="Gary Tayman"
We ALL know that the theme for the Lone Ranger comes from the cavalry charge of the William Tell Overture. However I've noticed in the course of certain episodes, suddenly I hear what appears to be the theme music for the Shadow! I've also heard that Shodow theme during parts of Buck Rogers. I assume this is another classical piece, but have no idea what it is.[/quote]

It is from Liszt: Les Préludes. This web site has information about it.

http://www.favorite-classical-composers ... ludes.html

Scroll down near the bottom of the page to listen to a two part Youtube presentation.

I think Escape used Night on Bald Mountain...a composition of Nikolay Korsakov?

Great question that sent me searching on the "internets"....look what came up -

http://www.classicthemes.com/oldTimeRad ... Index.html

Is there no knowledge unavailable in our age?

Just learned A Night On Bald Mountain is by Modest Moussorgsky...

It is said that you are only a true classical music fan if you can listen to the William Tell Overture and NOT think of the Lone Ranger.

Of course the opposite of that is to listen to the Lone Ranger theme and give no thought of it being classical music . . .

Bob Hope, Jack Benny and Burns and Allen probably didn't escape paying royalties.

Hope's theme, "Thanks for the Memories", is an Oscar winning song that he and Shirley Ross sang in The Big Broadcast of 1938.

Benny's theme, "Yankee Doodle Boy", came from the 1904 George M. Cohan musical Little Johnny Jones.

Burns and Allen's theme, "Love Nest", came from the 1920 musical Mary, which was also a George M. Cohan show.

I'm sure there are others, but I can't think of them at the moment.

The theme for "The FBI in Peace and War" was the march from Prokofiev's opera "The Love For Three Oranges."

"Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost Persons" used Noel Coward's "Somewhere I'll Find you."

I have the Burns and Allen show from 1951 featuring Mickey Rooney, and it sounds like the orchestra's playing Blue Skies. Did they switch over the years?

Thanks for sharing plenty of info. about radio theme songs.

Thanks for sharing plenty of info. about radio theme songs.

Thanks for sharing plenty of info. about radio theme songs.

Has anyone else noticed that Dr. Kildare and Red Ryder both have the same theme song?

Hell when I first heard the William Tell Overture during a classical concert for school, I nearly jumped up and shouted "The Lone Ranger!" Then I found out that Rossini didn't cheat the Ranger out of a song, and was bummed the rest of the night.