OTR Theme Music


As Golden-Age radio was heard by more and more listeners, the theme music for popular programs became almost as well known as the programs themselves. Unfortunately, as time passed, the names of the themes were forgotten faster than the programs with which they were associated. Here is a table of some OTR programs and their theme music. How many titles did you recognize?

OTR Theme Music
OTR Program Primary Theme Music
Adventures of Frank Merriwell, TheBoola, Boola
Aldrich Family, TheThis is It!
American Radio Warblers [Canaries]Vienna Woods
Amos 'n' AndyPerfect Song; Angel's Seranade
Arthur GodfreySeems Like Old Times
Baby SnooksRock-a-bye, Baby
Bachelor's Children Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life
Big Story, TheEin Heldenleben (section titled 'Prowess in Battle')(Richard Strauss)
Bing CrosbyWhere the Blue of the Night
Bob HopeThanks for the Memory
Broadway is My BeatManhattan
Buck RogersLes Preludes (Liszt)
Burns and AllenLove Nest
Captain MidnightFlying Dutchman Overture (Wagner)
Carnation HourContented (?)
Charlie McCarthy ShowThe Big Show (Kern)
Colgate Sports Newsreel (Bill Stern)Mademoiselle from Armentieres
Count of Monte Cristo, TheSylvia Ballet (Delibes)
David HarumSunbonnet Sue
Dr ChristianRainbow on the River
Duffy's TavernWhen Irish Eyes are Smiling
Easy AcesManhattan Serenade
EscapeNight on Bald Mountain
FBI In Peace and WarMarch from the Love For Three Oranges (Prokofiev)
Fibber McGee & MollySave Your Sorrow for Tomorrow; Wing to Wing; We're Gonna Ride Ride Ride
First Nighter ProgramNeapolitan Nights
Frank Sinatra ShowPut Your Dreams Away for Another Day
Fred Allen ShowSmile, Darn Ya, Smile!
Gene AutryBack in the Saddle Again
Glenn Miller OrchestraMoonlight Serenade
Goldbergs, TheSerenade (Toselli)
Green Hornet, TheThe Flight of the Bumblebee (Rimsky-Korsakov)
GunsmokeThe old Trail (Koury)
Hilltop HouseLullaby (Brahms)
I Love A MysteryValse Triste (Sibelius)
Jack ArmstrongWave the Flag (for Hudson High)
Jack BennyLove in Bloom; Yankee Doodle Boy
Jimmy Durante ShowInk-a-dink-a-Doo
Judy CanovaGo to Sleep Little Baby
Just Plain BillDarling Nellie Gray; Polly Wolly Doodle
Kate SmithWhen The Moon Comes Over The Mountain
Kitty KeeneNone but the Lonley Heart (Tchaikovsky)
Lawrence WelkBubbles in the Wine
Lone Ranger, TheWilliam Tell Overture (Rossini),
Fingal's Cave Overture (Mendelsshon)
Les Preludes (Liszt), etc. See more complete list
Lorenzo JonesFuniculi, Funicula; Beyond the Blue Horizon
Lum N Abner1931-41 Eleanor (Jessie Deppin); 1941-46 Evalina (Sybil Bock); 1946-53 Down on the Old Party Line (Ralph & Elsie Emerson)
Mercury Theater on the AirTchaikovsky, Piano Concerto no. 1, First movement
Milton Berle Show, TheBuy Eversharp
Mr. & Mrs. NorthThe Way You Look Tonight
Mr. District AttorneyEin Heldenleiben (R. Strauss)[?] Original music by Peter Van Steeden [?]
Mr. Keen, Tracer of Lost PersonsSome Day I'll Find You (Noel Coward)
My Friend IrmaFriendship (Cole Porter)
Myrt & MargeDream Waltz; Poor Butterfly
No School Today / Big Jon and SparkieTeddy Bear's Picnic
Nona from Nowhere I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
One Man's FamilyDestiny Waltz (Barnes), Patricia (Carson)
Our Gal SundayRed River Valley
Phil Harris and Alice FayeSunday; Rose Room
Philip Morris TheatreGrand Canyon Suite
Quiet, PleaseSymphony in D, 2nd movement (Franck)
Road of Life, TheTheme from Tchaikovsky's Andante Cantabile. (Tchaikovsky)
Romance of Helen Trent, The Juanita
Roy RogersHappy Trails;
Its Roundup Time on the Double R Bar
Sam SpadeGoodnight Sweetheart (At the end)
Sgt. Preston (Challenge of the Yukon)Donna Diana Overture (Von Reznicek)
Shadow, TheOmphales Spinning Wheel (Opus 31) (Saint-Saens)
Sherlock HolmesMarch of the Ancestors; Scotch Poem
Six Shooter, TheHighland Lament
Standard Hour, The / Standard School BroadcastThis Hour is Yours (Michaelis & Haug)
Stella DallasHow Can I Leave Thee?
SuspenseOriginal theme composed by Bernard Herrmann
Telephone Hour, TheMusic of love (a.k.a. The Bell waltz) (Voorhees & Wood)
Terry and the PiratesAmbushes Everywhere
Third Man, The (Lives of Harry Lime)The Third Man Theme
Tom MixWhen the Bloom is on the Sage
True Detective MysteriesMysterioso #1
Vaughn MonroeRacing With The Moon
Vic & SadeOh, You Beautiful Doll! Shine on, Harvest Moon
Chanson Bohemienne
Voice of Firestone, TheOpening: "If I Could Tell You";
Closing: "In My Garden"
Witch's TaleOrgy of Spirits (A. Ilyinski)
You Bet Your LifeHurray for Capt. Spaulding
Young Dr. MalonePrelude in D (Intersteen)
Your Hit ParadeLucky Day / So Long For A While
Ziegfield Follies of the AirA Pretty Girl

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