Theme Songs From US Sitcoms (1950-1959) Quiz

Answer: The Perfect Song

"The Amos 'n' Andy" Show" was a long running radio series before it came to television. The television series lasted for two seasons and 52 episodes (with an additional 26 episodes released into syndication). An eventually controversial aspect of the radio show was that two white actors provided the voices of the African-American characters. On the television series, African-American actors portrayed the title characters, though in an attempt to emulate the portrayals on the radio series. For much of their history, both the television series and radio series were the target of protests.

"The Perfect Song" served as the theme song "Amos 'n' Andy" on both radio and television. Joseph Brell wrote "The Perfect Song" which was adapted from his score for the 1915 film "Birth of a Nation".

Answer: A Romantic Guy, I

"The Bob Cummings Show", also known as "Love That Bob" ran for five seasons and 173 episodes. The title star of the series played a Hollywood photographer and Air Force Reserve officer. The series involved people who would later become better known for other products: head writer Paul Henning would create "The Beverly Hillbillies" and co-star Ann B. Davis would portray Alice the housekeeper on "The Brady Bunch".

Del Sharbutt, Frank Stanton, and Richard Uhl wrote the theme song "A Romantic Guy, I".

Answer: Katy

"The Ann Sothern Show" lasted for three seasons and 93 episodes. The title actress starred as Katy O'Connor, the assistant manager of a New York City hotel. The series showed an example of a female character in a position of authority. Late in the first season and during the beginning of the second season there was an overhauling of a significant part of the cast.

Ann Sothern and Bonnie lake wrote "Katy", the theme song for "The Ann Sothern Show".

Answer: Happy Days

"The Donna Reed Show" ran for eight seasons and 275 episodes. The series focused on the Stones, a middle-class, suburban family. While the episodes often revolved around typical television storylines of the time, more controversial issues were occasionally explored. The show would reach the Nielsen Top 20 during its sixth season.

John Seely composed the theme song to "The Donna Reed Show", "Happy Days".

Answer: Love Nest

"The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" ran for eight seasons and 291 episodes. The set was designed to look like the home of long time married couple Burns and Allen. Within the pair, George served as the straight man and Gracie delivered the zany one liners. The series ended because of Allen's declining health. George Burns would try a solo sitcom "The George Burns Show" that would last for one year.

Louis A. Hirsch and Otto Harbach wrote the song "Love Nest" in 1920. The song had previously served as the theme for the Burns and Allen radio show.

Answer: Serenade

Beginning as a long-running radio series, "The Goldbergs" at different times aired on CBS, NBC, DuMont, and in syndication. Since for much of its run "The Goldbergs" was aired lived, it is believed that only a fraction of the series episodes (probably less than half) exist in some recorded. The series focused on a Jewish family living in the Bronx and is one of the first television sitcoms.

Enrico Toselli's "Serenade" was the theme song for "The Goldbergs".

Answer: You're My Greatest Love

The one season and 39 episodes of "The Honeymooners" is a special case. The Kramdens and Nortons had appeared on periodic skits in Jackie Gleason's variety show. The skits were so popular, however, that the variety show was essentially set aside for a season to allow "The Honeymooners" to appear. The show focused on a pair of working class couples who lived in Brooklyn. After the season long show aired, they characters would periodically reappear in Gleason's shows as late as 1978.

Sammy Spear and Jackie Gleason composed the theme song for the series "You're My Greatest Love".

Answer: Whistle Stop

"Jamie" aired in two seasons and had 22 episodes and a pilot. As with many of the earliest television series, the show was performed live and there are only recordings of an unknown fraction of the episodes. The series focused on a young boy who must adapt to living with his aunt and grandfather after the death of his parents. Many of the scenes of the series were set on the back porch of the family home.

The theme song of the series is "Whistle Stop" and was composed by Hugh Martin, Jr. The song was adapted from music that first appeared in a 1950 documentary film about the painter Grandma Moses.

Answer: The Toy Parade

"Leave It to Beaver" spent its first season on CBS before moving to ABC during its run of six seasons and 234 episodes. Like many series of the time, "Leave It to Beaver" focused on a suburban couple and their two sons." The final episode of the series "Family Scrapbook" is an early example of "clips" episode--showing scenes from several other episodes--as well as one of the first explicit series finales.

The series had "The Toy Parade", written by David Kahn, Melvyn Leonard, and Mort Greene, as its theme song.

Answer: A Family Story

"The Stu Erwin Show" was also called "Trouble With Father" and ran four seasons and 130 episodes. The show focused on a couple and their two daughters. Unusually for the 1950s, African-American actor Willie Best played a regular supporting role on the series as a handyman/friend of the main character. Also interestingly, during the 1953-1954 season, the series only showed rerun episodes.

The theme song of the series "A Family Story" was composed by Alexander Laszio.