Roger Williams

“The Bell Telephone Hour” was a musical variety show that aired on “NBC” TV from 12 January 1959 to 14 June 1968 that showcased the best in Broadway, Classical, Concert, Jazz and Popular music each week. The series had its’ own house band appropriately named the “Bell Telephone Orchestra”. The show also had its’ own theme song being the “Bell Waltz” composed by “Donald Voorhees” who was also the show's Orchestra conductor. Some of the greatest violinists of the 1960’s performed on this show that aired in the old “Black & White” format. Some of these great violinists included “Erica Mornin”, “Isaac Stern", "Michael Rabin", "Ruggiero Ricci", "Yehudi Menuhin" and "Zino Francesacatti". From time to time some of the great singers and bandleaders of the 1960’s would perform on the show as well. Some of these were “Bing Crosby”, “Gordon MacRae”, “John Gary”, “Leslie Uggams”, “Mary Martin”, “Nelson Eddy”, “Patti Page” and “Roy Rogers”. The TV show followed on the heels of its’ predecessor with the same name on “NBC” radio that aired from 29 April 1940 to 1958 on Monday nights at 8 PM. The name of the show was derived from its’ Major sponsor “Bell Telephone Laboratories”. The TV version began airing on Friday nights at 8:30 PM once a month. It later was given it’s same time slot now airing every other week alternating with another show on the other weeks such as News shows and specials. The show time slot changed quite often over the years. In September 1960 it aired at 9 PM and in September 1961 it moved to 9:30 PM. In October 1963 it moved to Tuesday nights at 10 PM, September 1965 it moved to Sunday night at 6:30 PM and in September 1967 it made its' final move back to Friday night at 10 PM.

A Royal Canadian Mountie is assigned to bring in a criminal called "The Raven." The problem is that no one has ever seen him.

The son of Sheriff Clay Hartley, of the frontier town Elder, has gotten into bad company and hangs out with an outlaw gang in which, Collins, owner of the Golden Rule Saloon, is the secret head. Sheriff Hartley suspects him, but has been unable to gather the needed evidence. Collins instructs his gang, including young Hartley, to hold up the stagecoach on its return trip from Missionary Flats and take the cargo of gold dust it is carrying. Sheriff Hartley is notified of the planned holdup by one of his deputies who has been spying on Collins, and organizes a posse. A deputy-sheriff is killed in the ensuing gunfight between the lawmen and the outlaws, but Deputy Joe Larkin, pursues and captures Clay Hartley Jr. The latter is quickly tried and convicted of the killing of the deputy, and sentenced to be hung. Sheriff Hartley has only a few hours to prove his son was not the killer. He enlists the aid of Collins' step-daughter, Joan, who is in love with Hartley's son.

Cavanaugh and McCauley are after the ranchers land. When the Government announces the land will be put up for auction, the ranchers pool their money only to have it stolen by Cavanaugh's men. They then plan to sell their cattle but Cavanaugh announces a fake gold strike and the cowhands all leave. But Gene's hobo friend the Judge says he will get the cattle to market and he sends out a signal to his hobo friends.

Mystery and adventure, surrounding a stolen rubber harvest.

Homesteaders are moving into the valley settled many years ago by rancher Craig Dolan. He wants to keep them out by legal means but his nephew Bart brings in outlaws to drive them out. The Lone Ranger is on hand to help the homesteaders battle Bart's men as he overcomes traps, ambushes, burning buildings and other obstacles in his attempt to bring peace to the valley.

Roy and Gabby return to Gabby's Texas ranch, after fighting with the Confederate military during the American Civil War, to find that a blustery Union Colonel whom they have previously hassled is now their district commander. Unbeknownst to the Colonel, however, is that the soldiers he believes have been sent to assist him are actually Union Army rejects who have come to loot the civilian populace under the guise of reinstituting normalcy to the former Confederate district.

Ken and Happy, looking for their friend Cherokee, run into an outlaw gang led by Ritter who have been terrorizing the ranchers. Ken figures that one of the prominent citizens is the real boss and sets a trap to find him.

A spoiled New York playboy learns the values of life when he's sent by his father to work in a rural mining community in Canada.

To prevent a lynching, Ranger Tim lets two outlaws go saying he will get them later. This gets him kicked out of the Rangers and he goes across the border and joins Big George's gang who are running contraband. But the outlaw Jimmy overhears Tim tell his sister that the dismissal was a fake. Big George and his gang then go after Tim and trap him in a cabin.

Tom Evans is a young cowboy orphaned by a band of rustlers. Seeking revenge, Tom pretends to be a notorious ex-con and manages to worm his way into the gang in order to get the goods on the bunch.

A wild college student gets in fights, steals cars, is caught by the police and finally expelled from college. Later on, though, he comes to the aid of a kidnapped heiress.

The Cattlemen's Association has called in the Mesquiteers to find cattle rustlers. They get Tex Riley to pose as Stony so Stony can arrive posing as a wanted outlaw. This gets Stony into the gang of rustlers and he alerts Tucson and Lullaby as to the next raid. But Hartley is on hand and unknown to anyone is the rustler's boss and he joins the posse with a plan that will do away with the Mesquiteers.

Talbot uses a phony land grant to rule thirteen million acres, taxing everyone heavily and evicting those who won't pay. The Three Mesquiteers becomes mysterious "night riders" to fight this evil.

Cowboy star Ken Maynard is Jim "Trigger" Morton, in town undercover while pursuing the man who framed him for robbery. But a well-placed shot tames a band of scofflaws and gains Morton the sheriff's badge. Now, he's riding on both sides of the law. The line is further blurred when old buddy Chuck offers evidence of Morton's innocence in exchange for a blind eye to Chuck's impending postal heist in this classic Western.

Two cowboys come upon a boy whose father has just been murdered. They promise to help find his killers.

When Johnny and Mendez argue, the lights go out, and in the ensuing gunfight Johnny thinks he killed his friend Dick. Now refusing to wear a gun he crosses the border. But it is not long before he runs into Mendez and more trouble.

Bolton has organized a feud between the Rork's and the O'Neil's. He has rustled cattle and killed a man putting the blame on Danny O'Neil. Tom Rork has found a bullet with markings on it that he hopes will clear Danny and bring in the real killer.

A Capone-like racketeer named Anderson, who after being chased out of one town by the authorities immediately sets up shop in another. Unable to get any tangible evidence against Anderson, DA Wayne orders his assistant Carter to dig up some dirt on the gangster boss. To do this, Carter pretends to turned crooked, joining Anderson's gang in order to accumulate evidence. Alas, Carter's girl friend Patricia knows nothing of her boyfriend's subterfuge, and she suspects the worst.

An old miner is ambushed by outlaws trying to steal the $10,000 he is carrying to start up a new mine. A passing cowboy comes to the miner's aid, but winds up getting blamed for the attack.