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Bell Telephone Hour

Description

The Bell Telephone Hour was a music program sponsored by Bell, first heard on NBC radio and later adapted for television.

The Bell Telephone Hour, also known as The Telephone Hour, was a concert series broadcast on NBC Radio Network from April 29, 1940, to June 30, 1958. Sponsored by Bell Telephone as the name implies, it showcased the best in classical and Broadway music, reaching eight to nine million listeners each week. It continued on television from 1959 to 1968. Throughout the program's run on both radio and television, the studio orchestra on the program was conducted by Donald Voorhees.

Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Updated Apr 25, 2026.

Showtimes

Original schedule

  1. 1940–19428:00 PM ET
    NBC Radio · night
    SuMoTuWeThFrSa
  2. 1942–19579:00 PM ET
    NBC Radio · night
    SuMoTuWeThFrSa
  3. 1957–19589:00 PM ET
    NBC Radio · night
    SuMoTuWeThFrSa
  4. 1968–19696:30 PM ET
    NBC Radio · evening
    SuMoTuWeThFrSa

Cast & Crew

D
Dick Joy
Announcer
T
Tom Shirley
Announcer
O
Oscar Levant
Cast
W
Walter McGill
Director
Donald Voorhees
Musician
Dorothy Kirsten
Cast
E
Ezio Pinza
Vocalist
F
Francia White
Soprano
Fred Allen
Cast
F
Fritz Kreisler
Violinist
G
Gladys Swarthout
Vocalist
G
Grace Moore
Vocalist
H
Helen Jepson
Vocalist
Helen Traubel
Vocals
James Melton
Tenor
J
Jascha Heifetz
Violinist
John Charles Thomas
Vocalist
J
Jose Iturbi
Piano
L
Lansing Hatfield
Vocalist
L
Lawrence Tibbett
Vocals
L
Leonard Warren
Vocalist
L
Lily Pons
Vocalist
Marian Anderson
Vocalist
Mary Martin
Cast
Nelson Eddy
Vocalist
P
Patrice Munsel
Vocals
P
Paula Hemminghaus
Vocalist
Rise Stevens
Vocals
W
Walter Preston
Vocals
N
Norman Rosten
Writer

Audio Clips

Audio Clip 10m19s

Images

Broadcasts