Navy Log

Navy Log
GenreAnthology
Written byPeter Barry
David E. Durston
Max Ehrlich
Leonard Lee
Roger Marston
William N. Robson
Allan E. Sloane
Directed bySamuel Gallu
Leslie Goodwins
Reginald Le Borg
Oscar Rudolph
Jean Yarbrough
Theme music composerIrving Bibo
Fred Steiner
Opening theme"Navy Log March"
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes104
Production
ProducerSamuel Gallu
CinematographyKen Hodges
Frank V. Phillips
Lester White
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companiesGallu Productions
Worldvision Enterprises

(post-1960 international reruns only)
Original release
NetworkCBS (1955–1956)
ABC (1956–1958)
ReleaseSeptember 20, 1955 (1955-09-20) –
September 25, 1958 (1958-09-25)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Navy Log is an American television drama anthology series created by Samuel Gallu that presented stories from the history of the United States Navy. This series ran on CBS from September 20, 1955, until September 25, 1956. On October 17, 1956, it moved to ABC, where it aired until September 25, 1958.[1] It changed networks because CBS "could not schedule it to the sponsor's wishes".[2] The program aired for a total of three seasons and 104 episodes.

The Department of Defense and departments of the Navy cooperated with production of the filmed 30-minute series.[3] In conjunction with that cooperation, the Navy Information Office solicited suggestions for stories, accompanied by brief documentation, with a Navy Log Project Officer in charge.[4] The opening scene, filmed aboard the U.S.S. Hancock, showed 2,000 sailors forming the words "Navy Log".[1]

The program's theme was "The Navy Log March" by Fred Steiner. Episodes opened with an announcer saying, "This is Navy Log. The dramas you see each week on Navy Log are from official U. S. Navy files. They tell of ships and places and those who man them. Recorded through the years in Navy Log."[5]

In August 1957, then-Senator John F. Kennedy was technical adviser for the "P. T. 109" episode of the program, which related the story of the sinking of the patrol torpedo boat that he commanded.[6] He also was a guest on the broadcast of that episode.[7]

  1. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 592. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ "Navy Log" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 22, 1956. pp. 15, 18. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  3. ^ "Exploits of Navy to be seen on TV". The New York Times. June 6, 1955. p. 49. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  4. ^ "'Navy Log' Ideas Invited". U. S. Navy Civil Engineer Corps Bulletin. 9 (10): 30. October 1955. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  5. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2013). Television Introductions: Narrated TV Program Openings since 1949. Scarecrow Press. p. 177. ISBN 978-0-8108-9250-7. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  6. ^ "Senator Kennedy to advise for TV". The New York Times. August 6, 1957. p. 42. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  7. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 718. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.