Alexander Courage

I saw a Star Trek movie tonight and recalled a bit of cognitive dissonance
I've been carrying around for years.

The original Star Trek theme by Alexander Courage.
I vaguely remember some early shows of Broadway is My Beat
announcing "Music by Alexander Kushvushenko" or some such
four-syllable Ukrainian name, I don't recall precisely.
The same sweeping sweeping strings, blaring horns, "I'll Take Manhattan,"
definitely the Star Trek guy.

Some time in the middle of the run of BIMB, the name changed
to Alexander Courage. McCarthyism?

I checked on IMDB and the bio does not support my recollections at all.
Born in Philadelphia in 1910. Several credits dating back to the forties,
presumably under the Courage name.
No mention of a name change.
Wikipedia has identical bio info to IMDB,
to the point that one was probably copied from the other.
The man in the photo with thick glasses could definitely have roots in Ukraine
or one of the -Stans.

So, did I dream this? I suppose I'll have to download a bunch of BIMB
and listen closely to the closing credits. Anyone have any insight on the
self-induced puzzle?

timbabwe

Checked the earliest and latest BIMB shows available.
Lud Luskin* on the early, already playing I'll Take Manhattan.
Alexander Courage on the latest.
I'll work my way toward the middle.

The show is fabulously over-written,
the way Jack Lemmon was a great over-actor.


(After listening to this theme so many times,
now I have to hear Jennifer Warnes singing
"First we'll take Manhattan --- then we take Berlin"
off her "Famous Blue Raincoat"
Leonard Cohen tribute album)

* "Ludwig Gluskin, known professionally as Lud Luskin"

timbabwe wrote:"Ludwig Gluskin, known professionally as Lud Luskin"

He didn't go that far - he kept the second "G"!

(Been hearing his name every week, as we tune in to Max Schmid's rerun of the GUNSMOKE series on WBAI.)

Best,
- Craig