The West Point Story (TV series)

The West Point Story
Complete Series DVD cover
Written by	Gene Roddenberry (9 episodes, 1956–1957) Don Brinkley (3 episodes, 1956–1957)
Directed by	Ted Post James Sheldon Leon Benson Henry S. Kesler
Starring	Donald May (Host)
Theme music composer	Philip Egner Alfred Parham
Opening theme	"West Point March"
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	40
Production
Producer	Maurice Unger
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	Ziv Television Programs
Original release
Network	CBS (1956–1957) ABC (1957–1958)
Release	October 5, 1956 (1956-10-05) – July 5, 1957 (1957-07-05)

The West Point Story, also known simply as West Point, is a dramatic anthology television series shown in the United States by CBS during the 1956–57 season and by ABC during the 1957–58 season.

History

Carolyn Craig and Martin Milner in the premiere episode of the television series "The West Point Story" (1956) on CBS-TV

The West Point Story, produced with the full cooperation of the United States Department of Defense, with its United States Department of the Army along with the United States Army and the United States Military Academy itself (on the Hudson River at West Point, New York, founded 1802), was said to be based on actual files documenting many of the real-life dramatic historical occurrences and characters at West Point over its long years and decades since its 1802. establishment under the new United States Department of War (1789) and under the administration of third President Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826, served 1801–1809), two decades after the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) and the disbandment of the old Continental Army under its commanding General George Washington and later first President. Names and dates were altered to protect the privacy of the real people portrayed, however. The program was hosted by a fictional cadet, "Charles C. Thompson" portrayed by Donald May.

On February 26, 2013, Timeless Media Group (later known as Shout Factory, then Shout! Studios) released all 39 available episodes of the series in a four-disc DVD format.

Guest stars

Among those celebrities who made at least one appearance in The West Point Story are: Carolyn Craig, Richard Jaeckel, Dick Sargent, Pat Conway, Chuck Connors, Clint Eastwood, Ron Foster, Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman (miscredited), Hayden Rorke, Ron Hagerthy, Tyler MacDuff, Steve McQueen, Martin Milner, Larry Pennell, Karen Sharpe, Robert Vaughn and Leonard Nimoy as Tom Kennedy.

Production

Gene Roddenberry, a productive screen writer on numerous television programs scripts in the 1950s and 1960s, often described as the first Golden Age of Television wrote all or part of ten to twelve of the 39 episodes of 'West Point'. Sources differ as to which episodes he should be credited with. General Foods sponsored the program.

Home media

Timeless Media Group (under license from MGM) released West Point – The Complete TV Series on DVD February 26, 2012.

External links

• The Long Gray Line – series referenced in book by author and journalist Rick Atkinson.
• The West Point Story at IMDb
• West Point Story at CVTA with episode list