Calpol

I remember watching a series about Strauss many years ago, when I was a teenager in the 60s. I clearly recall the titles and the title music. So I recently bought The Strauss Family DVD set. It isn't the right one! NONE of it rings bells. The music isn't right, the actors aren't right. I don't recall any of the actors' names in 'my' series, though I'm fairly certain that the title music was the Acceleration Waltz - it was the first time I had heard it. Could there have been a different series, maybe with a different name? I have tried looking up The Great Waltz and The Waltz King. There are films with both titles but I can't find a series.
I could of course just be suffering from early Dementia. Someone out there, please tell me I'm not!!!

Gary D.

Coincidentally, among the albums I saved when I moved (I had nearly a 1,000 vinyls), I saved several hundred--and The Strauss Family soundtrack was one of them. The two-record set was right near my computer, so I am looking at the credits now.

This was a splendid series and I wish they'd bring it back--I don't know why they don't. The year was 1972 and except for Tony Anholt and Derek Jacobi I haven't heard of any of the actors. I do remember I was impressed by the cast, however.

I'm sure this was British, probably Masterpiece Theatre. Eric Woofe played Johann Strauss the Elder and Stuart Wilson was the younger Strauss.

I like the recurrent theme running through the series, just called Theme from The Strauss Family.

Calpol

Hi,
thanks for your response. Yes, this is the series I recent;y bought on DVD, very cheaply as it happens! It's rather dated, but yes, it's good. Sadly though, not the one I'm thinking of. I'm beginning to think I imagined the whole thing!!
Cheers

didi-5

You're not thinking of The Dancing Years are you? With Anthony Valentine as Rudi? Not Strauss-related though, more Ivor Novello.

elanortook

I've just bought a record player and have been trawling my local charity shops for interesting records. EVERY charity shop seems to have at least two copies of the Strauss family soundtrack, - though I haven't bought one because we have a copy at home! It must have been a popular tv series

Gary D.

It's difficult to locate a quality record player anymore, although cheap models pop up at Wal-Mart and the like. I was fortunate enough to find a Magnavox stereo player in pristine condition for $40 at a local thrift, so have been playing the records I decided to keep.

I mentioned on another forum that the going rate for vinyls here is around 25 or 50 cents, but I rarely add one to my collection. A couple of times I stumbled upon rare records that were sold by unknowing people--I immediately spotted that a rare Ricky Nelson and a Fleetwoods were potentially valuable--at least worth much more than the $1 or so I paid for them.

Now, I just concentrate on finding Big Band and World War II-era records. I want to add a Vera Lynne Blue Birds Over the White Cliffs of Dover to my stack. I thought I succeeded, but it turned out to be the Kate Smith version, not knocking that lady. I particularly like Lynne's voice when her voice was nearly as well known as Churchill's. Recordings she made in the 1950s--I'm not sure. Her voice seemed to have changed just enough so it doesn't seem that unique.