#22: Blue Guitar by Richard Chamberlain

City: Montreal, PQ
Radio Station: CJAD
Peak Month: November 1963
Peak Position in Montreal ~ #2
Peak position in Vancouver ~ did not chart
Peak Position on Billboard Hot 100 ~ #42
YouTube: “Blue Guitar”
Lyrics: “Blue Guitar”

George Richard Chamberlain was born in 1934 in Beverly Hills, California. After high school graduation in 1952, he studied acting at a college in Pomona. But, he was drafted in December 1952, and sent to fight in the Korean War. He rose to the rank of sergeant. In 1959, Richard Chamberlain appeared in an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. The following year, he made a guest appearance in the crime-drama series Rescue 8, about the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Other guest appearances in TV shows in the early ’60s include Gunsmoke, the crime series Bourbon Street Beat, Thriller hosted by Boris Karloff, The Deputy starring Henry Fonda, and another western titled Whispering Smith. In 1960, Chamberlain starred opposite Richard Falk in The Secret of the Purple Reef. In 1961, Chamberlain starred with Charles Bronson, Slim Pickens, and Duane Eddy in the western A Thunder of Drums. 

But, his big breakthrough was being cast in the role of a young medical intern named Dr. James Kildare in the TV series Dr. Kildare. The series was based on the 1937 film Interns Can’t Take Money, which spawned nine Dr. Kildare films between 1938 and 1941. These included Calling Dr. Kildare and The Strange Case of Dr. Kildare. The TV series aired on September 28, 1961, and continued for 191 episodes until August 1966. NBC, at one point, promoted the show by having “Dr. Kildare” paged as if he were a real doctor on the public announcement system in airports, train stations, and bus stations across the United States. Dr. Kildare got as many as 12,000 letters from fans each week. Chamberlain as Kildare appeared in ads selling including the novel The YoungKildare. There was a Dr. Kildare comic book series from 1962 to 1965. Additionally, a Dr. Kildare comic strip lasted from October 1962 to April 1984. And there were toys and games, a Dr. Kildare chocolate candy bar, and records of Chamberlain singing songs featured on the show.

Dr. Kildare Chocolate Nut Bar

Dr. Kildare board game for ages 7 to 12

Dr. Kildare board game instructions and graphic of board

Dr. Kildare’s Thumpy the Heartbeat Stethoscope

Richard Chamberlain had a hit single that made the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1962 titled “Theme from Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)”. The single peaked at #7 in Vancouver in June 1962. In the fall of 1962, Chamberlain covered Elvis Presley’s 1956 number-one hit “Love Me Tender”, which climbed to #22 in Vancouver.

In 1962, Chamberlain appeared as a mystery guest in What’s My Line. He was also a presenter at the 34th Academy Awards. In early 1963, Chamberlain’s cover of the Everly Brothers number-one hit from 1958, “All I Have To Do Is Dream”, climbed to #12 in Vancouver. Concurrently, in Toronto Richard Chamberlain’s cover of “Hi-Lili Hi-Lo” climbed to #7. His next single release was “True Love”.

In the summer of 1963, Richard Chamberlain’s song “I Will Love You” was a Top 20 hit in Montreal, and a Top 30 hit in Ottawa. And in the winter of 1963, Chamberlain had a hit in Montreal with “Blue Guitar”.

“Blue Guitar” was written by Bill McElhiney, who was born in 1915 in New Orleans. By the mid-30s, McElhiney was touring with big bands as a trumpeter. By the mid-1950s, McElhiney had relocated to Nashville where he was a member of WSM’s staff orchestra and the leader of an all-star band of modern jazz musicians. He was a trumpeter in the orchestra assembled by Owen Bradley to create the Nashville Sound on Jim Reeves’ recordings. Reeves’ biographer – Larry Jordan – noted that, unlike many session musicians, McElhiney and the others could read music and helped contribute to the Reeves’ sound: “The sound they achieved was wonderful.” His most notable trumpet contributions on a recording included with Johnny Cash for “Ring Of Fire”, and Bob Moore on “Mexico”. He also played trumpet on recordings by Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Jeannie C. Riley, Crystal Gayle, and others.

Bill McElhiney also arranged music most notably Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry”, “All Alone Am I” and “Coming On Strong”, Johnny Tillotson’s “Talk Back Trembling Lips”, Connie Francis’ “Vacation”, “Sandy Posey’s “Single Girl” and “I Take It Back”, Bobby Vinton’s “Please Love Me Forever” and “I Love How You Love Me”, Wayne Newton’s “Dreams Of the Everyday Housewife”, Perry Como’s “Seattle”, and others.

At the 1972 Billboard Country Music Awards, he was honored as the Best Arranger of the Year. McElhiney later arranged “Behind Closed Doors” for Charlie Rich, which was a number-one crossover country-pop hit in 1973. In 1988, he arranged k.d. lang’s Shadowland album. He died in 2002 at the age of 86.

“Blue Guitar” is a song about a guy who plays his blue guitar to let his ex-partner know he wants the relationship back again. He plays his guitar, as he anticipates his song will haunt her. He hopes his blue guitar will prompt his ex to come back into his arms.

“Blue Guitar” peaked at #2 in Montreal, #10 in Oceanside (CA), #11 in Boston, and #13 in San Diego.

The B-side was “They Long To Be Close To You”. Chamberlain’s B-side was covered as a breakout number-one hit for the Carpenters in 1970. “Blue Guitar” was from the film, Twilight of Honor. It featured Chamberlain in his first starring role opposite Claude Rains. The films’ poster exclaimed, “Richard Chamberlain as a fearless trial lawyer in a drama of love, courage and murder!”

The screenplay for Twilight of Honor involved descriptions of things previously never mentioned in American cinema, such as vivid accounts of sexual assault, adultery, and prostitution. When he was chosen in the lead role, this was controversial because Richard Chamberlain had a clean cut image and the novel was considered very “adult.” Chamberlain plays a small-town widowed lawyer named David Mitchell, in New Mexico. A subplot in the movie is the affection Susan Harper (Joan Blackman) has for Mitchell. Once the trial is over David Mitchell declares his intentions for Susan, and the film ends with them sharing a kiss in front of the courthouse, then walking home. Nick Adams received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. A second Academy Award nomination for Twilight of Honor was in the Best Art Direction category.

The liner notes for the Twilight of Honor Soundtrack, describe how “A young attorney, untested and untried, tackles the case everyone said couldn’t be defended. “Twilight of Honor” is a crackling story of high ideals and love actions. Richard Chamberlain makes his debut as a star in the role of a young attorney who exposes the secrets of a small New Mexico town to face its evil alone. Nick Adams is the young husband already condemned by the town for a brutal murder.

In 1963, Chamberlain won a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Star – Male for: Dr. Kildare. 

In 1965, Chamberlain was a presenter at the Academy Awards. He made guest appearances on The Bob Hope Show, The Andy Williams Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall, The Joet Bishop Show, and The Eamonn Andrews Show.

In 1965, Richard Chamberlain sang the theme song for the film, Joy In the Morning. 

In 1966, Chamberlain was cast in a lead role opposite Mary Tyler Moore, and Larry Kert (Tony in 1957 Broadway production of West Side Story) in the Broadway production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. However, after four previews at the Majestic Theatre at 245 W. 44th Street, the show closed. On a daily basis, the cast was given new material hours before curtain time, and the piece was overly long, running nearly four hours.

In 1969, Chamberlain starred with Katherine Hepburn in The Madwoman of Chaillot. As well, in 1969, he played in the role of Hamlet at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

In the 1970s, Richard Chamberlain was a guest on The Dick Cavett Show, The David Frost Show, Dinah’s Place, and The Mike Douglas Show. In 1971 he appeared opposite Glenda Jackson in the British film The Music Lovers. And in 1972, Chamberlain starred in another British film with Lawrence Olivier titled Lady Caroline Lamb. Other acting roles included The Three Musketeers and The Towering Inferno. 

In the 1980s, Chamberlain began appearing in the 1980 mini-series Shōgun. In 1981, he won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Drama for: Shogun (1980). And in 1983, he won critical acclaim for his acting in another mini-series The Thorn Birds. In 1984, he won a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for: The Thorn Birds (1983).

Later he appeared in the TV series The Bourne Identity (1988). On the movie screen, audiences saw Richard Chamberlain in starring roles in King Solomon’s Mines, and Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold. In the latter film, one of the other stars – Martin Rabbett – was in a relationship with Richard Chamberlain from 1977 to 2010.

In 1993, Richard Chamberlain returned to Broadway in the musical production of My Fair Lady. And in 1998, Chamberlain played Captain Von Trapp in a Broadway production of The Sound of Music. He also made guest appearances in the TV shows Will & Grace and The Drew Carey Show. 

In 2007, Chamberlain was cast in the comedy I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry. The film was a ‘buddy’ story about two New York City firefighters who pretend to be a gay couple in order to ensure one of their children can receive healthcare. However, things go from bad to worse when an agent decides to verify their story. Chamberlain’s co-stars included Steve Buscemi, Adam Sandler and Dan Aykroyd. And in 2011, Chamberlain appeared in the film The Perfect Family. He died on March 29, 2025, at the age of 90 – days before what would have been his 91st birthday.

March 31, 2025
Ray McGinnis

References:
Steven McElroy, “At 80 Richard Chamberlain is Ready to Speak Volumes,” New York Times, November 30, 2014.
“Dr. Kildare (TV series)“, Wikipedia.org.
 Twilight of Honor, Warner Brothers, 1963.
Larry Jordan, Jim Reeves: His Untold Story, (Page Turner Books, 2011).
Boris Sagal, Director, “Bill McElhiney,” Wikipedia.org.
“Interview With Richard Chamberlain: From Dr. Kildare to Beyond,” Hollywood Chicago.com, April 8, 2010.
Richard Natale, “Richard Chamberlain, TV’s Dr. Kildare, ‘Shogun,’ ‘Thorn Birds’ Star, Dies at 90,” Variety, March 30, 2025.

CJAD 800-AM Montreal (PQ) Top Ten | November 23, 1963