Bob Hope's Head Writer as well as "All in the Family" Emmy-winning Producer, Mort Lachman Has Died-- Archive Interview Online

Mort Lachman, who wrote for Bob Hope for four decades (starting with the radio show "The Pepsodent Show Starring Bob Hope," through Hope's television specials) has died at the age of 90. Lachman was a multiple Primetime Emmy nominee and a winner for Best Comedy Series for All in the Family, as well as a Daytime Emmy winner for the ABC Afternoon Playbreak program "The Girl Who Couldn't Lose."

Click her to access Mort Lachman's entire six-part Archive of American Television interview.

Interview Description:

Mort Lachman talked about his early years becoming a writer in network radio for Eddie Cantor and Bob Hope. He described in detail working as a writer, and later head writer/ director/ producer on the Bob Hope Television Specials. He vividly described Bob Hope’s topical humor and gift for ad libbing. He spoke about his work as a writer for several Ralph Edwards series. He also described his work as a producer and writer on All in the Family [for which he won an Emmy Award], Archie Bunker’s Place, One Day at a Time, Sanford, Gimme a Break, Kate & Allie, and Bagdad Café. The interview was conducted by Jeff Abraham on January 26, 2004.

Emmy magazine features interviewee John Walsh

Pick up the latest copy of emmy to read an excerpt from our interview with television host John Walsh, in which he addresses the power of the media that he discovered through the ordeal of the experience of his son’s kidnapping and death, and how this led to his involvement with the television series America's Most Wanted.

For more information about our interviews and to view many online, click here!

Detailed Interview:
John Walsh was interviewed for one hour in North Hollywood, CA. Walsh talked about his early years in the hotel business and his success at an young age in this field, until his life changed when his 6-year-old child Adam went missing. He spoke about the power of the media that he discovered through the ordeal of the experience of his son’s kidnapping and death (“I realized early on how powerful and helpful the media can be, and [also] how exploitive and hurtful the media can be.”). He spoke about how his experience was dramatized as a television movie, Adam (and the sequel Adam: His Song Continues), in which Walsh and his wife Reve were played by Daniel J. Travanti and JoBeth Williams. Walsh spoke about how impressed he was with the handling, by producer Linda Otto and executive producer Alan Landsberg, to tell their story fairly and accurately, and the impact the movie had on awareness. He outlined his political activism, starting with the Missing Children’s Act of 1984 through the Adam Walsh Child and Protection And Safety Act of 2006 (that created a national sex offenders registry). He spoke in great detail about the series for which he is most associated, America’s Most Wanted, which he began hosting in 1988, for the fledgling FOX network. He described the bleak outlook for the series (despite the FBI’s involvement) yet its immediate success, with the initial capture days after the show’s first airing. He described the selection process for cases profiled on the show, the impact of the Internet, and commented on recurring segments of the show. The interview was conducted by Melody Chen on October 29, 2008.

Interview with Larry Auerbach - Now Online

Larry Auerbach was interviewed for two-and-a-half hours in Beverly Hills, CA. Auerbach detailed his 47-year association with the William Morris Agency, where he started part-time in the mailroom. He talked about his move out of the mailroom and his work booking talent in small nightclubs and theaters. He described his booking of musical talent on early television shows, including such talents as Sam Cooke, Sammy Davis Jr., and Elvis Presley. Auerbach described fully the circumstances by which he got Presley his first television exposure on the series Stage Show. He discussed representing Alan Freed and how the payola scandals ruined Freeds career. He also talked about the packaging of the unusual Mitch Miller series Sing Along With Mitch that featured on-screen lyrics for sing-alongs and was a big commercial hit. He talked about representing such television figures as Alan Alda, Beatrice Arthur, Agnes Nixon, and Aaron Spelling. Finally, he described in great detail the creation and packaging of the 1980s sitcom hit The Cosby Show. Auerbach then talked about his second career teaching at USC. The interview was conducted by Dan Pasternack on May 21, 2003.


You can view his entire interview online here, or visit emmytvelgends.org to see other interviews.

Dr. Thomas Goldsmith, Jr. Has Died-- Archive Interview Online

Dr. Thomas Goldsmith, Jr. one of the last important figures from the Du Mont television network has died at the age of 99. The chief of research for the network, television station WTTG, formerly in the DuMont network, is named from his initials.

In segment two of his Archive interview he talks about joining Du Mont in 1936.



Interview description:
Dr. Thomas Goldsmith was interviewed for four-and-a-half hours in Olympia, WA. Dr. Goldsmith described in detail, technical challenges he and Allen B. DuMont overcame as they developed electronic television at Du Mont Laboratories. Goldsmith began with DuMont working out of a basement and later stayed with the company as the Du Mont Network was created, until it's failure in 1955. The interview was conducted by Eric Bremner on November 14, 1997.

Writer Horton Foote Has Died-- Archive Interview Online

Horton Foote, whose playwriting spanned sixty years, and whose "The Trip to Bountiful" had celebrated productions in theater, television, and film, has died at the age of 92. He was an Emmy-winner for the miniseries Old Man and an Academy Award winner for his screenplays of To Kill A Mockingbird and Tender Mercies. He won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1995 for his play "The Young Man From Atlanta."




His Archive interview, conducted in 1999, is available here (except part 1):


Tip: At the beginning of Part 4 of his interview he spoke about the inspiration for "The Trip to Bountiful."


Interview Description:
Horton Foote discussed his work writing for “live” television dramatic anthology series. He talked about his relationship with producer Fred Coe who started him in television and later worked with him on the Goodyear-Philco Television Playhouse. Mr. Foote described in detail several of his benchmark television efforts during the "Golden Age of Television" including: Goodyear Television Playhouse: "The Trip to Bountiful," Philco Television Playhouse: "A Young Lady of Property," 1st Person Playhouse: "Death of the Old Man," Studio One: "The Traveling Lady," Playhouse 90: "The Old Man," and Playhouse 90: "Tomorrow." He spoke of the many talented actors who appeared in these productions including: Kim Stanley, Lillian Gish, Dorothy Gish, Eva Marie Saint, Steven Hill, Sterling Hayden, and Geraldine Page; as well as the creative directors of these shows, including: Vincent Donehue, Delbert Mann, Arthur Penn, John Frankenheimer, and Robert Mulligan. He also talked about his later television work for PBS, including adaptations from his "Orphans Home Cycle" (series of 9 plays); his writing for cable television; his feature film work, and close association with actor Robert Duvall; and his continuous writing for the stage. Mr. Foote also fondly remembered his childhood in Wharton, Texas, which has had a lifelong influence on his writing.