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.

50 Years Ago Today "Playhouse 90" Presented "Old Man"

On November 20, 1958, Playhouse 90, the preeminent dramatic television anthology of the day, presented William Faulkner's "Old Man," a program for which Variety wrote, "such a word as incomparable must be applied." Archive interviewee Del Reisman, the series story editor, explained, "there were all kinds of stunt shows that were done. In the third or fourth season, John Frankenheimer directed 'Old Man,' it’s a wonderful show, but he virtually flooded the CBS studio."

The show was about a convict (played by Sterling Hayden), who is ordered into a flat-bottomed boat to rescue a pregnant woman (Geraldine Page) during a flood. It was adapted for television by Horton Foote, produced by Fred Coe, and directed by John Frankenheimer.

Variety opined: "Much of the credit for this over-powering story of man's humanity as well as inhumanity to man also must go to Geraldine Page, as the pregnant woman in the tiny rowboat, and Sterling Hayden, the monosyllabic convict who must fullfill his mission amid the swollen waters of the Mississippi."

John Frankenheimer said in his Archive interview: "Fred Coe gave me the script because he loved 'Days of Wine And Roses,' and he said, 'You know, I honest to God don’t know how to do this, but I love this script.' And I read it, and I had been playing around with videotape with the editors. And I read it and I said, well, there’s only one way to do this, Fred. We’ll tape the whole goddamned show. And we got to do it scene by scene, and we got to have a huge [water] tank. Up to that time, nobody had ever cut videotape. So, the editor, a guy named Ross Murray and I just took arbitrary scenes and cut them together with a straight razor blade.... I was totally obsessed on how to do this show. I brought in a Chapman Boom. A Chapman Boom is a huge movie crane that goes 30 feet in the air. Has engines and everything on it. Brought that into the studio, that’s the first time that had ever been done. If fact, the Cameraman who worked the Chapman Boom, Pat Kenney put on a aviator’s helmet, you know, it was that, that kind of a thing."

Click here to view John Frankenheimer's entire Archive Interview.

Rod Serling's "A Town Has Turned To Dust" Presented at Ithaca College

Before Rod Serling was immortalized as the creator, main writer, and host of The Twilight Zone, he contributed teleplays to several of the "live" and filmed anthologies of the 1950s that defined the "Golden Age of Television." Among his most significant teleplays were ones he wrote for Playhouse 90, a ninety-minute anthology series that is often considered the best of its kind. Serling wrote ten Playhouse 90 scripts, including "Requiem for a Heavyweight," "The Comedian," and "The Velvet Alley."

Also among Serling's work for Playhouse 90 was "A Town Has Turned To Dust." The story was based on the real-life murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till in Mississippi on August 28, 1955— one of the catalysts for the Civil Rights Movement. The sensitivity of the crime led to censorship of Serling's script.

Last month, Ithaca College, where Rod Serling taught in the last several years of his life, presented a reading of Serling's original script. Serling originally wrote the story for The U.S. Steel Hour and eventually it was watered down and shown as "A Town Has Turned To Dust" on Playhouse 90 on June 19, 1958, changing the setting from Mississippi to a town in Mexico.

Playhouse 90 script editor Del Reisman was interviewed by the Archive and talked about Serling's "A Town Has Turned to Dust" a few minutes into part six of his interview.

Emmy® and Oscar®-winner Abby Mann Dies at the Age of 84-- Archive Interview Online

Writer Abby Mann who won an Academy Award for the screenplay of Judgment at Nuremberg and won three Emmys for writing (The Marcus-Nelson Murders, Murderers Among Us: The Simon Wiesnthal Story, and Indictment: The McMartin Trial) was interviewed by the Archive in August of 2004.

Click here to access his entire six-part Archive Interview.

Interview Description:

Abby Mann was interviewed for nearly three hours in Los Angeles, CA. Mann talked about his early teleplays, written during the Golden Age of Television Drama in the 1950s. He discussed such noteworthy teleplays as “A Child Is Waiting” (for Studio One) and “Judgment at Nuremberg” (for Playhouse 90). He also talked about the feature film adaptations of these teleplays. Mann discussed his writing of the television movie The Marcus-Nelson Murders, and the creation of the subsequent series Kojak. Mann talked in detail about two other 1970s projects, the series Medical Story and the miniseries King. He spoke about his more recent endeavors as writer and executive producer of such television movies as The Atlanta Child Murders and Indicment: The McMartin Trials. Throughout the interview Mann expressed his concern about the state of the American justice system and his lifelong passion to correct injustices through the written word.

Shirley Jones joins "Days of Our Lives" -- Archive Interview is Now Online

Iconic actress Shirley Jones has joined the cast of daytime soap Days of our Lives. She's playing Colleen Brady (complete with Irish brogue), the "supposedly dead" great-aunt of Sami Brady. According to published reports, she'll be on the the show throughout February.

Ms. Jones was interviewed by the Archive of American Television on December 7, 2005. Click here to access Ms. Jones' 5-part interview.


Shirley Jones Interview Description:
Actress Shirley Jones speaks about her early career, her discovery by Rodgers and Hammerstein, and her television debut on Playhouse 90, which lead to her casting in her Academy Award-winning role in "Elmer Gantry". She discusses working on the film "The Music Man" and other features. She talks in depth about her first series role as Shirley Partridge on The Partridge Family and discusses working with her stepson and co-star, David Cassidy. She then talks about the many made-for-television movies she has made including: The Children of An Lac, There Were Times Dear and Hidden Places. She also discusses her work on The Drew Carey Show, where she played Drew’s love-interest for three episodes.

In honor of her return to series television (this is her first soap role), we're including the entire 25-minute pilot episode of The Partridge Family, which premiered in September of 1970. As far as pilots go, it's one of the best!

Actress Suzanne Pleshette has died - Archive Interview Online

We're sad to report that Archive interviewee Suzanne Pleshette, the actress best known for her role as Emily Hartley on The Bob Newhart Show, died last night (Saturday, January 19th) at the age of 70. She was interviewed in February, 2006 and the interview is now available online.


Click here for her full San Jose Mercury News obituary.

Click here to view a special TV Land Online video featuring Archive interviews with Suzanne Pleshette & Bob Newhart talking about The Bob Newhart Show.

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences online Suzanne Pleshette obituary.

Click here to access Suzanne Pleshette's Archive interview.

Interview description:
In her 5-part oral history interview, actress Suzanne Pleshette talks about her early years as an actress in film (The Geisha Boy), television (Playhouse 90, One Step Beyond), and Broadway (“The Miracle Worker”). She discusses her friendship with Alfred Hitchcock that began on the feature film The Birds. She spoke candidly and in detail about her television work, including The Bob Newhart Show, in which she played Newhart’s wife “Emily Hartley,” including her surprise re-appearance in the series finale of Newhart. She talks about several of her other appearances on television including Columbo, Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean (in which she played the title role), and 8 Simple Rules and recounted, with honesty, the personalities of many of the people she worked with throughout her career.

"Playhouse 90" Producer Martin Manulis has Died -- His Full Archive Interview is Online

Martin Manulis, one of the legendary producers who exemplified the "Golden Age" of television by seeking and nurturing both on-camera and behind-the scenes talent, died Friday at the age of 92. The Archive of American Television interviewed him in 1997, and in subsequent years, he was a great champion of the Archive -- donating his time to assist in the compilation of a comprehensive credits list for Playhouse 90.

Among the classic teleplays he produced during his 3 seasons at the helm of Playhouse 90 were:

• "The Miracle Worker," directed by Arthur Penn, written by William Gibson and starring Teresa Wright, Patty McCormack and Burl Ives
• "Requiem for a Heavyweight," written by Rod Serling, directed by Ralph Nelson and starring Jack Palance, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn and Kim Hunter
• "The Comedian," written by Rod Serling, directed by John Frankenheimer and starring Mickey Rooney
• "The Days of Wine and Roses," directed by John Frankenheimer, written by JP Miller and starring Cliff Robertson and Piper Laurie

Click here to access Martin Manulis' 11-Part Archive Interview.

Click here to access Martin Manulis' L.A. Times Obituary

Click here to access an excellent piece about the legacy of Playhouse 90 by Variety's Cynthia Littleton

Interview description:
Martin Manulis was interviewed for five hours in Los Angeles, CA. Manulis talked about the "Golden Age of Television," and the challenges of producing live television anthologies, (beginning with Climax), especially his greatest contribution to television, the critically acclaimed anthology, Playhouse 90. Manulis recalled celebrated teleplays like "Requiem for a Heavyweight," and "The Miracle Worker." He also talked about working with Jack Palance, Ed Wynn, Jack Lemmon, Claudette Colbert, Rod Serling, Tad Mosel and JP Miller. He also spoke of his later work producing The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, and such miniseries as "Space." B-roll consisted of dozens of publicity photos taken for Playhouse 90. The interview was conducted by Morrie Gelman on June 17, 1997.

Director Robert Butler's Archive Interview is Now Online!

Director Robert Butler was responsible for creating the look and feel for many classic television series in a career that spanned five decades. His full Archive of American Television interview is now available online, including detailed accounts of directing the first episodes of Batman, Moonlighting (pilot telefilm) and Hill Street Blues.

Click here to access Robert Butler's entire five-hour interview.

Interview description:
Butler began by describing his early years breaking into the business as an usher at CBS. He described his experiences in various behind-the-scenes capacities on such classic “live” anthology series as Climax! and Playhouse 90. He described his first break in television directing on the comedy/drama series Hennesey. He detailed his many and varied assignments in series television in the 1960s on such series as The Detectives, Bonanza, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Dr. Kildare, Gunsmoke, The Defenders, The Fugitive, Hogan’s Heroes, The Twilight Zone, Batman, and Star Trek. Butler described his work in the 1970s on television movies (such as Columbo MOWs and James Dean) and feature films. He extensively described his groundbreaking work on the look of Hill Street Blues, for which he directed several of the initial episodes (including the pilot). He talked about his later work on such series as Remington Steele, Moonlighting (the telefilm pilot), Out on a Limb, Midnight Caller (which he also executive-produced), Sisters, and Lois & Clark. The interview was conducted by Stephen J. Abramson on January 14, 2004.

Prolific Writer David Shaw Dies -- Archive Interview Online

David Shaw has died at the age of 90. Shaw was one of the most prolific writers during television's "Golden Age," nominated for an Emmy Award for his adaptation of "Our Town" for Producers Showcase. He was interviewed by the Archive of American Television on August 31, 2004.

Writer David Shaw's five-part interview is available for viewing on Google Video. Click here to access David Shaw's entire interview.




In part 2 of his interview, David Shaw talks about his work as a writer on Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, one of the key dramatic anthology series of the "Golden Age," for which he wrote the most teleplays of any single writer.

From Part 3:

Q: There was a term called "kitchen sink" dramas. What did that refer to?

A: It referred to many of the Philcos that are family dramas. With family problems. They weren't shoot 'em ups, they weren't crime, they weren't sexy. They were just family dramas.... They're not too far away from soap operas, really. But they're easy to produce and didn't call for big sets or lavish outdoor production.

Q: What is the legacy of Philco-Goodyear Playhouse?

A: I think that it was the beginning of good drama on television.

Q: How important do you think [Philco-Goodyear Playhouse producer Fred] Coe was to what is referred to as the "Golden Age of Television"?

A: How important? He was it! Fred was it. There was nobody like him.

Interview Description:
Shaw discussed his prolific career as a television writer that began in 1949 for the ABC “live” dramatic anthology series Actors Studio. He spoke in great detail about his work on the series Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, for which he contributed the most teleplays of any writer. For Philco-Goodyear, Shaw commented on several of his individual teleplays and talked about working with legendary producer Fred Coe. Shaw described knowing and working with other such figures of the “Golden Age of Television Drama,” as director Delbert Mann, writer Paddy Chayefsky, and actress Eva Marie Saint. Shaw discussed several series for which he served as a story editor including Mr. Peepers and The Defenders. He described his teleplays for Producer’s Showcase (including his Emmy-nominated adaptation of “Our Town”) and the six shows he wrote for Playhouse 90.

Casting Executive Ethel Winant's Interview is Now Online

Casting Executive Ethel Winant's interview is now online. Ms. Winant discusses her early years casting for live anthologies, her role as one of the first female network executives, and her experiences as a network casting executive for CBS and NBC.

Click here to access Ethel Winant's entire 7-part interview.

Here are some excerpts:

From Part 4

Q You were one of the first female network executives. What was it like to be the only woman at the top?

I'd been the only woman for so long that I never thought about it. I mean there were things that you gotta do. Like, in the executive dining room there was a bathroom which had no door, no lock. So, for years,when I went to go to the bathroom, I would go outside, take the elevator, go down and go to the lady's room. And, finally, I just said, well, I'm not going do this anymore. I figured out that if I took my shoes off and left my shoes outside the door that these guys, because they would all go in together, that they would know that I was in the bathroom. They wouldn't walk in. I was always the only woman. For years, and years and years.

From Part 7

What advice would you give someone who’s starting out as a casting director?

It’s hard now, I think it’s harder to be a good casting director now because the world is so much bigger. I used to have this really simple advice which was to watch a lot of television, watch a lot of movies, start making lists for yourself and every time you see somebody that you like, write their name down. If you watch a television show, if you watch a movie, if every time you go to a play, keep lists, keep cards, do all that. It's really what it’s about -- seeing as many people as you can, going to as many plays, workshops as you can. I don’t think there’s any way to learn it.

Interview description:
In her 7-part oral history interview, Ethel Winant (1922-2003) discusses her start in television as a volunteer for Studio One, produced by Worthington Minor. Winant talks about her shift into casting and her job with David Susskind's Talent Associates. Winant speaks about her experience as one of the first, high-ranking female executives in television, working for CBS and NBC as well as her encounters with the Blacklist. Winant's fondest memories in television focus on her work as a casting director for Playhouse 90, and the talented people she worked with: John Houseman, John Frankenheimer, Martin Manulis, Fred Coe and Hubbell Robinson. Additionally she talks about casting such classics as The Mary Tyler Moore Show and Shogun. The interview was conducted on August 7, 1996 by Sunny Parich.

Ron Howard's Archive of American Television Interview Is Now Online

Ron Howard's interview, the Archive's 500th, is now available for viewing online. Fittingly, Howard's career spans a fifty-year history of television from his first roles as a child actor in such '50s shows as Playhouse 90 and The Red Skelton Show to his role as narrator and executive producer of Arrested Development.

To many, Howard will forever be known to television audiences as "Opie Taylor" on The Andy Griffith Show and "Richie Cunningham" on Happy Days. His discussion of these series is a significant part of his three-hour interview.

Here are the links to the interview segments:

Ron Howard Interview Part 1
Ron Howard Interview Part 2
Ron Howard Interview Part 3
Ron Howard Interview Part 4
Ron Howard Interview Part 5
Ron Howard Interview Part 6

Interview description:
Howard recalled his early years growing up in Burbank, the son of actor parents, and his own start at age 3, using a dialogue scene from “Mr. Roberts” as his audition piece. He reminisced about some of his earliest acting on television including the “live” anthology drama Playhouse 90 and his recurring role as part of the gang on Dennis the Menace. He then talked about his appearance with Bert Lahr on an episode of G. E. Theatre, in which host Ronald Reagan made special note of Howard’s performance, which also caught the eye of producer Sheldon Leonard, who cast him on the pilot for The Andy Griffith Show. He spoke in great detail about playing “Opie Taylor” on The Andy Griffith Show, describing his work with Andy Griffith and the show’s ensemble and discussing moments from the series’ production. He talked about learning how to write from signing autographs, using memories of his dog’s death to create the emotions necessary for the classic “Opie the Birdman” episode, and truly having to “act” when eating “ice cream” (actually cold mashed potatoes). He briefly described some television roles he appeared in in the early ‘70s before taking on the role of “Richie Cunningham” on Happy Days. He spoke candidly about the shift in the series focus onto the break-out “Fonzie” character, recited some of the series numerous catchphrases, and discussed memorable series episodes (including “The Howdy Doody Show” and the now infamous jump-the-shark episode “Hollywood”). He detailed his transition to behind-the-cameras as a director of low-budget features and television movies (including Cotton Candy and Skyward), before becoming one of Hollywood’s A-list producer-directors. He lastly discussed his work as executive-producer and voice-over narrator on the Emmy-Award-winning sitcom Arrested Development. The interview was conducted by Gary Rutkowski on October 18, 2006.

David Shaw's Archive Interview Is Now Online!

Writer David Shaw's five-part interview is now available for viewing on Google Video. Shaw was one of the most prolific writers during television's "Golden Age."




In part 2 of his interview, David Shaw talks about his work as a writer on Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, one of the key dramatic anthology series of the "Golden Age," for which he wrote the most teleplays of any single writer.

From Part 3:

Q: There was a term called "kitchen sink" dramas. What did that refer to?

A: It referred to many of the Philcos that are family dramas. With family problems. They weren't shoot 'em ups, they weren't crime, they weren't sexy. They were just family dramas.... They're not too far away from soap operas, really. But they're easy to produce and didn't call for big sets or lavish outdoor production.

Q: What is the legacy of Philco-Goodyear Playhouse?

A: I think that it was the beginning of good drama on television.

Q: How important do you think [Philco-Goodyear Playhouse producer Fred] Coe was to what is referred to as the "Golden Age of Television"?

A: How important? He was it! Fred was it. There was nobody like him.

Interview Description:

Shaw discussed his prolific career as a television writer that began in 1949 for the ABC “live” dramatic anthology series Actors Studio. He spoke in great detail about his work on the series Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, for which he contributed the most teleplays of any writer. For Philco-Goodyear, Shaw commented on several of his individual teleplays and talked about working with legendary producer Fred Coe. Shaw described knowing and working with other such figures of the “Golden Age of Television Drama,” as director Delbert Mann, writer Paddy Chayefsky, and actress Eva Marie Saint. Shaw discussed several series for which he served as a story editor including Mr. Peepers and The Defenders. He described his teleplays for Producer’s Showcase (including his Emmy-nominated adaptation of “Our Town”) and the six shows he wrote for Playhouse 90. The interview was conducted by Gary Rutkowski on August 31, 2004.

Click here to access David Shaw's entire interview.

Writer/Producer Abby Mann's Archive of American Television Interview is now on Google Video!

Abby Mann's interview is one of the latest additions to the Archive of American Television's interviews available on Google Video:

About the interview:

In this three-hour interview, Mann discusses his early teleplays, written during the Golden Age of Television Drama in the 1950s, including such noteworthy teleplays as “A Child Is Waiting” (for Studio One) and “Judgment at Nuremberg” (for Playhouse 90). He also talked about the feature film adaptations of these teleplays. Mann discussed his writing of the television movie The Marcus Nelson Murders, and the creation of the subsequent series, Kojak. Mann talked in detail about two other 1970s projects, the series Medical Story and the miniseries King, the dramatization of the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. He spoke about his more recent endeavors as writer and executive producer of such television movies as The Atlanta Child Murders and Indictment: The McMartin Trials. Throughout the interview Mann expressed his concern about the state of the American justice system and his lifelong passion to correct injustices through the written word. The interview was conducted on August 18, 2004 by Gary Rutkowski.

Click here to access all Abby Mann interview segments.

Remember, if you'd like to watch the interview in chronological order, select the parts in order (1,2,3...).

Andy Griffith turns 80!

June 1st is Andy Griffith’s 80th birthday. The Archive of American Television is proud to feature our two-hour interview with Griffith, which took place in North Carolina.

In his interview, Griffith recalls how his Broadway debut in "No Time for Sergeants" led to appearances on live television shows, including The U.S. Steel Hour, The Steve Allen Show, and Playhouse 90. He fondly remembers his long association with producer Sheldon Leonard, including the creation and run of The Andy Griffith Show.

Click here to access Andy Griffith's interview segments.

The Archive has interviewed several of the key contributors to The Andy Griffith Show, including Mayberry’s favorite deputy— Don Knotts — also available for viewing on Google Video.

Please comment on:
What's your favorite episode of The Andy Griffith Show?
(Here are some choices, but feel free to write-in your vote, too.)

“The Pickle Story”
“Convicts-At-Large”
“Man in a Hurry”
“Opie and the Spoiled Kid”
“Barney’s First Car”
“Dogs, Dogs, Dogs”
“Mountain Wedding”
“Opie the Birdman”
“Citizen’s Arrest”
“Barney’s Sidecar”
“My Fair Ernest T. Bass”