About
"I think A.C. stands for 'awful corny,' because I am awful corny. It's going to sound very Pollyanna, but I think the greatest achievement that I have, is wanting to work for Paramount on my 10th birthday and now celebrating my 87th birthday 77 years later and still being with Paramount."
In his over three-hour interview, A.C. Lyles (1918-2013) talks about his 77-year-long association with Paramount, for which he holds the record for the longest continuously employed person at a motion picture studio. He details his early years and his work, at the age of ten, with the Florida Theater in Jacksonville, part of the Paramount-Publix theater chain. He talks about meeting Paramount studio head Adolph Zukor and his continual correspondence with him, and recounts visiting and receiving a job at the studio in 1937. He describes his ascent in the ranks at the studio, from working in the publicity department to producing feature films. He discusses the layout of personnel in the publicity department and talks about his work promoting movies and establishing the "golden circle" of talented young performers. He talks about many of Paramount Pictures' notables, including Cecil B. DeMille, John Barrymore, and William Holden. He speaks about Paramount's interest in television and describes the line-up of early shows on Paramount-owned KTLA. He describes the televising and impact of the "Kathy Fiscus tragedy," which aired on KTLA in 1949. Lyles also talks about knowing and working with television luminaries including Lucille Ball, Michael Landon, and DeForest Kelley. He talks about his later associations with television as the producer of Here's Boomer and consulting producer of Deadwood. Finally, Lyles discusses his association and friendship with Ronald Reagan, including his dedicated work for the Reagan administration as advisor and liaison. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on August 30, 2015 in Lyles' office at Paramount Pictures in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
A.C. Lyles on his various duties at Paramount Studios working for Adolph Zukor and Cecil B. DeMille
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
A.C. Lyles on appearing in the feature film "The Hunt for Red October"
A.C. Lyles on Paramount's early interest in television
A.C. Lyles on how he would like to be remembered
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early years and influences; on his childhood love of movies, and on meeting Gary Cooper
On being promoted from office boy at Paramount, to pairing actors on the lot with bit parts; on collecting script pages from writers at Paramount on a weekly basis, and on running the Golden Circle; on William Holden
Chapter 2
On William Holden being discovered, and on the Gabor sisters; on the structure of the publicity department at Paramount when he started
On his various duties at Paramount Studios working for Adolph Zukor and Cecil B. DeMille
Chapter 3
On working with Cecil B. DeMille at Paramount; on the style of film Paramount was known for; on the early years of KTLA and the impact of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy
On Paramount's early negative reaction to television; on various shows that emanated from the Paramount lot; on Paramount's early interest in television
On associate producing Rawhide; on DeForest Kelley guest-starring on Rawhide
Chapter 4
On Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide; on working on various Western feature films
On why he liked working in the Western genre, and on working with John Wayne and John Ford; on the number of Western features per year he was produced
On Gulf and Western taking over Paramount; on producing Here's Boomer
Chapter 5
On producing Here's Boomer; on Bob Hope introducing KTLA with their initial broadcast; on Johnny Carson plugging Here's Boomer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on his friendship with Carson
On his friendship with Jack Webb and John Barrymore; on Lucille Ball; on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
Chapter 6
On his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
On working as an executive consultant on David Milch's Deadwood; on his relationship with HBO while Deadwood was running, and on show creator David Milch; on the terminology of the Western genre, and on the cultural importance of the Western
On his greatest career achievements; on advice to an aspiring producer
Chapter 7
On advice for aspiring producers; on appearing in the feature film "The Hunt for Red October"
On the legacy of Paramount Pictures as a studio; on how he would like to be remembered
Shows
Deadwood
A.C. Lyles on working as an executive consultant on David Milch's Deadwood
A.C. Lyles on his relationship with HBO while Deadwood was running, and on show creator David Milch
Here's Boomer
A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
A.C. Lyles on Johnny Carson plugging Here's Boomer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on his friendship with Carson
Rawhide
A.C. Lyles on associate-producing Rawhide
A.C. Lyles on DeForest Kelley guest-starring on Rawhide
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The
A.C. Lyles on Johnny Carson plugging Here's Boomer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on his friendship with Carson
Topics
Advice
A.C. Lyles on advice to an aspiring producer
A.C. Lyles on advice for aspiring producers
George H.W. Bush
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and Bush administrations
Media Consolidation
A.C. Lyles on Gulf and Western taking over Paramount
Memorable Moments on Television
A.C. Lyles on the early years of KTLA and the impact of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy
Ronald Reagan
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
Television and the Presidency
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
Television Industry
A.C. Lyles on Paramount's association with the DuMont Network
A.C. Lyles on Gulf and Western taking over Paramount
A.C. Lyles on advice to an aspiring producer
A.C. Lyles on advice for aspiring producers
We Cried
A.C. Lyles on the early years of KTLA and the impact of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy
Professions
Producers
A.C. Lyles on advice to an aspiring producer
A.C. Lyles on advice for aspiring producers
Genres
Children's Programming
A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
Western Series
A.C. Lyles on associate producing Rawhide
A.C. Lyles on why he liked working in the Western genre, and on working with John Wayne and John Ford
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
A.C. Lyles on the terminology of the Western genre, and on the cultural importance of the Western
A.C. Lyles on working as an executive consultant on David Milch's Deadwood
People
Lucille Ball
A.C. Lyles on Lucille Ball
John Barrymore
A.C. Lyles on his friendship with Jack Webb and John Barrymore
Johnny Carson
A.C. Lyles on Johnny Carson plugging Here's Boomer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on his friendship with Carson
Cecil B. DeMille
A.C. Lyles on working with Cecil B. DeMille at Paramount
John Ford
A.C. Lyles on why he liked working in the Western genre, and on working with John Wayne and John Ford
William Holden
A.C. Lyles on William Holden
A.C. Lyles on William Holden being discovered, and on the Gabor sisters
Bob Hope
A.C. Lyles on Bob Hope introducing KTLA with their initial broadcast
DeForest Kelley
A.C. Lyles on DeForest Kelley guest-starring on Rawhide
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
Michael Landon
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
David Milch
A.C. Lyles on working as an executive consultant on David Milch's Deadwood
A.C. Lyles on his relationship with HBO while Deadwood was running, and on show creator David Milch
John Wayne
A.C. Lyles on why he liked working in the Western genre, and on working with John Wayne and John Ford
Jack Webb
A.C. Lyles on his friendship with Jack Webb and John Barrymore
Adolph Zukor
A.C. Lyles on going to Hollywood to work for Adolph Zukor at Paramount