A.C. Lyles

Executive


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

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.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"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."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
A.C. Lyles on his various duties at Paramount Studios working for Adolph Zukor and Cecil B. DeMille
12:42
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
04:07
A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
00:53
A.C. Lyles on appearing in the feature film "The Hunt for Red October"
04:44
A.C. Lyles on Paramount's early interest in television
01:55
A.C. Lyles on how he would like to be remembered
01:55
Full Interview

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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

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A.C. Lyles on working as an executive consultant on David Milch's Deadwood
07:05
A.C. Lyles on his relationship with HBO while Deadwood was running, and on show creator David Milch
00:52

Here's Boomer

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A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
00:53
A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
09:46
A.C. Lyles on Johnny Carson plugging Here's Boomer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on his friendship with Carson
04:50

Rawhide

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A.C. Lyles on associate-producing Rawhide
06:34
A.C. Lyles on associate-producing Rawhide
06:34
A.C. Lyles on DeForest Kelley guest-starring on Rawhide
04:31
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
04:07

Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The

View Show Page
A.C. Lyles on Johnny Carson plugging Here's Boomer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on his friendship with Carson
04:50
Topics

Advice

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A.C. Lyles on advice to an aspiring producer
01:24
A.C. Lyles on advice for aspiring producers
02:21

George H.W. Bush

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A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
01:50
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and Bush administrations
13:41

Media Consolidation

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A.C. Lyles on Gulf and Western taking over Paramount
03:57

Memorable Moments on Television

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A.C. Lyles on the early years of KTLA and the impact of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy
04:03

Ronald Reagan

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A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
01:50
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
13:41

Television Industry

View Topic
A.C. Lyles on Paramount's association with the DuMont Network
03:41
A.C. Lyles on Gulf and Western taking over Paramount
03:57
A.C. Lyles on advice to an aspiring producer
01:24
A.C. Lyles on advice for aspiring producers
02:21

Television and the Presidency

View Topic
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
01:48
A.C. Lyles on his association with the Reagan and George H.W. Bush administrations
13:41

We Cried

View Topic
A.C. Lyles on the early years of KTLA and the impact of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy
04:03
A.C. Lyles on the early years of KTLA and the impact of the Kathy Fiscus tragedy
04:03
Professions

Producers

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A.C. Lyles on advice to an aspiring producer
01:24
A.C. Lyles on advice for aspiring producers
02:21
Genres

Children's Programming

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A.C. Lyles on producing Here's Boomer
00:53

Western Series

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A.C. Lyles on associate producing Rawhide
11:06
A.C. Lyles on why he liked working in the Western genre, and on working with John Wayne and John Ford
05:42
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
04:08
A.C. Lyles on the terminology of the Western genre, and on the cultural importance of the Western
02:49
A.C. Lyles on the terminology of the Western genre, and on the cultural importance of the Western
02:49
A.C. Lyles on working as an executive consultant on David Milch's Deadwood
07:57
People

Adolph Zukor

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A.C. Lyles on going to Hollywood to work for Adolph Zukor at Paramount
07:19

Bob Hope

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A.C. Lyles on Bob Hope introducing KTLA with their initial broadcast
01:40

Cecil B. DeMille

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A.C. Lyles on working with Cecil B. DeMille at Paramount
01:37

David Milch

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A.C. Lyles on working as an executive consultant on David Milch's Deadwood
07:05
A.C. Lyles on his relationship with HBO while Deadwood was running, and on show creator David Milch
00:52

DeForest Kelley

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A.C. Lyles on DeForest Kelley guest-starring on Rawhide
04:31
A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
04:07

Jack Webb

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A.C. Lyles on his friendship with Jack Webb and John Barrymore
03:17

John Barrymore

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A.C. Lyles on his friendship with Jack Webb and John Barrymore
03:16

John Ford

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A.C. Lyles on why he liked working in the Western genre, and on working with John Wayne and John Ford
05:42

John Wayne

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A.C. Lyles on why he liked working in the Western genre, and on working with John Wayne and John Ford
05:42

Johnny Carson

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A.C. Lyles on Johnny Carson plugging Here's Boomer on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, and on his friendship with Carson
04:50

Lucille Ball

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A.C. Lyles on Lucille Ball
06:55

Michael Landon

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A.C. Lyles on Michael Landon doubling DeForest Kelley on Rawhide
04:07

William Holden

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A.C. Lyles on William Holden
01:44
A.C. Lyles on William Holden being discovered, and on the Gabor sisters
09:19

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