About
"I believe that television hasn't even begun to be used as it can be, in education and in all other areas. I'm the guy that, with West Point, set up testing on how to dismantle a machine gun, so you could see it perfectly done. I showed Bellevue the first time a surgery was done. You don't have to stop with that....The world is in front of us, literally."
In his three-hour interview, Alan Neuman (1924-2008) talks about joining NBC as a page in 1947 and his rise through the ranks as stage manager and then director. He describes the studios at Rockefeller Center and the early camerawork on series including Kraft Television Theater. He recalls directing NBC's first televised presidential election coverage in 1948, anchored by Ben Grauer, which lasted so long that he had Grauer doing calisthenics on the air. He talks about serving as director on early series, including The Three Flames, Mary Kay and Johnny, and Broadway Open House (the forerunner to The Tonight Show). He speaks in detail about his work with Kate Smith and her manager Ted Collins on The Kate Smith Hour. Neuman discusses his work as a producer/director on programs that featured several presidents of the United States, including Presidents Hoover, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. He talks about the first color remote broadcast done by NBC, for Matinee Theater. He also speaks in detail about the series Wide Wide World and Person to Person, for which he served as a producer. Additionally, he talks about the era of the Hollywood Blacklist. B-roll consists of several photos of Neuman with the presidents he worked with and a photo from the premiere episode of Adlai Stevenson Presents. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on February 15, 2006 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Alan Neuman on directing Kraft Television Theatre
Alan Neuman on directing the Kate Smith Hour, and on John F. Kennedy appearing on the show
Alan Neuman on directing Broadway Open House
Alan Neuman on the technical challenges of directing Wide Wide World
Alan Neuman on directing Adlai Stevenson Reports
Alan Neuman on how he would like to be remembered
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on being a child actor on radio and in theater; on going to work for NBC as a page and soon being hired to work in production
On working on the show You Are an Artist, and on what he learned in his time working in production at NBC; on a typical work week at NBC in the late 1940s and early 1950s, and on election night, 1948
Chapter 2
On working in production at NBC during the first televised election returns in 1948; on directing Kraft Television Theatre; on directing The Three Flames Show
On directing Mary Kay and Johnny and Lights Out; on directing Meet the Press, and on dealing with ad agencies in the early days of television; on directing the Kate Smith Hour, and on John F. Kennedy appearing on the show
Chapter 3
On working with Kate Smith on Kate Smith Hour; on working Kate Smith Hour producer Ted Collins, and on the guests of the show; on the Hollywood Blacklist
On the guests during his time directing Meet the Press; on directing Broadway Open House; on directing City at Midnight
Chapter 4
On directing and producing City at Midnight; on directing various variety shows on location and outdoors; on directing Wide Wide World
On memorable locations for Wide Wide World, and on the show winning awards; on working with President Herbert Hoover on several shows including Meet the Press and Person to Person
Chapter 5
On directing NBC Matinee Theater; on directing Person to Person with Edward R. Murrow
On directing Adlai Stevenson Reports; on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and on his relationship with the Kennedy family; on starting his own production company
Chapter 6
On how he would direct television in the then-present; on directing Letters to Laugh-In; on directing You Asked For It
On various people with whom he worked in his career
On advice to an aspiring television director; on technological advances during his directing career, and on wanting to keep on working; on how he would like to be remembered
On b-roll pictures from his career- with Herbert Hoover; with Herbert Hoover in Key West; with Herbert Hoover; with Dwight Eisenhower; with John F. Kennedy; on the set of Adlai Stevenson Presents with Stevenson and Dean Rusk; in uniform in World War II
Shows
Broadway Open House
Alan Neuman on directing Broadway Open House
City at Midnight
Alan Neuman on directing City at Midnight
Alan Neuman on producing and directing City at Midnight
Kate Smith Hour
Alan Neuman on directing the Kate Smith Hour, and on John F. Kennedy appearing on the show
Alan Neuman on working with Kate Smith on Kate Smith Hour
Alan Neuman on working Kate Smith Hour producer Ted Collins, and on the guests of the show
Kraft Television Theatre
Alan Neuman on directing Kraft Television Theatre
Alan Neuman on his relationship with the advertising agency for Kraft Television Theatre, and memorable bloopers on the show
Lights Out
Alan Neuman on directing Mary Kay and Johnny and Lights Out
Mary Kay and Johnny
Alan Neuman on directing Mary Kay and Johnny and Lights Out
Meet the Press
Alan Neuman on directing Meet the Press, and on dealing with ad agencies in the early days of television
Alan Neuman on the guests during his time directing Meet the Press, and on moderator Lawrence E. Spivak
Alan Neuman on working with President Herbert Hoover on several shows, including Meet the Press and Person to Person
NBC Matinee Theater
Alan Neuman on directing NBC Matinee Theater
Person to Person
Alan Neuman on working with President Herbert Hoover on several shows including Meet the Press and Person to Person
Alan Neuman on directing Person to Person, and on working with Edward R. Murrow on the show
Alan Neuman on John F. Kennedy appearing on Person to Person
Wide Wide World
Alan Neuman on directing Wide Wide World
Alan Neuman on the technical challenges of directing Wide Wide World
Alan Neuman on memorable locations for Wide Wide World, and on the show winning awards
You Are an Artist
Alan Neuman on working on the show You Are an Artist, and on what he learned in his time working in production at NBC
You Asked For It
Alan Neuman on directing You Asked For It
Topics
Advice
Alan Neuman on advice to an aspiring television director
Bloopers
Alan Neuman on memorable bloopers on Kraft Television Theatre
Historic Events and Social Change
Alan Neuman on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and on his relationship with the Kennedy family
Hollywood Blacklist
Alan Neuman on the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
Alan Neuman on the Hollywood Blacklist
JFK Assassination and Funeral
Alan Neuman on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and on his relationship with the Kennedy family
John F. Kennedy
Alan Neuman on directing the Kate Smith Hour, and on John F. Kennedy appearing on the show
Alan Neuman on John F. Kennedy appearing on Person to Person
Pre-FDR
Alan Neuman on working with President Herbert Hoover on several shows including Meet the Press and Person to Person
Technological Innovation
Alan Neuman on technological advances during his directing career, and on wanting to keep on working
Television and the Presidency
Alan Neuman on election night, 1948
Alan Neuman on working in production at NBC during the first televised election returns in 1948
Alan Neuman on directing the Kate Smith Hour, and on John F. Kennedy appearing on the show
Alan Neuman on working with President Herbert Hoover on several shows including Meet the Press and Person to Person
Alan Neuman on John F. Kennedy appearing on Person to Person
Television Industry
Alan Neuman on the Hollywood Blacklist
Alan Neuman on advice to an aspiring television director
Professions
Directors
Alan Neuman on how he would direct television in the then-present
Alan Neuman on advice to an aspiring television director
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
Alan Neuman on directing Kraft Television Theatre
Alan Neuman on directing City at Midnight
Alan Neuman on directing NBC Matinee Theater
Comedy Series
Alan Neuman on directing Mary Kay and Johnny and Lights Out
Alan Neuman on directing Letters to Laugh-In
Cop/Detective/Mystery Series
Alan Neuman on directing Mary Kay and Johnny and Lights Out
Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials
Alan Neuman on directing The Three Flames Show
Alan Neuman on directing the Kate Smith Hour
Alan Neuman on working with Kate Smith on Kate Smith Hour
Alan Neuman on directing Broadway Open House
Alan Neuman on directing various variety shows on location and outdoors
News and Documentary
Alan Neuman on directing Meet the Press, and on dealing with ad agencies in the early days of television
Alan Neuman on the guests during his time directing Meet the Press
Alan Neuman on directing Wide Wide World
Alan Neuman on working with President Herbert Hoover on several shows including Meet the Press and Person to Person
Alan Neuman on directing Person to Person with Edward R. Murrow
Alan Neuman on directing Adlai Stevenson Reports
Alan Neuman on John F. Kennedy appearing on Person to Person
Reality TV
Alan Neuman on directing You Asked For It
People
Morey Amsterdam
Alan Neuman on Morey Amsterdam
Milton Berle
Alan Neuman on Milton Berle
Imogene Coca
Alan Neuman on Imogene Coca
Ted Collins
Alan Neuman on working Kate Smith Hour producer Ted Collins, and on the guests of the show
Perry Como
Alan Neuman on Perry Como
Ralph Edwards
Alan Neuman on Ralph Edwards and Glenn Ford
Herbert Hoover
Alan Neuman on working with President Herbert Hoover on several shows including Meet the Press and Person to Person
John F. Kennedy
Alan Neuman on directing the Kate Smith Hour, and on John F. Kennedy appearing on the show
Alan Neuman on the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and on his relationship with the Kennedy family
Burt Lancaster
Alan Neuman on Burt Lancaster
Edward R. Murrow
Alan Neuman on directing Person to Person with Edward R. Murrow
David Sarnoff
Alan Neuman on David Sarnoff
Kate Smith
Alan Neuman on directing the Kate Smith Hour, and on John F. Kennedy appearing on the show
Alan Neuman on working with Kate Smith on Kate Smith Hour
Lawrence E. Spivak
Alan Neuman on the guests during his time directing Meet the Press, and on moderator Lawrence E. Spivak
Adlai Stevenson
Alan Neuman on directing Adlai Stevenson Reports