Daniel Petrie, Sr.

In his four-and-a-half hour interview, Daniel Petrie, Sr. (1920-2004) recalls his introduction to television directing, in Chicago in the 1950s, working on programs including Studs' Place and Billy Rose's Playbill. He talks about directing episodes of many television series during the 1950s, including The U.S. Steel Hour, The Alcoa Hour, Armstrong Circle Theatre, Excursion, Justice, and Omnibus. Petrie discusses his directing assignments in the 1960s and 1970s, including Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre, The Defenders, Ironside, Marcus Welby, M.D., and Medical Center. Finally, he touches upon some of his feature film work (including A Raisin in the Sun), as well as his made-for-television movies such as Sybil, Eleanor and Franklin, The Dollmaker, Kissinger and Nixon, and Inherit the Wind. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on February 28, 2001 in Los Angeles, CA.