About
"As you look at the whole history of game shows on television you'll see that there have been marriages of formats and MCs. John Daly on What's My Line?, Bill Cullen on The Price Is Right, and then Bob Barker on The Price Is Right. The format just fit those people."
In his nearly three-hour interview, Ira Skutch (1921-2010) talks about his early years as a page and later as a manager of guided tours at NBC in the mid-1940s. He describes the layout of the NBC building, listing the various studios and radio series that were produced in each, as well as which studios were modified for television production. Skutch talks about his work as a stage manager on some of NBC's earliest television series, including NBC Television Theatre, You Are an Artist, Face to Face, Kraft Television Theatre, and the big-budget variety series, Hour Glass. Skutch discusses his work as a director of live television commercials for TV series, as well as for the 1952 political conventions. He chronicles his work as a director of Disc Magic (a 1946 precursor to music videos), The Swift Home Service Club (one of network television's first daytime series), and Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse. Lastly, Skutch talks in detail about his 26-year tenure as a director, then producer, at Mark Goodson-Bill Todman Productions, where he worked on Beat the Clock, Play Your Hunch, and Match Game. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on January 29, 2004 in Los Angeles, CA.
Highlights
Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
Ira Skutch on working for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
Ira Skutch on his first time directing television -- on the show Disc Magic aka Musical Merry-Go-Round
Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn
Ira Skutch on the lighting in the early days of television
Ira Skutch on the technical challenges of the earliest television cameras circa 1946
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on starting to work at NBC; on the one studio in 1938 at 30 Rock that was a television studio; on being an NBC page
On watching Arturo Toscanini conduct the NBC Symphony in Studio 8H; on what he observed as an NBC page; on the television exhibit at 30 Rock; on the first time he saw television; on shows he watched early on; on becoming an NBC page
Chapter 2
On becoming a stage manager in the television department at NBC; on stage managing a 1946 NBC production of Blithe Spirit; on Campus Hoopla featuring Eva Marie Saint
On working with Fred Coe; on the NBC shows NBC Television Theatre, You Are an Artist, and James Beard's I Love to Eat
Chapter 3
On the craft of staging managing for television; on stage managing The Hour Glass; on the quiz show Face to Face and the book discussion show Author Meets the Critics; on the travelogue series Geographically Speaking
On working with Edgar Bergen; on the camera placement for the boxing series The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports; on stage managing NBC News programming and on the rehearsal schedule of the Sunday night anthology series NBC Television Theatre
On stage managing Hour Glass starring Helen Parrish; on stage managing Hour Glass when it became a variety show with Bert Lahr
Chapter 4
On the opening of Kraft Television Theatre; on directing Disc Magic aka Musical Merry-Go-Round; on directing The Swift Home Service Club
On the writing and the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; on Goodyear joining Philco as a sponsor for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
On directing episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
Chapter 5
On the Hollywood Blacklist; on directing game shows for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
On working for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman; on Bob Stewart; on Bill Cullen
On budgets and prizes on shows like Match Game; on the game show Two for the Money; on directing Beat the Clock
On the Quiz Show Scandals; on Play Your Hunch
Chapter 6
On Merv Griffin and Johnny Olson; on Match Game; on how he'd like to be remembered
On B-roll pictures from his career: othe NBC production of Blythe Spirit; a rehearsal of Disc Magic; a Philco-Goodyear Playhouse party; "I Want to March" from Philco-Goodyear Playhouse; an NBC camera; industrial film for Philco; an Old Gold commercial; a meeting at Goodson-Todman
Shows
Author Meets the Critics, The
Ira Skutch on the book discussion show Author Meets the Critics
Beat the Clock
Ira Skutch on directing Beat the Clock
Blithe Spirit
Ira Skutch on stage managing a 1946 NBC production of Blithe Spirit starring Estelle Winwood; on his duties as stage manager on the production
Ira Skutch on a photo of the NBC production of Blythe Spirit
Campus Hoopla
Ira Skutch on Campus Hoopla featuring Eva Marie Saint as a regular before her greater fame as a movie actress
Face to Face
Ira Skutch on the quiz show Face to Face
Geographically Speaking
Ira Skutch on the travelogue series Geographically Speaking
Gillette Cavalcade of Sports, The
Ira Skutch on the camera placement for the boxing series The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
Hour Glass
Ira Skutch on the craft of staging managing for television and on stage managing for Hour Glass
Ira Skutch on stage managing Hour Glass
Ira Skutch on stage managing Hour Glass when it became a variety show with Bert Lahr
I Love to Eat
Ira Skutch on James Beard's I Love to Eat
Kraft Television Theatre
Ira Skutch on the opening of Kraft Television Theatre
Match Game
Ira Skutch on budgets and prizes on shows like Match Game
Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn
Musical Merry-Go-Round
Ira Skutch on his first time directing television -- on the show Disc Magic aka Musical Merry-Go-Round
Ira Skutch on a photo of a rehearsal of Disc Magic
NBC Television Theatre
Ira Skutch on the NBC Television Theatre production of "Miracle in the Rain" directed by Fred Coe
Ira Skutch on the rehearsal schedule of the Sunday night anthology series NBC Television Theatre
Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on the writing and the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on the production of the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on Goodyear joining Philco as a sponsor for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on directing episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on a photo of a Philco-Goodyear Playhouse party
Ira Skutch on a photo of the production of "I Want to March" for Philco-Goodyear Playhouse
Ira Skutch on a photo of an industrial film for Philco-Goodyear Playhouse
Play Your Hunch
Ira Skutch on producing the game show Play Your Hunch
Swift Home Service Club, The
Ira Skutch on directing The Swift Home Service Club
Two for the Money
Ira Skutch on the game show Two for the Money
What's My Line?
Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
You Are an Artist
Ira Skutch on stage managing the series You Are an Artist
Topics
Advertising and Sponsorship
Ira Skutch on Goodyear joining Philco as a sponsor for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on the production of the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
Hollywood Blacklist
Ira Skutch on the Hollywood Blacklist
Industry Crossroads
Ira Skutch on the Hollywood Blacklist
Ira Skutch on the Quiz Show Scandals
Quiz Show Scandals
Ira Skutch on the Quiz Show Scandals
Technological Innovation
Ira Skutch on the technical challenges of the earliest television cameras circa 1946
Ira Skutch on the lighting in the early days of television
Television and the Presidency
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
Television Industry
Ira Skutch on early NBC vice president in charge of programming John Royal
Ira Skutch on Goodyear joining Philco as a sponsor for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on the production of the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
Ira Skutch on the Hollywood Blacklist
Ira Skutch on the Quiz Show Scandals
Professions
Directors
Ira Skutch on directing The Swift Home Service Club
Ira Skutch on directing episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
Production Professionals
Ira Skutch on becoming a stage manager for NBC
Ira Skutch on his duties as a stage manager
Ira Skutch on the craft of staging managing for television, and on stage managing Hour Glass
Stage Manager
Ira Skutch on becoming a stage manager for NBC
Ira Skutch on his duties as a stage manager
Ira Skutch on the craft of staging managing for television, and on stage managing Hour Glass
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
Ira Skutch on stage managing a 1946 NBC production of Blithe Spirit starring Estelle Winwood; on his duties as stage manager on the production
Ira Skutch on the NBC Television Theatre production of "Miracle in the Rain" directed by Fred Coe
Ira Skutch on the rehearsal schedule of the Sunday night anthology series NBC Television Theatre
Ira Skutch on the opening of Kraft Television Theatre
Ira Skutch on the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and sponsors for the show
Commercials
Ira Skutch on the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and sponsors for the show
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
Ira Skutch on a photo of an Old Gold commercial
Game Shows
Ira Skutch on Campus Hoopla featuring Eva Marie Saint as a regular before her greater fame as a movie actress
Ira Skutch on the quiz show Face to Face
Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
Ira Skutch on budgets and prizes on shows like Match Game
Ira Skutch on the game show Two for the Money
Ira Skutch on directing Beat the Clock
Ira Skutch on producing the game show Play Your Hunch
Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn
Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials
Ira Skutch on stage managing Hour Glass
Ira Skutch on his first time directing television -- on the show Disc Magic aka Musical Merry-Go-Round
Service Shows
Ira Skutch on the NBC show You Are an Artist, which gave drawing lessons
Ira Skutch on James Beard's I Love to Eat
Ira Skutch on the book discussion show Author Meets the Critics
Ira Skutch on the travelogue series Geographically Speaking
Sports
Ira Skutch briefly on the camera placement for the boxing series The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
Talk Shows
Ira Skutch on directing The Swift Home Service Club
People
James Beard
Ira Skutch on James Beard's I Love to Eat
Edgar Bergen
Ira Skutch on working with Edgar Bergen
Fred Coe
Ira Skutch on working with producer and director Fred Coe and on Coe's camera style
Ira Skutch on Fred Coe's temperament and personality
Ernest Colling
Ira Skutch on stage managing Campus Hoopla, directed by Ernest Colling and starring Eva Marie Saint
Bill Cullen
Ira Skutch on Bill Cullen
Mark Goodson
Ira Skutch on directing game shows for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
Ira Skutch on working for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
Ira Skutch on a photo of a meeting at Goodson-Todman
Merv Griffin
Ira Skutch on Merv Griffin
Eddie Mayehoff
Ira Skutch on the last weeks of Hour Glass with star Eddie Mayehoff
Albert McCleery
Ira Skutch on director Albert McCleery
Johnny Olson
Ira Skutch on Johnny Olson
Helen Parrish
Ira Skutch on Helen Parrish, the emcee of Hour Glass
Gene Rayburn
Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn, and how the 1960's and 1970's versions differed
John Royal
Ira Skutch on early NBC vice president in charge of programming John Royal
Ed Sobol
Ira Skutch on working with director Ed Sobol
Bob Stewart
Ira Skutch on Bob Stewart
Bill Todman
Ira Skutch on directing game shows for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
Ira Skutch on working for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
Ira Skutch on a photo of a meeting at Goodson-Todman
Arturo Toscanini
Ira Skutch on watching Arturo Toscanini conduct the NBC Symphony
Frank Wayne
Ira Skutch on Frank Wayne creating Match Game