Ira Skutch

Director/ Producer/ Stage Manager


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

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 manger 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.

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

"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."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
02:48
Ira Skutch on working for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
02:07
Ira Skutch on his first time directing television -- on the show Disc Magic aka Musical Merry-Go-Round
04:41
Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn
07:04
Ira Skutch on the lighting in the early days of television
03:19
Ira Skutch on the technical challenges of the earliest television cameras circa 1946
01:52
Full Interview

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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

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Ira Skutch on the book discussion show Author Meets the Critics
00:41

Beat the Clock

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Ira Skutch on directing Beat the Clock
02:02

Blithe Spirit

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Ira Skutch on stage managing a 1946 NBC production of Blithe Spirit starring Estelle Winwood; on his duties as stage manager on the production
08:05
Ira Skutch on a photo of the NBC production of Blythe Spirit
00:12

Campus Hoopla

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Ira Skutch on Campus Hoopla featuring Eva Marie Saint as a regular before her greater fame as a movie actress
01:31

Face to Face

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Ira Skutch on the quiz show Face to Face
01:28

Geographically Speaking

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Ira Skutch on the travelogue series Geographically Speaking
00:53

Gillette Cavalcade of Sports, The

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Ira Skutch on the camera placement for the boxing series The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
01:43

Hour Glass

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Ira Skutch on the craft of staging managing for television and on stage managing for Hour Glass
05:40
Ira Skutch on stage managing Hour Glass
04:05
Ira Skutch on stage managing Hour Glass when it became a variety show with Bert Lahr
09:16

I Love to Eat

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Ira Skutch on James Beard's I Love to Eat
00:52

Kraft Television Theatre

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Ira Skutch on the opening of Kraft Television Theatre
01:18

Match Game

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Ira Skutch on budgets and prizes on shows like Match Game
01:25
Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn
07:04

Musical Merry-Go-Round

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Ira Skutch on his first time directing television -- on the show Disc Magic aka Musical Merry-Go-Round
04:41
Ira Skutch on a photo of a rehearsal of Disc Magic
00:44

NBC Television Theatre

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Ira Skutch on the NBC Television Theatre production of "Miracle in the Rain" directed by Fred Coe
02:05
Ira Skutch on the rehearsal schedule of the Sunday night anthology series NBC Television Theatre
01:30

Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

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Ira Skutch on the writing and the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:22
Ira Skutch on the production of the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:45
Ira Skutch on Goodyear joining Philco as a sponsor for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:15
Ira Skutch on directing episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
03:03
Ira Skutch on a photo of a Philco-Goodyear Playhouse party
00:37
Ira Skutch on a photo of the production of "I Want to March" for Philco-Goodyear Playhouse
00:37
Ira Skutch on a photo of an industrial film for Philco-Goodyear Playhouse
00:34

Play Your Hunch

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Ira Skutch on producing the game show Play Your Hunch
02:16

Swift Home Service Club, The

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Ira Skutch on directing The Swift Home Service Club
01:24

Two for the Money

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Ira Skutch on the game show Two for the Money
01:32

What's My Line?

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Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
02:48

You Are an Artist

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Ira Skutch on stage managing the series You Are an Artist
01:05
Topics

Advertising and Sponsorship

View Topic
Ira Skutch on Goodyear joining Philco as a sponsor for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:15
Ira Skutch on the production of the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:45
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
03:19

Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
03:19

Hollywood Blacklist

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Ira Skutch on the Hollywood Blacklist
07:11

Industry Crossroads

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Ira Skutch on the Hollywood Blacklist
07:11
Ira Skutch on the Quiz Show Scandals
01:22

Quiz Show Scandals

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Ira Skutch on the Quiz Show Scandals
01:22

Technological Innovation

View Topic
Ira Skutch on the technical challenges of the earliest television cameras circa 1946
01:52
Ira Skutch on the lighting in the early days of television
03:19

Television Industry

View Topic
Ira Skutch on early NBC vice president in charge of programming John Royal
02:46
Ira Skutch on Goodyear joining Philco as a sponsor for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:15
Ira Skutch on the production of the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:45
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
03:19
Ira Skutch on the Hollywood Blacklist
07:11
Ira Skutch on the Quiz Show Scandals
01:22

Television and the Presidency

View Topic
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
03:19
Professions

Directors

View Profession
Ira Skutch on directing The Swift Home Service Club
01:24
Ira Skutch on directing episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
03:02
Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
02:48

Production Professionals

View Profession
Ira Skutch on becoming a stage manager for NBC
02:10
Ira Skutch on his duties as a stage manager
04:02
Ira Skutch on the craft of staging managing for television, and on stage managing Hour Glass
05:41

Stage Manager

View Profession
Ira Skutch on becoming a stage manager for NBC
02:10
Ira Skutch on his duties as a stage manager
04:02
Ira Skutch on the craft of staging managing for television, and on stage managing Hour Glass
05:41
Genres

Classic Anthology Series

View Genre
Ira Skutch on stage managing a 1946 NBC production of Blithe Spirit starring Estelle Winwood; on his duties as stage manager on the production
08:05
Ira Skutch on the NBC Television Theatre production of "Miracle in the Rain" directed by Fred Coe
02:05
Ira Skutch on the rehearsal schedule of the Sunday night anthology series NBC Television Theatre
01:30
Ira Skutch on the opening of Kraft Television Theatre
01:18
Ira Skutch on the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and sponsors for the show
13:22

Commercials

View Genre
Ira Skutch on the commercials that ran during Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and sponsors for the show
13:22
Ira Skutch on directing commercials during the 1952 political conventions
03:19
Ira Skutch on a photo of an Old Gold commercial
00:49

Game Shows

View Genre
Ira Skutch on Campus Hoopla featuring Eva Marie Saint as a regular before her greater fame as a movie actress
01:31
Ira Skutch on the quiz show Face to Face
01:26
Ira Skutch on the challenges of staging and directing a game show, specifically What's My Line? and how the audience was filmed
02:48
Ira Skutch on budgets and prizes on shows like Match Game
01:25
Ira Skutch on the game show Two for the Money
01:32
Ira Skutch on directing Beat the Clock
02:03
Ira Skutch on producing the game show Play Your Hunch
02:16
Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn
07:04

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

View Genre
Ira Skutch on stage managing Hour Glass
13:21
Ira Skutch on his first time directing television -- on the show Disc Magic aka Musical Merry-Go-Round
04:41

Service Shows

View Genre
Ira Skutch on the NBC show You Are an Artist, which gave drawing lessons
01:05
Ira Skutch on James Beard's I Love to Eat
00:54
Ira Skutch on the book discussion show Author Meets the Critics
00:41
Ira Skutch on the travelogue series Geographically Speaking
00:53

Sports

View Genre
Ira Skutch briefly on the camera placement for the boxing series The Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
01:43

Talk Shows

View Genre
Ira Skutch on directing The Swift Home Service Club
01:24
People

James Beard

View Person Page
Ira Skutch on James Beard's I Love to Eat
00:50

Edgar Bergen

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Ira Skutch on working with Edgar Bergen
01:44

Fred Coe

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Ira Skutch on working with producer and director Fred Coe and on Coe's camera style
05:35
Ira Skutch on Fred Coe's temperament and personality
02:47

Ernest Colling

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Ira Skutch on stage managing Campus Hoopla, directed by Ernest Colling and starring Eva Marie Saint
01:35

Bill Cullen

View Person Page
Ira Skutch on Bill Cullen
00:56

Mark Goodson

View Person Page
Ira Skutch on directing game shows for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
02:47
Ira Skutch on working for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
02:07
Ira Skutch on a photo of a meeting at Goodson-Todman
00:35

Merv Griffin

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Ira Skutch on Merv Griffin
01:30

Eddie Mayehoff

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Ira Skutch on the last weeks of Hour Glass with star Eddie Mayehoff
01:27

Albert McCleery

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Ira Skutch on director Albert McCleery
02:09

Johnny Olson

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Ira Skutch on Johnny Olson
02:11

Helen Parrish

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Ira Skutch on Helen Parrish, the emcee of Hour Glass
01:48

Gene Rayburn

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Ira Skutch on directing Match Game, hosted by Gene Rayburn, and how the 1960's and 1970's versions differed
06:20

John Royal

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Ira Skutch on early NBC vice president in charge of programming John Royal
02:46

Ed Sobol

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Ira Skutch on working with director Ed Sobol
00:58

Bob Stewart

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Ira Skutch on Bob Stewart
03:46

Bill Todman

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Ira Skutch on directing game shows for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
02:47
Ira Skutch on working for Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
02:07
Ira Skutch on a photo of a meeting at Goodson-Todman
00:35

Arturo Toscanini

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Ira Skutch on watching Arturo Toscanini conduct the NBC Symphony
02:10

Frank Wayne

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Ira Skutch on Frank Wayne creating Match Game
00:39

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