JP Miller

Writer

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his over four-hour interview, JP Miller (1919-2001) talks extensively about writing teleplays for live television dramas and his relationships with Fred Coe, Tad Mosel, Horton Foote, Delbert Mann, John Frankenheimer, and Paddy Chayefsky. Miller discusses writing many acclaimed television dramas including Days of Wine and Roses, The Rabbit Trap, and Helter Skelter. He also recalls writing for Philco-Goodyear Playhouse. Jeff Kisseloff conducted the interview on April 17, 1997 in Stockton, NJ.

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

"We managed to get by. In 'The People Next Door' for instance, the young lady ran out of the house naked and ran around a tree. Of course, the censors would have none of that. Some chap said, 'you have to cut the scene.' And producer Herb Brodkin says, 'look, she's in a body stocking. The scene is necessary to the show, and we're gonna do the scene. If you don't want us to do the scene, you're gonna have to come down and stop the show in the middle of it, because we're gonna do it.' And it was done."

People Talking About ...

JP Miller

Highlights

JP Miller on what was the key to the Golden Age of Television

28:54

JP Miller on writing "The Rabbit Trap" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

07:23

JP Miller on John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show

04:25

JP Miller on live television mishaps

02:43

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on reading and books being an escape during his childhood; on learning he wanted to be a writer, and on selling his first story

On how the great depression and World War II impacted him; on his early writing; on his college education

Chapter 2

On listening to the radio early on, and on live theater he enjoyed; on plays he wrote early on; on attending Yale Drama School

On getting hurt while fighting in World War II; on the people he met at Yale Drama school, and on moving to New York City; on writing his first teleplay for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

Chapter 3

On his family life in New York City, and his first television job writing Man Against Crime; on seeing Kim Stanley in various productions on stage and on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; on writing "A Game of Hide and Seek" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse produced by Fred Coe

On what made great live television; on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse producer Fred Coe

Chapter 4

On drinking in live television; on ownership of his scripts, and on the production of “A Game of Hide and Seek" for Fred Coe's Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; on how New York City writers regarded Hollywood writers

On meeting the other television writers of his day, including Paddy Chayefsky; on great Golden Age television producers Fred Coe and Herbert Brodkin; on the writers of the classic anthology series in the '50s, including Paddy Chayefsky and Horton Foote

Chapter 5

On fellow television writers Tad Mosel and Sumner Locke Elliott, and on learning from other writers; on his experience being a writer during the Golden Age of Television; on writing "The Rabbit Trap" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

On working with directors Delbert Mann and Arthur Penn, and other directors of the era; on working with the actors and directors of TV's Golden Age; on the start of his writing "Days of Wine and Roses" for Playhouse 90

Chapter 6

On writing the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses"; on doing research for the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses"; on Cliff Robertson as "Joe Clay" in Days of Wine and Roses

On John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show; on making his acting debut on the Playhouse 90 episode "Days of Wine and Roses"; on the low expectations the network had for the show, and on the feature film version

Chapter 7

On the title of Playhouse 90's "Days of Wine and Roses"; on the importance of the writer during TV's Golden Age; on the end of TV's Golden Age, and how the advent of videotape changed television

On film's impact on expanding the scope and action of television; on writing "Yellow Jack" for Producers' Showcase

On the Playhouse 90 production "The Comedian"; on live television mishaps; on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on his friend Zero Mostel's experience with the Blacklist

Chapter 8

On what was the key to the Golden Age of Television; on writing Helter Skelter and Beulah Land; on ending his television career, and on his novel

On various people he encountered in his career

Chapter 9

On some of the people he worked with over his career; on dealing with censorship in his career

Shows

Beulah Land

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JP Miller on writing Beulah Land

02:28

Helter Skelter

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JP Miller on writing Helter Skelter

05:18

Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

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JP Miller on writing his first teleplay for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse