About
"I've been sort of like a loner in this business my whole life. I've always found that my own level of interest is what drew me to something. I don't search for things in a given category."
In his three-hour interview, Loring Mandel (1928-2020) talks about his early life, and his beginning in local Chicago television working with the likes of Mike Wallace, Dave Garroway, and Irv Kupcinet. He discusses breaking into writing for live national television anthologies with the Studio One production of “Shakedown Cruise,” followed by other episodes of that show including “Fair Play,” This Will Do Nicely,” and “The Open Door.” Mandel recalls writing both “Project Immortality” and “The Raider” for Playhouse 90, as well as scripts for The DuPont Show of the Week, Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre, and CBS Playhouse. He chronicles his stint writing for the daytime serial Love of Life, as well as several made-for-television movies, including his career capper Conspiracy in 2001, for which he received an Emmy award. Stephen Bowie conducted the interview on June 15, 2010 in Somers, NY.
Highlights
Loring Mandel on developing his first local Chicago television show, Norman Ross at Work, and writing for other local shows for people like Irving "Irv" Kupcinet and Dave Garroway
Loring Mandel on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on casting blacklisted actors on Studio One
Loring Mandel on writing for Love of Life
Loring Mandel on writing the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," starring Shirley Booth and Melvyn Douglas
Loring Mandel on watching the live broadcasts of Studio One from inside the studio, and on writing the episode "The Rice Sprout Song," directed by Sidney Lumet with mostly blacklisted actors
Loring Mandel on writing the Playhouse 90 episode "The Raider," directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Rod Taylor and Paul Douglas
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on developing his first local Chicago television show, Norman Ross at Work, and writing for other local shows for people like Irving "Irv" Kupcinet and Dave Garroway; on working with Bob Hope and Dave Garroway
On moving to New York City, and finding work to write for television; on working with Perry Wolff and Charles Collingwood; on getting into writing anthologies like Studio One
On his first script for Studio One, "Shakedown Cruise"; on Franklin J. Schaffner directing his Studio One episode "Shakedown Cruise," and on shooting the episode; on writing the Studio One episodes "Fair Play," "This Will Do Nicely," and "The Open Door"
On watching the live broadcasts of Studio One from inside the studio, and on writing the episode "The Rice Sprout Song," directed by Sidney Lumet with mostly blacklisted actors; on Studio One producers Herbert Brodkin and Felix Jackson
On the Hollywood Blacklist, and on casting blacklisted actors on Studio One; on his involvement in the writers program at CBS; on writing "House of His Own" for Lux Video Theatre
Chapter 2
On the production company Unit 4 and on writing "The Army Game" for The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Paul Newman; on writing The Seven Lively Arts episode "The Blast in Centralia #5," directed by George Roy Hill; on John Houseman
On comparing Playhouse 90 to other anthology shows, and on writing the episode "Project Immortality" directed by Fielder Cook; on writing the Playhouse 90 episode "The Raider," directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Rod Taylor and Paul Douglas
On writing The DuPont Show of the Week episode "The Word's Greatest Robbery"; on writing The DuPont Show of the Week episode "Ambassador at Large"; on using the pen name Karl Miller when writing for Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre
On writing the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," starring Shirley Booth and Melvyn Douglas; on winning an Emmy for the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"
On writing To Confuse the Angel, starring Lee J. Cobb, and I Remember Illinois; on writing for Love of Life at the behest of Fred Silverman
Chapter 3
On writing for Love of Life; on adjusting his style of writing to the material; on writing The Best of Families
On writing Benjamin Franklin; on writing Sandburg's Lincoln and the American Parade episode "The Case Against Milligan," and on how working for PBS was different from working for networks; on writing The Trial of Chaplain Jensen and Breaking Up
On writing The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck and Citizen Cohn; on writing Conspiracy; on the abandoned follow-up to Conspiracy , and on and aborted biography of Walt Disney
On his writing process, and on subjects he's drawn to writing about; on his criticism of television, and on being president of the Writers Guild; on advice to aspiring writers; on career achievements and regrets, and how he'd like to be remembered
Shows
Act of Passion: The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck
Loring Mandel on writing The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck and Citizen Cohn
American Parade, The
Loring Mandel on writing Sandburg's Lincoln and the American Parade episode "The Case Against Milligan," and on how working for PBS was different from working for networks
Benjamin Franklin
Loring Mandel on writing Benjamin Franklin
Best of Families, The
Loring Mandel on writing The Best of Families
Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre
Loring Mandel on using the pen name Karl Miller when writing for Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre
Breaking Up
Loring Mandel on writing The Trial of Chaplain Jensen and Breaking Up
CBS Playhouse
Loring Mandel on writing the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," starring Shirley Booth and Melvyn Douglas
Loring Mandel on winning an Emmy for the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"
Loring Mandel on writing the CBS Playhouse episode "Shadow Game"
Lorning Mandel on dealing with censorship in his career on the CBS Playhouse episode "Shadow Game"
Citizen Cohn
Loring Mandel on writing The Lost Honor of Kathryn Beck and Citizen Cohn
Conspiracy
Loring Mandel on writing Conspiracy
Loring Mandel on the abandoned follow-up to Conspiracy, and on and aborted biography of Walt Disney
DuPont Show of the Week, The
Loring Mandel on writing The DuPont Show of the Week episode "The Word's Greatest Robbery"
Loring Mandel on writing The DuPont Show of the Week episode "Ambassador at Large"
Emmy Awards, The (Primetime and Daytime)
Loring Mandel on winning an Emmy for the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"
Kaiser Aluminum Hour
Loring Mandel on the production company Unit 4 and on writing "The Army Game" for The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Paul Newman
Love of Life
Loring Mandel on writing for Love of Life at the behest of Fred Silverman
Loring Mandel on writing for Love of Life
Lux Video Theatre
Loring Mandel on writing "House of His Own" for Lux Video Theatre
Playhouse 90
Loring Mandel on comparing Playhouse 90 to other anthology shows, and on writing the episode "Project Immortality," directed by Fielder Cook
Loring Mandel on writing the Playhouse 90 episode "The Raider," directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Rod Taylor and Paul Douglas
Sandburg's Lincoln
Loring Mandel on writing Sandburg's Lincoln and the American Parade episode "The Case Against Milligan," and on how working for PBS was different from working for networks
Seven Lively Arts, The
Loring Mandel on writing The Seven Lively Arts episode "The Blast in Centralia #5," directed by George Roy Hill
Studio One
Loring Mandel on getting into writing for anthology series like Studio One
Loring Mandel on writing his first script for Studio One, "Shakedown Cruise"
Loring Mandel on Franklin J. Schaffner directing his Studio One episode "Shakedown Cruise," and on shooting the episode
Loring Mandel on writing the Studio One episodes "Fair Play," "This Will Do Nicely," and "The Open Door"
Loring Mandel on watching the live broadcasts of Studio One from inside the studio, and on writing the episode "The Rice Sprout Song," directed by Sidney Lumet with mostly blacklisted actors
Loring Mandel on Studio One producers Herbert Brodkin and Felix Jackson
Loring Mandel on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on casting blacklisted actors on Studio One
To Confuse the Angel
Loring Mandel on writing To Confuse the Angel, starring Lee J. Cobb, and I Remember Illinois
Trial of Chaplain Jensen, The
Loring Mandel on writing The Trial of Chaplain Jensen and Breaking Up
Topics
Advice
Loring Mandel on advice to aspiring television writers
Censorship / Standards & Practices
Lorning Mandel on dealing with censorship in his career on the CBS Playhouse episode "Shadow Game"
Criticism of TV
Loring Mandel on his criticism of television, and on being president of the Writers Guild
Emmy Awards
Loring Mandel on winning an Emmy for the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night"
Hollywood Blacklist
Loring Mandel on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on casting blacklisted actors on Studio One
Industry Crossroads
Loring Mandel on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on casting blacklisted actors on Studio One
Television Industry
Loring Mandel on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on casting blacklisted actors on Studio One
Lorning Mandel on dealing with censorship in his career on the CBS Playhouse episode "Shadow Game"
Loring Mandel on his criticism of television, and on being president of the Writers Guild
Loring Mandel on advice to aspiring television writers
Professions
Writers
Loring Mandel on adjusting his style of writing to the material
Loring Mandel on his writing process
Loring Mandel on subjects he's drawn to writing about, and on the politics of his work
Loring Mandel on advice to aspiring television writers
Genres
Classic Anthology Series
Loring Mandel on writing various scripts for Studio One
Loring Mandel on writing "House of His Own" for Lux Video Theatre
Loring Mandel on the production company Unit 4 and on writing "The Army Game" for The Kaiser Aluminum Hour , directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Paul Newman
Loring Mandel on writing The Seven Lively Arts episode "The Blast in Centralia #5," directed by George Roy Hill
Loring Mandel on writing for Playhouse 90
Loring Mandel on writing for The DuPont Show of the Week
Loring Mandel on writing for CBS Playhouse
Daytime/Primetime Serials
Loring Mandel on writing for Love of Life at the behest of Fred Silverman
Loring Mandel on writing for Love of Life
TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials
Loring Mandel on writing To Confuse the Angel, starring Lee J. Cobb, and I Remember Illinois
Loring Mandel on writing The Best of Families
Loring Mandel on writing Benjamin Franklin
Loring Mandel on writing Lincoln and the American Parade episode "The Case Against Milligan," and on how working for PBS was different from working for networks
Loring Mandel on writing The Trial of Chaplain Jensen and Breaking Up
Loring Mandel on writing Conspiracy
People
Shirley Booth
Loring Mandel on writing the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," starring Shirley Booth and Melvyn Douglas
Herbert Brodkin
Loring Mandel on Studio One producers Herbert Brodkin and Felix Jackson
Lee J. Cobb
Loring Mandel on writing To Confuse the Angel, starring Lee J. Cobb, and I Remember Illinois
Fielder Cook
Loring Mandel on comparing Playhouse 90 to other anthology shows, and on writing the episode "Project Immortality," directed by Fielder Cook
Melvyn Douglas
Loring Mandel on writing the CBS Playhouse episode "Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night," starring Shirley Booth and Melvyn Douglas
Dave Garroway
Loring Mandel on working with Bob Hope and Dave Garroway
George Roy Hill
Loring Mandel on writing The Seven Lively Arts episode "The Blast in Centralia #5," directed by George Roy Hill
Bob Hope
Loring Mandel on working with Bob Hope and Dave Garroway
John Houseman
Loring Mandel on John Houseman
Felix Jackson
Loring Mandel on Studio One producers Herb Brodkin and Felix Jackson
Sidney Lumet
Loring Mandel on watching the live broadcasts of Studio One from inside the studio, and on writing the episode "The Rice Sprout Song," directed by Sidney Lumet with mostly blacklisted actors
Paul Newman
Loring Mandel on the production company Unit 4 and on writing "The Army Game" for The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Paul Newman
Franklin J. Schaffner
Loring Mandel on Franklin J. Schaffner directing his Studio One episode "Shakedown Cruise," and on shooting the episode
Loring Mandel on the production company Unit 4 and on writing "The Army Game" for The Kaiser Aluminum Hour, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Paul Newman
Loring Mandel on writing the Playhouse 90 episode "The Raider," directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and starring Rod Taylor and Paul Douglas
Fred Silverman
Loring Mandel on writing for Love of Life at the behest of Fred Silverman
Mike Wallace
Loring Mandel on working with Mike Wallace in local Chicago television