"I wouldn't trade my years and my memories for a new start. It's been too good. I've been the luckiest guy in the world."

    About This Interview

    In his three-hour interview, Lou Weiss (1918-2019) talks about his early years as an office boy for William Morris. He describes becoming an agent and spending several years representing various nightclub acts and Catskills comedians. He recounts the creation of the television department at William Morris, and talks of helping to create the notion of agencies "packaging" television shows for networks. Weiss recalls packaging several shows, including The Danny Thomas Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Four Star Playhouse, and Richard Diamond, Private Detective. He discusses the business aspects of television, including syndication and distribution. He speaks of the many people he has worked with and represented in his career, including Bill Cosby, Danny Thomas, Dick Powell, David Wolper, Barbara Walters, Howard Cosell, and his maternal uncle George Burns. Mark Wallace conducted the interview on April 29, 1998 with Sunny Parich conducting a brief follow-up on April 30, 1998, both in New York, NY.

    All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.
    People Talking About ...
    Thumbnail of Lou Weiss

    Lou Weiss on his first job at William Morris as an office boy

    03:04
    Thumbnail of Lou Weiss

    Lou Weiss on the advent of packaging television 

    04:13
    Thumbnail of Lou Weiss

    Lou Weiss on packaging game shows and The Danny Thomas Show

    03:41
    Thumbnail of Lou Weiss

    Lou Weiss on William Morris in the '50s and making a deal

    05:34
    Thumbnail of Lou Weiss

    Lou Weiss on how he'd like to be remembered 

    02:31
    Thumbnail of Lou Weiss

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Dick Van Dyke Show

    03:22
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his early life and influences; on his mother and his early life; on his family, including his aunt and uncle - Gracie Allen and George Burns

    09:12

    On radio he listened to growing up; on growing up during the Great Depression; on his first job at William Morris as an office boy

    05:41

    On his first boss at William Morris; on his marriage after World War II; on returning to William Morris after World War II and learning to be an agent

    11:12

    Chapter 2

    On finding talent in small nightclubs; on his memories of the nightclubs; on a typical day when he was representing nightclub acts

    12:49

    On building his nightclub acts; on William Morris in the '50s and making a deal; on Frank Sinatra

    11:50

    On representing Catskills comedians; on getting into television 

    04:03

    Chapter 3

    On when he first saw television; on the creation of the television department at William Morris; on signing George Abbott

    11:56

    On television in the '50s; on the advent of packaging television; on packaging Texaco Star Theater starring Milton Berle

    08:00

    On his role in packaging television shows; on the Hollywood Blacklist; on packaging game shows and The Danny Thomas Show

    09:19

    Chapter 4

    On packaging The Danny Thomas Show and working with Sheldon Leonard; on packaging The Dick Van Dyke Show; on Dick Powell and Four Star Playhouse

    12:05

    On the actors who appeared on Four Star Theater and Richard Diamond , Private Detective; on the then-current economics of developing a show; on working with Pat Weaver

    06:40

    On syndication; on television distribution; on representing Bill Cosby

    11:19

    Chapter 5

    On representing Bill Cosby; on representing George Schlatter; on representing David Wolper

    07:50

    On representing Merv Griffin; on representing Barbara Walters; on representing Howard Cosell and Jack Paar; on Michael Ovitz 

    13:19

    On summing up his feelings about his career; on his uncle, George Burns; on how he'd like to be remembered; on various people with whom he's worked in his career

    08:41

    Chapter 6

    On various people with whom he has worked in his career; on the then-current state of William Morris

    14:04

    Barney Miller

    Lou Weiss on packaging Barney Miller

    01:43

    Danny Thomas Show, The aka Make Room for Daddy

    Lou Weiss on packaging game shows and The Danny Thomas Show

    03:41

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Danny Thomas Show  and working with Sheldon Leonard

    02:29

    Dick Van Dyke Show, The

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Dick Van Dyke Show

    03:22

    Four Star Playhouse

    Lou Weiss on Dick Powell and Four Star Playhouse

    06:14

    Lou Weiss on the actors who appeared on Four Star Playhouse  and Richard Diamond, Private Detective

    01:12

    Richard Diamond, Private Detective

    Lou Weiss on the actors who appeared on Four Star Playhouse  and Richard Diamond, Private Detective

    01:12

    Texaco Star Theater

    Lou Weiss on packaging Texaco Star Theater starring Milton Berle

    02:02

    Creative Influences and Inspiration

    Lou Weiss on his first boss at The William Morris Agency, Abe Lastfogel

    05:39

    Historic Events and Social Change

    Lou Weiss on moving up through the ranks at William Morris and his experience with World War II

    02:30

    Hollywood Blacklist

    Lou Weiss on the Hollywood Blacklist

    03:25

    Industry Crossroads

    Lou Weiss on the Hollywood Blacklist

    03:25

    Television Industry

    Lou Weiss on the Hollywood Blacklist

    03:25

    Lou Weiss on the then-current economics of developing a show

    00:55

    Lou Weiss on syndication

    02:15

    Lou Weiss on television distribution

    04:40

    World War II

    Lou Weiss on moving up through the ranks at William Morris and his experience with World War II

    02:30

    Agent

    Lou Weiss on William Morris in the '50s and making a deal

    05:34

    Lou Weiss on the advent of packaging television 

    04:13

    Lou Weiss on his role in packaging television shows

    01:25

    Representatives

    Lou Weiss on William Morris in the '50s and making a deal

    05:34

    Lou Weiss on the advent of packaging television 

    04:13

    Lou Weiss on his role in packaging television shows

    01:25

    Classic Anthology Series

    Lou Weiss on Dick Powell and Four Star Playhouse

    07:26

    Comedy Series

    Lou Weiss on packaging Texaco Star Theater  starring Milton Berle

    02:02

    Lou Weiss on packaging game shows and The Danny Thomas Show

    03:41

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Danny Thomas Show  and working with Sheldon Leonard

    02:29

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Dick Van Dyke Show

    03:22

    Lou Weiss on packaging Barney Miller

    01:43

    Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

    Lou Weiss on Richard Diamond, Private Detective 

    01:12

    George Abbott

    Lou Weiss on signing George Abbott

    05:02

    Gracie Allen

    Lou Weiss on his famliy including his aunt and uncle, Gracie Allen and George Burns

    05:16

    Milton Berle

    Lou Weiss on packaging Texaco Star Theater  starring Milton Berle

    02:02

    George Burns

    Lou Weiss on his famliy including his aunt and uncle, Gracie Allen and George Burns

    05:16

    Lou Weiss on his uncle, George Burns

    00:39

    Bill Cosby

    Lou Weiss on representing Bill Cosby

    02:28

    Lou Weiss on representing Bill Cosby

    02:28

    Howard Cosell

    Lou Weiss on representing Howard Cosell and Jack Paar

    02:34

    Michael Fuchs

    Lou Weiss on Michael Fuchs

    01:27

    Dave Garroway

    Lou Weiss on representing Dave Garroway

    00:33

    Merv Griffin

    Lou Weiss on representing Merv Griffin

    01:39

    Abe Lastfogel

    Lou Weiss on his first boss at The William Morris Agency, Abe Lastfogel

    05:39

    Sheldon Leonard

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Danny Thomas Show  and working with Sheldon Leonard

    02:29

    Jerry Lewis

    Lou Weiss on representing Jerry Lewis

    01:01

    Michael Ovitz

    Lou Weiss on Michael Ovitz 

    02:33

    Jack Paar

    Lou Weiss on representing Howard Cosell and Jack Paar

    02:34

    Lou Weiss on representing Jack Paar

    00:38

    Dick Powell

    Lou Weiss on Dick Powell and Four Star Playhouse

    06:14

    George Schlatter

    Lou Weiss on representing George Schlatter

    02:42

    Frank Sinatra

    Lou Weiss on Frank Sinatra

    02:54

    Aaron Spelling

    Lou Weiss on working with Aaron Spelling

    02:26

    Danny Thomas

    Lou Weiss on packaging game shows and The Danny Thomas Show

    03:41

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Danny Thomas Show  and working with Sheldon Leonard

    02:29

    Kay Thompson

    Lou Weiss on representing Kay Thompson

    01:54

    Grant Tinker

    Lou Weiss on Grant Tinker

    01:10

    Dick Van Dyke

    Lou Weiss on packaging The Dick Van Dyke Show

    03:22

    Barbara Walters

    Lou Weiss on representing Barbara Walters

    04:50

    David L. Wolper

    Lou Weiss on representing David Wolper

    02:41

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