Marian Rees

Producer

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In her seven-and-a-half-hour Archive interview, Marian Rees (1927-2018) talks about her break into television as a member of staff production, where she worked on Lux Video Theatre and An Evening with Fred Astaire. Rees describes her work with Norman Lear and Bud Yorkin at Tandem Productions, where she served as the associate producer for the pilots of All in the Family and Sanford and Son. She discusses her long association as an executive producer for telefilms of the 1980s and 1990s, which she produced through her own company Marian Rees Associates, including "The Marva Collins Story," "Love Is Never Silent," and "Miss Rose White." Rees recalls her other TV movie projects, including The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, Between Friends, When the Vows Break, Is There Life Out There? and Ruby Bridges. She outlines her then-recent work on the Masterpiece Theatre American Collection telefilms "Cora Unashamed," "Song of the Lark," and "Almost a Woman." She concludes by discussing ageism in the industry and gives advice to young, female aspiring television producers. Karen Herman conducted the interview on September 3, 2004 and November 5, 2004 in Studio City, CA.

"As a producer, something comes in front of you and you say, 'Oh, I just have to tell that story.' A movie like 'Love is Never Silent' allows people with disabilities to watch and say, 'We're seeing ourselves on the screen. We are visible. We are now visible.'"

People Talking About ...

Marian Rees

Highlights

Marian Rees on producing The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

Marian Rees on working on the Lux Video Theatre production of "Zola" and the empowerment of drama

Marian Rees on working with Elizabeth Taylor and Carol Burnett on Between Friends

Marian Rees on the guidelines as to what was acceptable in a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation

Marian Rees on advice to aspiring female television producers

Full Interview

Chapter 1

On her early life and influences; on her education

On becoming involved with the black community; on her personal identity

Chapter 2

On her post-college activities in New York at the United Nations; on getting into television as a secretary at NBC in Hollywood

On the state of television when she started working in the industry circa 1952; on working on The Dennis Day Show; on going to work on This is Your Life with Ralph Edwards

Chapter 3

On working on Lux Video Theatre in New York with Franklin Schaffner, George Roy Hill and Fielder Cook; on matriculating though the television business; on artistic disagreements over Lux Video Theatre

On the "rules" the sponsor had for Lux Video Theatre; on working on the Lux Video Theatre production of "Zola" and the empowerment of drama; on being fired from NBC

Chapter 4

On going to work as a production assistant on An Evening With Fred Astaire

On joining Tandem Productions with Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear; on the overriding mission of Tandem Productions when it started; on Tandem Productions being on the Paramount lot and Tandem producing a feature film; on her day-to-day duties during her early years at Tandem

Chapter 5

On Tandem Productions producing feature films with Norman Lear

On Norman Lear adapting Till Death Us Do Part into All in the Family; on casting All in the Family; on the network response to All in the Family

Chapter 6

On the cast of All in the Family; on working on Sanford and Son; on selling Sanford and Son to the networks

On being dismissed from Tandem Productions; on going to work for Tomorrow Entertainment

Chapter 7

On producing "Tell Me Where it Hurts" for General Electric Theater and her commitment to feminism; on developing "Tell Me Where it Hurts" for General Electric Theater and other shows from scratch

On producing The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman; on various other Tomorrow Entertainment projects

Chapter 8

On producing Deadman's Curve and The Cracker Factory; on producing Orphan Train; on leaving EMI for Nicholl Ross West

On producing The Marva Collins Story; on producing Angel Dusted; on her mentor Fay Kanin and her advice to create her own company

Chapter 9

On starting her own production company; on executive producing Miss All-American Beauty and her struggle to get it financed; on the production of Miss All-American Beauty starring Cloris Leachman and Jayne Meadows

On attempting to produce her passion project "Love Is Never Silent" and pitching it to Donald Hall; on executive producing "Love Is Never Silent" for Hallmark Hall of Fame and her struggle with the network to cast deaf actors in lead roles

Chapter 10

On executive producing "Love Is Never Silent" for Hallmark Hall of Fame; on executive producing Foxfire starring Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy; on executive producing "Miss Rose White" for Hallmark Hall of Fame

On executive producing "The Shell Seekers" for Hallmark Hall of Fame; on the guidelines as to what was acceptable in a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation; on executive producing Between Friends

Chapter 11

On working with Elizabeth Taylor and Carol Burnett on Between Friends; on executive producing The Gift of Love; on executive producing Is There Life Out There?

On executive producing When the Vows Break; on executive producing Ruby Bridges

Chapter 12

On the African-American crew on Ruby Bridges and gaining Ruby's trust; on the Norman Rockwell painting on which Ruby Bridges was based and recreating it

On becoming involved with Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection and selling the show; on gaining full creative control over Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection

Chapter 13

On programming Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection; on Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection's presentation of "Cora Unashamed"

On Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection's presentation of "A Death in the Family" and "Almost a Woman"; on the politics at PBS regarding Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection and public reaction to the series

Chapter 14

On public reaction and the educational benefits of Masterpiece Theatre's American Collection's "Almost a Woman"

On then-current projects; on the challenges facing independent producers and how distribution has changed

Chapter 15

On her involvement in Women in Film; on advice to aspiring female television producers; on her producing partner Anne Hopkins

On ageism in the industry; on career highlights; on career regrets

On B-roll photos from her career- at The Christopher Awards with Ed Waterstreet; with Juilanna Feld on the set of Hallmark Hall of Fame's "Love Is Never Silent"; with Carol Burnett and Elizabeth Taylor; with producing partner Anne Hopkins

Shows

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Marian Rees

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Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

All in the Family

Angel Dusted

Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, The

Between Friends

Cracker Factory, The

Deadman's Curve

Dennis Day Show. The

Evening With Fred Astaire, An

Foxfire

General Electric Theater, The

Gift of Love, The

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Hallmark Hall of Fame: "Miss Rose White"

Is There Life Out There?

Love Is Never Silent

Lux Video Theatre

Marva Collins, Story, The

Masterpiece Theatre

Miss All-American Beauty

Orphan Train

Ruby Bridges

Sanford and Son

Shell Seekers, The

This Is Your Life

When the Vows Break

Advice

Civil Rights Movement

Creative Influences and Inspiration

Diversity in Television

Historic Events and Social Change

People with Disabilities

Pivotal Career Moments

Television Industry

Underrepresented Voices

Women

Producers

Classic Anthology Series

Comedy Series

Drama Series

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Reality TV

TV Movies/Miniseries/Dramatic Specials

Fred Astaire

Carol Burnett

Fielder Cook

Hume Cronyn

Dennis Day

Ralph Edwards

Redd Foxx

Andy Griffith

Donald Hall

George Roy Hill

Anne Hopkins

Fay Kanin

Buzz Kulik

Cloris Leachman

Norman Lear

Jayne Meadows

Don Nicholl

Carroll O'Connor