"The Golden Age of Television? When television came, it was a revolution and then it ate us all up. All I know is back then, I was asked to do my best, and no one wants that anymore."

    About This Interview

    In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Max Wilk (1920-2011) briefly describes his beginnings as a writer in radio, touring with Irving Berlin's This Is the Army during World War II, and his entrance into writing for early television. He talks about writing for such anthology and variety shows as: The Ford Television Theatre (1948-50), The Victor Borge Show (1951), and The Imogene Coca Show (1954-55). Finally, he describes working on the critically-acclaimed and long-running series Mama (for which he wrote from 1952-53), as well as the Emmy Award-winning special The Fabulous Fifties (1960), a look at the decade. As a television historian and author of the seminal book The Golden Age of Television: Notes from the Survivors, Wilk also describes the "live" era of television (and the actors, writers, and producers of the day) and the cloud of the Hollywood Blacklist and how it affected people he knew. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on November 15, 2000 in Westport, CT.

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

    Max Wilk on learning to write for television while on Ford Television Theatre, and on working with director Marc Daniels

    03:03
    Thumbnail of Max Wilk

    Max Wilk on Admiral Broadway Revue producer Max Liebman, and on the career of Sid Caesar

    04:17
    Thumbnail of Max Wilk

    Max Wilk on Mama star Peggy Wood as "Marta Hansen"

    02:24
    Thumbnail of Max Wilk

    Max Wilk on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse's production of Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty"

    06:34
    Thumbnail of Max Wilk

    Max Wilk on writing Car 54, Where Are You? and on his less sucessful shows

    01:11
    Thumbnail of Max Wilk

    Max Wilk on The Hollywood Blacklist

    10:50
    Play Full Interview

    Chapter 1

    On his early life and influences; on his interests as a child, including movies; on radio shows he listened to while growing up, and books he read

    16:19

    On deciding to become a writer and on early plays he wrote; on working at a studio as an office boy and various other early jobs; on doing public relations for the Irving Berlin's movie "This is the Army"

    12:01

    Chapter 2

    On his earliest memories of television; on working on the stage play "Small Wonder" and the television show Home on the Range; on the opinion of the television world from the theater world

    12:34

    On going to work writing for Ford Television Theatre; on learning to write for television while on Ford Television Theatre, and on working with director Marc Daniels; on describing Ford Television Theatre

    08:26

    On the experience of doing live television on shows like Ford Television Theatre; on producer Fred Coe, and on the process of writing for shows like Robert Montgomery Presents

    09:33

    Chapter 3

    On his father's opinion of him writing for television; on the early reaction of the movie studios to television, and on the stars of the era; on writing "Joy to the World" for Ford Television Theatre, and on the moments before going on-air

    08:49

    On the experience of adapting plays for television for Ford Television Theatre, and on dealing with the time limitations; on actors improvising on live television broadcasts like Ford Television Theatre

    06:40

    On writing various episodes of Ford Television Theatre and on writer Paddy Chayefsky; on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse's production of Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty"

    13:50

    Chapter 4

    On writing for 54th Street Revue produced by Max Liebman and on Admiral Broadway Revue; on Admiral Broadway Revue producer Max Liebman, and on the career of Sid Caesar; on Ed Wynn of The Ed Wynn Show

    14:36

    On writing for Starring Boris Karloff, and on working with Karloff; on writing various episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and The Victor Borge Show; on writing Mama, and on star Peggy Wood

    14:13

    Chapter 5

    On writing The Imogene Coca Show and on NBC Matinee Theater; on the end of the era of live television, and on how technological innovation like videotape helped bring it about; on the phrase "The Golden Age of Television" and on the end of that era and on politics on television in that era

    11:48

    On writing Car 54, Where Are You? and on his less sucessful shows; on The Hollywood Blacklist

    12:01

    On his proudest career achievements; on what he would most like to be known for in television; on wanting to keep working as he gets older

    06:08

    54th Street Revue

    Max Wilk on writing for 54th Street Revue produced by Max Liebman and on Admiral Broadway Revue

    05:38

    Admiral Broadway Revue

    Max Wilk on Admiral Broadway Revue producer Max Liebman, and on the career of Sid Caesar

    04:17

    Car 54, Where Are You?

    Max Wilk on writing Car 54, Where Are You? and on his less sucessful shows

    01:11

    Ed Wynn Show, The

    Max Wilk on Ed Wynn of The Ed Wynn Show

    04:41

    Ford Television Theatre

    Max Wilk on going to work writing for Ford Television Theatre

    01:21

    Max Wilk on learning to write for television while on Ford Television Theatre, and on working with director Marc Daniels

    03:03

    Max Wilk on describing Ford Television Theatre

    04:02

    Max Wilk on the experience of doing live television on shows like Ford Television Theatre

    03:30

    Max Wilk on writing "Joy to the World" for Ford Television Theatre, and on the moments before going on-air

    04:10

    Max Wilk on the experience of adapting plays for television for Ford Television Theatre, and on dealing with the time limitations

    02:41

    Max Wilk on actors improvising on live television broadcasts like Ford Television Theatre

    03:59

    Max Wilk on writing various episodes of Ford Television Theatre and on writer Paddy Chayefsky

    07:16

    Imogene Coca Show, The

    Max Wilk on writing The Imogene Coca Show and on NBC Matinee Theater

    01:45

    Mama

    Max Wilk on writing Mama

    04:37

    Max Wilk on Mama star Peggy Wood as "Marta Hansen"

    02:24

    NBC Matinee Theater

    Max Wilk on writing The Imogene Coca Show and on NBC Matinee Theater

    01:45

    Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

    Max Wilk on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse's production of Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty"

    06:34

    Max Wilk on writing various episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and The Victor Borge Show

    05:42

    Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse: "Marty"

    Max Wilk on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse's production of Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty"

    06:34

    Robert Montgomery Presents

    Max Wilk on producer Fred Coe, and on the process of writing for shows like Robert Montgomery Presents

    06:03

    Starring Boris Karloff

    Max Wilk on writing for Starring Boris Karloff, and on working with Karloff

    01:30

    Anthology Drama

    Max Wilk on writing "Joy to the World" for Ford Television Theatre, and on the moments before going on-air

    04:10

    Max Wilk on actors improvising on live television broadcasts like Ford Television Theatre

    03:59

    Hollywood Blacklist

    Max Wilk on The Hollywood Blacklist

    10:50

    Industry Crossroads

    Max Wilk on The Hollywood Blacklist

    10:50

    Technological Innovation

    Max Wilk on the end of the era of live television, and on how technological innovation like videotape helped bring it about

    06:15

    Television Industry

    Max Wilk on The Hollywood Blacklist

    10:50

    TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)

    Max Wilk on writing "Joy to the World" for Ford Television Theatre, and on the moments before going on-air

    04:10

    Max Wilk on actors improvising on live television broadcasts like Ford Television Theatre

    03:59

    Max Wilk on the phrase "The Golden Age of Television" and on the end of that era and on politics on television in that era

    03:48

    Writers

    Max Wilk on learning to write for television while on Ford Television Theatre, and on working with director Marc Daniels

    03:03

    Max Wilk on producer Fred Coe, and on the process of writing for shows like Robert Montgomery Presents

    06:03

    Max Wilk on the experience of adapting plays for television for Ford Television Theatre, and on dealing with the time limitations

    02:41

    Max Wilk on the experience of adapting plays for television for Ford Television Theatre, and on dealing with the time limitations

    02:41

    Classic Anthology Series

    Max Wilk on writing for Ford Television Theatre

    18:06

    Max Wilk on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse's production of Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty"

    06:34

    Max Wilk on writing for Starring Boris Karloff, and on working with Karloff

    01:30

    Max Wilk on writing various episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and The Victor Borge Show

    05:42

    Comedy Series

    Max Wilk on writing Mama

    07:01

    Max Wilk on writing Car 54, Where Are You? and on his less sucessful shows

    01:11

    Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

    Max Wilk on writing for 54th Street Revue produced by Max Liebman and on Admiral Broadway Revue

    09:55

    Max Wilk on Ed Wynn of The Ed Wynn Show

    04:41

    Max Wilk on writing various episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and The Victor Borge Show

    05:42

    Victor Borge

    Max Wilk on writing various episodes of Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse and The Victor Borge Show

    05:42

    Sid Caesar

    Max Wilk on Admiral Broadway Revue producer Max Liebman, and on the career of Sid Caesar

    04:17

    Paddy Chayefsky

    Max Wilk on writing various episodes of Ford Television Theatre and on writer Paddy Chayefsky

    07:16

    Max Wilk on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse's production of Paddy Chayefsky's "Marty"

    06:34

    Imogene Coca

    xMax Wilk on writing The Imogene Coca Show and on NBC Matinee Theater

    01:45

    Fred Coe

    Max Wilk on producer Fred Coe, and on the process of writing for shows like Robert Montgomery Presents

    06:03

    Marc Daniels

    Max Wilk on learning to write for television while on Ford Television Theatre, and on working with director Marc Daniels

    03:03

    Boris Karloff

    Max Wilk on writing for Starring Boris Karloff, and on working with Karloff

    01:30

    Max Liebman

    Max Wilk on writing for 54th Street Revue produced by Max Liebman and on Admiral Broadway Revue

    05:38

    Max Wilk on Admiral Broadway Revue producer Max Liebman, and on the career of Sid Caesar

    04:17

    Peggy Wood

    Max Wilk on Mama star Peggy Wood as "Marta Hansen"

    02:24

    Ed Wynn

    Max Wilk on Ed Wynn of The Ed Wynn Show

    04:41

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