Paul Bogart

Director

View Full Interview

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tab

About

About this interview

In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Paul Bogart (1919-2012) recalls his early days working at NBC in New York as a floor manager on programs including Broadway Open House and Your Show of Shows. He explains how he soon became a director, working on 1950s programs including The Alcoa Hour and The U.S. Steel Hour, and he talks about the phenomenon of working in live television. Next, he discusses various programs he directed in the 1960s and '70s, such as The Defenders, Get Smart, and CBS Playhouse. Bogart goes on to talk about his work on the groundbreaking 1970s sitcom All in the Family, including working with the cast and on specific episodes. Finally, he talks about some of his later work, including a stint with The Golden Girls, plus made-for-television movies such as Natica Jackson and The Heidi Chronicles. Michael Rosen conducted the interview on May 19, 2001 in Chapel Hill, NC.

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

"I draw on everything I ever knew about -- painting, music, any kind of art. I use it all the time. I think that's what a director needs, a good liberal arts education."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" (airdate: October 16, 1977), where Edith is almost raped by an intruder

03:24

Paul Bogart on his directing style

02:17

Paul Bogart on working in front of a live audience on All in the Family

00:53

Paul Bogart on the Hollywood Blacklist

04:52

Paul Bogart briefly on being a stage manager on Your Show of Shows

01:12

Full Interview

Play Full Interview

Chapter 1

On his childhood and early influences; on the confusion over his birthday; on growing up during the Great Depression; on childhood hobbies and loving Preston Sturges movies; on liking radio comedies; on his high school years

On working for a printer after high school; on getting into puppetry; on the talents of a puppeteer; on the first time he saw television; on getting hired as an NBC stage manager; on being an Assistant Director on One Man's Family

Chapter 2

On on being a stage manager on Broadway Open House, The Aldrich Family, Voice of Firestone, and Your Show of Shows; on being an AD on One Man's Family; on working with NBC Opera director Kirk Browning; on getting married and directing One Man's Family; on directing The Marriage and "The Conversation" on Alcoa Playhouse Theatre with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronym

On working in live television; on shows he directed in the 1950s; on directing Armstrong Circle Theatre, U.S. Steel Hour, Justice, and Kraft Television Theatre; on directing Pinocchio in 1957, starring Mickey Rooney; on directing Shirley Temple and Boris Karloff in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

Chapter 3

On working with celebrities; on working with writers; on the Hollywood Blacklist

On working at CBS and ABC; on the introduction of videotape; on working with Fred Coe on a remake of Spellbound; on fighting Standards and Practices on a Reginald Rose production; on directing The Defenders; on working with Herbert Brodkin on The Defenders; on his favorite episodes of The Defenders

Chapter 4

On The Defenders' "700 Year Old Gang" episode; on working with Jack Gilford, E.G. Marshall, and Robert Reed; on fighting Standards and Practices on The Defender; on working with Bob Markell; on directing The Nurses, Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre, and NET Playhouse

On his directing style; on his preparations for directing; on the editing process; on the effect of color TV on his work; on directing a few episodes of Get Smart

Chapter 5

On directing Ages of Man; on directing the Reginald Rose play "Dear Friends" and several other productions on CBS Playhouse; on his on set demeanor; on directing films in the 1970s; on

On returning to television directing; on movies he turned down; on directing the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Country Girl"; on directing the TV movie Tell Me Where It Hurts; on two times he quit a production; on directing "A Memory of Two Mondays" for PBS

Chapter 6

On working with PBS; on directing The Adams Chronicles; on directing All in the Family; on directing the All in the Family episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" (airdate: October 16, 1977), where Edith is almost raped by an intruder

On some of the behind-the-scenes difficulties on the set of All in the Family; on nerves when joining a new show; on some of the writers on All in the Family and working in front of a live audience

Chapter 7

On on directing the All in the Family episode "The Draft Dodger" (airdate: December 25, 1976); on specific episodes of All in the Family; on Archie Bunker's Place; on directing Alice and on his children being in the business

On directing Golden Girls; on plays he directed; on working in cable; on his advice to aspiring directors

Shows

Ages of Man

Paul Bogart on directing Ages of Man

01:45

Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre

Paul Bogart on directing "The Confidence Man" on Alcoa-Goodyear-Theatre with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronym

00:59

Aldrich Family, The

Paul Bogart on being a stage manager on The Aldrich Family

00:09

Alice

Paul Bogart on directing the pilot of Alice

01:17

All in the Family

Paul Bogart on why he took on the job of directing All in the Family even though he despised the repetitive nature of the work

03:39

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" (airdate: October 16, 1977), where Edith is almost raped by an intruder

03:24

Director Paul Bogart on some of the behind-the-scenes difficulties on the set of All in the Family

07:31

Director Paul Bogart on some of the writers on All in the Family and working in front of a live audience

04:34

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "The Draft Dodger" (airdate: December 25, 1976)

02:39

Paul Bogart on specific episodes of All in the Family and the show's legacy

06:06

Archie Bunker's Place

Paul Bogart on directing Archie Bunker's Place

03:16

Armstrong Circle Theatre

Paul Bogart on directing Armstrong Circle Theatre and U.S. Steel Hour

01:04

Paul Bogart on the Hollywood Blacklist and learning of behind-the-scenes goings-on at Armstrong Circle Theatre

01:53

Bob Hope Presents Chrysler Theatre

Paul Bogart on directing Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre

01:40

Broadway Open House

Paul Bogart on being a stage manager on Broadway Open House

02:02

CBS Playhouse

Paul Bogart on the Hollywood Blacklist and CBS Playhouse

00:56

Paul Bogart on directing the Reginald Rose play "Dear Friends" and several other productions on CBS Playhouse

06:38

Defenders, The

Paul Bogart on directing The Defenders; on his favorite episodes

05:45

Paul Bogart on The Defenders' "700 Year Old Gang" and winning an Emmy for it

02:15

Paul Bogart on directing The Defenders

04:35

Get Smart

Paul Bogart on directing a few episodes of Get Smart

03:53

Golden Girls, The

Paul Bogart on his negative experience as director and supervising producer for the first few episodes of The Golden Girls

02:38

Hallmark Hall of Fame

Paul Bogart on directing the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Country Girl"

01:50

Justice

Paul Bogart on directing Justice, produced by David Susskind and Gordon Duff

01:51

Kraft Television Theatre

Paul Bogart on directing Kraft Television Theatre

01:01

Marriage, The

Paul Bogart on directing The Marriage with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronym and working with the two of them

01:51

NBC Opera Theatre

Paul Bogart briefly on working with NBC Opera director Kirk Browning

03:11

NET Playhouse

Paul Bogart on directing NET Playhouse

02:28

Nurses, The

Paul Bogart on directing The Nurses

03:04

One Man's Family

Paul Bogart on being an Assistant Director on One Man's Family

01:01

Paul Bogart on being an AD on One Man's Family

02:19

Paul Bogart on directing One Man's Family

02:49

Tell Me Where It Hurts

Paul Bogart on directing the TV movie Tell Me Where It Hurts

00:49

United States Steel Hour, The

Paul Bogart on directing Armstrong Circle Theatre and U.S. Steel Hour

01:04

Voice of Firestone

Paul Bogart on being a vacation relief stage manager on The Voice of Firestone

01:53

Your Show of Shows

Paul Bogart briefly on being a stage manager on Your Show of Shows

01:12

Topics

Censorship / Standards & Practices

Paul Bogart on fighting Standards and Practices

02:50

Paul Bogart on fighting Standards and Practices on The Defenders

01:49

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "The Draft Dodger" (airdate: December 25, 1976)

02:39

Comedy

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" (airdate: October 16, 1977), where Edith is almost raped by an intruder

03:24

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "The Draft Dodger" (airdate: December 25, 1976)

02:39

Comedy-Variety

Paul Bogart briefly on being a stage manager on Your Show of Shows

01:12

Emmy Awards

Paul Bogart on The Defenders' "700 Year Old Gang" and winning an Emmy for it

02:15

Hollywood Blacklist

Paul Bogart on the Hollywood Blacklist

04:52

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

Paul Bogart briefly on being a stage manager on Your Show of Shows

01:12

Technological Innovation

Paul Bogart on how videotape changed directing

01:26

Paul Bogart on the effect of color TV on his work

01:13

Vietnam War

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "The Draft Dodger" (airdate: December 25, 1976)

02:39

Professions

Directors

View Profession

Paul Bogart on his directing style

02:17

Paul Bogart on his preparations for directing and editing

05:22

Paul Bogart on his advice to aspiring directors

02:12

Genres

Classic Anthology Series

Paul Bogart on working in live television

04:07

Paul Bogart on directing the Reginald Rose play "Dear Friends" and several other productions on CBS Playhouse

06:38

Comedy Series

Paul Bogart on directing a few episodes of Get Smart

03:53

Paul Bogart on directing All in the Family, including episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" (airdate: October 16, 1977), where Edith is almost raped by an intruder

23:41

Paul Bogart on directing All in the Family

08:49

Drama Series

Paul Bogart on directing The Defenders; on his favorite episodes

05:45

Paul Bogart on directing The Defenders

04:35

People

Arthur Miller

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing "A Memory of Two Mondays" for PBS

01:12

Arthur Penn

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on getting hired as an NBC stage manager

00:22

Barbara Feldon

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing a few episodes of Get Smart

03:53

Bob Hope

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Bob Hope Presents The Chrysler Theatre

01:40

Bob Markell

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on working with producer Bob Markell

00:34

Bob Schiller

View Interview Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the writers on All in the Family

03:42

Bob Weiskopf

View Interview Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the writers on All in the Family

03:42

Boris Karloff

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Shirley Temple and Boris Karloff in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

00:47

Buck Henry

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing a few episodes of Get Smart

03:53

Carol Lawrence

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing "Kiss Me, Kate" on CBS Playhouse

02:06

Carroll O'Connor

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing Carroll O'Connor in a film

01:04

Director Paul Bogart on some of the behind-the-scenes difficulties on the set of All in the Family

04:13

David Susskind

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Justice, produced by David Susskind and Gordon Duff

01:51

Paul Bogart on the Hollywood Blacklist

01:53

Paul Bogart on directing the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Country Girl"

01:50

Don Adams

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing a few episodes of Get Smart

03:53

E. G. Marshall

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing The Defenders

01:17

Fred Coe

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on working with Fred Coe on a remake of Spellbound; on Coe as a producer

03:07

Gordon Duff

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Justice, produced by David Susskind and Gordon Duff

01:09

Hal Kanter

View Interview Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the writers on All in the Family

02:51

Herbert Brodkin

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on working with Herbert Brodkin and other producers on The Defenders

02:18

Paul Bogart on directing The Nurses

03:04

Hume Cronyn

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing The Marriage with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronym and working with the two of them

02:50

Ingrid Bergman

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on turning down an opportunity to direct Ingrid Bergman

00:19

Jack Gilford

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on working with Jack Gilford

00:31

Jack Lemmon

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on advice between Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

01:00

James Earl Jones

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on the Hollywood Blacklist and CBS Playhouse

00:56

Paul Bogart on directing James Earl Jones in The Defenders

00:26

James Garner

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing James Garner in a film

00:04

Jason Robards, Jr.

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Jason Robards

01:04

Paul Bogart on directing the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Country Girl"

01:50

Jean Stapleton

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing the All in the Family episode "Edith's 50th Birthday" (airdate: October 16, 1977), where Edith is almost raped by an intruder

03:24

Jessica Tandy

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing The Marriage with Jessica Tandy and Hume Cronym and working with the two of them

02:50

John Rich

View Interview Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the behind-the-scenes difficulties on the set of All in the Family

07:19

Kim Stanley

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on working with celebrities

01:10

Kirk Browning

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart briefly on working with NBC Opera director Kirk Browning

03:11

Lee Remick

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing a miniseries with Lee Remick

00:57

Leonard Stern

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing a few episodes of Get Smart

03:28

Lloyd Bridges

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on fighting Standards and Practices on a Reginald Rose production

00:44

Maureen O'Hara

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on working with Fred Coe on a remake of Spellbound

01:47

Maureen Stapleton

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing the TV movie Tell Me Where It Hurts

00:49

Mel Tolkin

View Interview Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the writers on All in the Family

03:42

Michelle Pfeiffer

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Michelle Pfeiffer in Power, Passion and Murder

01:05

Mickey Rooney

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing Pinocchio in 1957, starring Mickey Rooney

01:31

Norman Lear

View Interview Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the behind-the-scenes difficulties on the set of All in the Family

04:13

Paul Bogart on Norman Lear leaving All in the Family

00:31

Piper Laurie

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on working with celebrities

01:14

Preston Sturges

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on loving Preston Sturges movies

01:31

Ralph Bellamy

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on working with celebrities

00:25

Red Buttons

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Hansel and Gretel

01:48

Reginald Rose

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on fighting Standards and Practices on a Reginald Rose production

00:44

Paul Bogart on directing The Defenders

02:16

Paul Bogart on directing the Reginald Rose play "Dear Friends"

01:15

Richard Rodgers

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on pressure from Richard Rodgers on a production

01:05

Rita Moreno

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on directing Rita Moreno in a film

00:16

Rob Reiner

View Interview Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the behind-the-scenes difficulties on the set of All in the Family

04:13

Robert Goulet

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing "Kiss Me, Kate" on CBS Playhouse

02:06

Robert Reed

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on working with Robert Reed

00:16

Rod Serling

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on Rod Serling

00:12

Sally Struthers

View Person Page

Director Paul Bogart on some of the behind-the-scenes difficulties on the set of All in the Family

04:13

Shirley Knight

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Country Girl"

01:50

Shirley Temple

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing Shirley Temple and Boris Karloff in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

00:47

Paul Bogart on working with celebrities

00:33

Sid Caesar

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart briefly on being a stage manager on Your Show of Shows

01:12

Sidney Carroll

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on directing the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of "The Country Girl"

01:50

Vanessa Redgrave

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on turning down an opportunity to direct Vanessa Redgrave

00:27

Walter Bernstein

View Interview Page

Paul Bogart on using blacklisted writers

02:03

Walter Matthau

View Person Page

Paul Bogart on advice between Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau

01:00