Delbert Mann

In his four-hour interview, Delbert Mann (1920-2007) talks about studying at the Yale School of Drama and his transition to television following his service in the Air Force during World War II. He speaks of his days during the war and his further inspiration to pursue theater after seeing various productions at the Old Vic in London. He talks about joining NBC in the summer of 1949 as a floor manager and describes working as a director for the first time on the series Theater of the Mind. Mann relates how his experiences as a pilot during the war prepared him for television, comparing piloting a B-24 to sitting in the hot seat of a live television show. He speaks in great detail about working with producer Fred Coe and their association on Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, one of the preeminent live television anthologies of the day. He describes his celebrated production of "Marty," written by Paddy Chayefsky, originally produced for Philco and later made into an Academy Award-winning feature film. He comments on several of the actors he worked with in television, including Grace Kelly, E. G. Marshall, and Laurence Olivier. Lastly, he discusses several of his most notable made-for-television movies including David Copperfield and All Quiet on the Western Front. B-roll consists of photos from Philco-Goodyear Playhouse, Jane Eyre, Producer's Showcase: "Our Town," David Copperfield, and All Quiet on the Western Front. Morrie Gelman conducted the interview on May 20, 1997 in Los Angeles, CA.