Perry Lafferty

Executive / Producer

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In his four-hour interview, Perry Lafferty (1917-2005) describes directing shows including The Victor Borge Show, Robert Montgomery Presents, and U.S. Steel Hour. He talks about producing shows including Your Hit Parade, The Andy Williams Show, and The Danny Kaye Show. He also discusses becoming a top programming executive for CBS and then NBC. He details interacting with the creative community as an executive, and later leaving NBC to become a producer. He concludes by discussing several of the luminaries he worked with during his career. Morrie Gelman conducted the interview on December 4, 1997 in Brentwood, CA.

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

"A lot of people scream when I say this, but I really do believe that in television, the most important element probably is the casting. If the scripts are no good and the production's no good, the casting of the thing will flop. But if you had to line up the elements, the script, the producer, the costumes, the music, I think the casting is it."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Perry Lafferty on directing Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge along with Buzz Kulik

07:09

Perry Lafferty on directing The Twilight Zone and working with producer Rod Serling

03:35

Perry Lafferty on James Cagney appearing on Robert Montgomery Presents and on Cagney forgetting his lines

02:35

Perry Lafferty on programming All in the Family on CBS

01:59

Perry Lafferty on producing Your Hit Parade, directed by Norman Jewison

03:28

Perry Lafferty on producing Person to Person, hosted first by Edward R. Murrow and later by Charles Collingwood

03:59

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on what he wanted to do when he grew up as a child; on attending Yale University to study music

On his orchestra playing on radio during his time at Yale; on going to work for Norman Corwin at CBS Radio; on being an assistant director for CBS Radio, and on eventually becoming a director

Chapter 2

On his activities during World War II, including working for Armed Forces Radio; on returning to CBS Radio after World War II; on when he first become aware of television, and on his career going into television

On his first television job directing Celebrity Time; on directing Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge along with Buzz Kulik

Chapter 3

On directing The Victor Borge Show; on the writing staff of Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge and other early shows he worked on; on Art Carney co-starring on The Victor Borge Show

On producing The Imogene Coca Show and directing The Arthur Murray Party; on working with Imogene Coca on The Imogene Coca Show, and on what makes a performer a "top banana"; on directing Name That Tune

On making the transition into directing drama with Tales of Tomorrow and Robert Montgomery Presents

Chapter 4

On James Cagney appearing on Robert Montgomery Presents and on Cagney forgetting his lines; on The Robert Montgomery Presents episodes "Good Friday, 1865," dealing with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and "One Minute to Ditch"; on the budget and sponsors of the show, and on working the various actors who appeared on it

On producing Your Hit Parade, directed by Norman Jewison; on CBS Programmer Michael Dann being his mentor; on working with Arthur Godfrey

Chapter 5

On working the 1952 political conventions, and subsequent conventions; on producing The Big Show

On producing Person to Person, hosted first by Edward R. Murrow and later by Charles Collingwood; on having John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon on Person to Person

On producing The Aquanauts aka Malibu Run; on the difference between working in live television and working in prerecorded or filmed television, and on the live episode of ER; on the Golden Age of Television

Chapter 6

On directing The Twilight Zone and working with producer Rod Serling; on producing The Danny Kaye Show; on the format of The Danny Kaye Show and on The Judy Garland Show

On the end of The Danny Kaye Show; on making the transition from producer to executive when he became a vice president at CBS; on some of the hit shows during his tenure at CBS, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

Chapter 7

On James T. Aubrey and William S. Paley; on programming All in the Family on CBS; on Robert D. Wood, CBS's purge of rural programming in the early 1970s, and dealing with various CBS presidents

On the significant shows he programmed at CBS, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show; on Grant Tinker and MTM Productions; on leaving CBS for Filmways

On producing The Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour; on being in charge of movies and miniseries at NBC in the 1980s, and on Brandon Tartikoff turning around the fortunes of NBC; on the importance of made-for-television movies and miniseries on a network schedule

Chapter 8

on the importance of a programming executive interacting with the creative community, and executives working with producers; on leaving NBC to become a producer; on unusual pitches he heard as an executive

On casting being the most important element to a hit television series; on career regrets; on how television audiences have changed since he began his career, and on the then-future of television

On how he would like to be remembered; on various people he worked with in his career

Chapter 9

On Hy Averback, E. Duke Vincent, Larry Gelbart, Alan Alda, and Beatrice Arthur

On b-roll pictures from his career- 1952 conventions; on the set of Robert Montgomery Presents; on the set of Robert Montgomery Presents; with Michael Dann; with Norman Jewison; directing Arthur Godfrey; with Carol Burnett; with Jack Lord and his wife; with James Arness and Carol Burnett; with Tom Smothers and Don Rickles

Shows

All in the Family

Perry Lafferty on programming All in the Family on CBS

01:59

Aquanauts, The aka Malibu Run

Perry Lafferty on producing The Aquanauts aka Malibu Run

02:15

Arthur Murray Party, The

Perry Lafferty on directing The Arthur Murray Party

03:03

Celebrity Time

Perry Lafferty on his first television job, directing Celebrity Time

04:29

Danny Kaye Show, The

Perry Lafferty on producing The Danny Kaye Show

06:54

Perry Lafferty on the format of The Danny Kaye Show and on The Judy Garland Show

06:16

Perry Lafferty on the end of The Danny Kaye Show

05:03

Imogene Coca Show, The

Perry Lafferty on producing The Imogene Coca Show

00:54

Perry Lafferty on working with Imogene Coca on The Imogene Coca Show, and on what makes a performer a "top banana"

04:47

Judy Garland Show, The

Perry Lafferty on the format of The Danny Kaye Show and on The Judy Garland Show

06:16

Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge

Perry Lafferty on directing Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge along with Buzz Kulik

07:09

Perry Lafferty on the writing staff of Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge and other early shows he worked on

01:36

Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour

Perry Lafferty on producing The Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour

02:07

Mary Tyler Moore Show, The

Perry Lafferty on the significant shows he programmed at CBS, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show

03:25

Name That Tune

Perry Lafferty on directing Name That Tune

03:27

Person to Person

Perry Lafferty on producing Person to Person, hosted first by Edward R. Murrow and later by Charles Collingwood

03:59

Perry Lafferty on having John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon on Person to Person

04:44

Robert Montgomery Presents

Perry Lafferty on making the transition into directing drama with Tales of Tomorrow and Robert Montgomery Presents

07:29

Perry Lafferty on James Cagney appearing on Robert Montgomery Presents and on Cagney forgetting his lines

02:35

Perry Lafferty on The Robert Montgomery Presents episodes "Good Friday, 1865," dealing with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and "One Minute to Ditch"

04:42

Perry Lafferty on the budget and sponsors of Robert Montgomery Presents, and on a novel he wrote later in his career

01:30

Perry Lafferty on working with Norman Felton on Robert Montgomery Presents, and on some of the actors who appeared on the show

06:12

Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The

Perry Lafferty on some of the hit shows during his tenure at CBS, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour

02:37

Tales of Tomorrow

Perry Lafferty on making the transition into directing drama with Tales of Tomorrow and Robert Montgomery Presents

07:29

Twilight Zone, The

Perry Lafferty on directing The Twilight Zone and working with producer Rod Serling

03:25

Victor Borge Show, The

Perry Lafferty on directing The Victor Borge Show

06:22

Perry Lafferty on Art Carney co-starring on The Victor Borge Show

01:08

Your Hit Parade

Perry Lafferty on producing Your Hit Parade, directed by Norman Jewison

03:28

Topics

Bloopers

Perry Lafferty on James Cagney appearing on Robert Montgomery Presents and on Cagney forgetting his lines

02:35

Creative Influences and Inspiration

Perry Lafferty on CBS programmer Michael Dann being his mentor

04:52

Historic Events and Social Change

Perry Lafferty on his activities during World War II, including working for Armed Forces Radio

07:45

John F. Kennedy

Perry Lafferty on on having John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon on Person to Person

08:43

Pivotal Career Moments

Perry Lafferty on CBS programmer Michael Dann being his mentor

04:52

Richard M. Nixon

Perry Lafferty on on having John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon on Person to Person

08:43

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

Perry Lafferty on the Golden Age of Television

02:30

Television Industry

Perry Lafferty on working the 1952 political conventions, and subsequent conventions

06:49

Perry Lafferty on making the transition from producer to executive when he became a vice president at CBS

04:09

Perry Lafferty on Robert D. Wood, CBS's purge of rural programming in the early 1970s, and line of succession of CBS Presidents

02:33

Perry Lafferty on Grant Tinker and MTM Productions

01:44

Perry Lafferty on leaving CBS for Filmways

03:58

Perry Lafferty on being in charge of movies and miniseries at NBC in the 1980s, and on Brandon Tartikoff turning around the fortunes of NBC

05:20

Perry Lafferty on leaving NBC to become a producer

04:11

Perry Lafferty on how television audiences have changed since he began his career, and on the then-future of television

04:41

Television and the Presidency

Perry Lafferty on on having John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon on Person to Person

08:43

Perry Lafferty on working the 1952 political conventions, and subsequent conventions

06:49

War

Perry Lafferty on his activities during World War II, including working for Armed Forces Radio

07:45

World War II

Perry Lafferty on his activities during World War II, including working for Armed Forces Radio

07:45

Professions

Executives

View Profession

Perry Lafferty on the importance of scheduling to programming a network

00:52

Perry Lafferty on the significant shows he programmed at CBS, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show

03:25

Perry Lafferty on the importance of made-for-television movies and miniseries on a network schedule

02:11

Perry Lafferty on the importance of a programming executive interacting with the creative community, and executives working with producers

04:11

Perry Lafferty on unusual pitches he heard as an executive

02:20

Perry Lafferty on casting being the most important element to a hit television series

01:45

Producers

View Profession

Perry Lafferty on the difference between working in live television and working in prerecorded or filmed television, and on the live episode of ER

03:02

Television Executive

View Profession

Perry Lafferty on the importance of scheduling to programming a network

00:52

Perry Lafferty on the significant shows he programmed at CBS, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, M*A*S*H, All in the Family, and The Mary Tyler Moore Show

03:25

Perry Lafferty on the importance of made-for-television movies and miniseries on a network schedule

02:11

Perry Lafferty on the importance of a programming executive interacting with the creative community, and executives working with producers

04:11

Perry Lafferty on unusual pitches he heard as an executive

02:20

Perry Lafferty on casting being the most important element to a hit television series

01:45

Genres

Adventure/Espionage Series

Perry Lafferty on producing The Aquanauts aka Malibu Run

02:15

Classic Anthology Series

Perry Lafferty on making the transition into directing drama with Tales of Tomorrow and Robert Montgomery Presents

07:29

Perry Lafferty on directing Robert Montgomery Presents

14:59

Comedy Series

Perry Lafferty on programming All in the Family on CBS

01:59

Game Shows

Perry Lafferty on his first television job, directing Celebrity Time

04:29

Perry Lafferty on directing Name That Tune

03:27

Music Shows & Variety Shows/Specials

Perry Lafferty on directing Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge along with Buzz Kulik

07:09

Perry Lafferty on directing The Victor Borge Show and Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge

09:06

Perry Lafferty on producing The Imogene Coca Show, and on directing The Arthur Murray Party

08:44

Perry Lafferty on producing Your Hit Parade, directed by Norman Jewison

03:28

Perry Lafferty on producing The Big Show

05:36

Perry Lafferty on producing The Mary Tyler Moore Comedy Hour

02:07

News and Documentary

Perry Lafferty on producing Person to Person

08:43

Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series

Perry Lafferty on making the transition into directing drama with Tales of Tomorrow and Robert Montgomery Presents

07:29

People

Abe Burrows

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Perry Lafferty on producing a special for Andy Williams, and on producing The Big Party with Tallulah Bankhead

05:56

Alan Alda

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Perry Lafferty on Alan Alda

00:59

Andy Williams

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Perry Lafferty on producing a special for Andy Williams, and on producing The Big Party with Tallulah Bankhead

05:57

Arthur Godfrey

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Perry Lafferty on working with Arthur Godfrey

05:05

Beatrice Arthur

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Perry Lafferty on Beatrice Arthur

01:37

Buzz Kulik

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Perry Lafferty on directing Kay Kyser's Kollege of Musical Knowledge along with Buzz Kulik

07:09

Charles Collingwood

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Perry Lafferty on producing Person to Person, first hosted by Edward R. Murrow and later by Charles Collingwood

03:59

Cloris Leachman

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Perry Lafferty on Cloris Leachman

00:31

Danny Kaye

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Perry Lafferty on producing The Danny Kaye Show

06:54

Perry Lafferty on the format of The Danny Kaye Show and on The Judy Garland Show

06:16

Perry Lafferty on the end of The Danny Kaye Show

05:03

E. Duke Vincent

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Perry Lafferty on E. Duke Vincent

01:46

Edward R. Murrow

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Perry Lafferty on producing Person to Person, first hosted by Edward R. Murrow and later by Charles Collingwood

03:59

Fred Silverman

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Perry Lafferty on Fred Silverman

01:42

Grant Tinker

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Perry Lafferty on Grant Tinker and MTM Productions

01:44

Imogene Coca

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Perry Lafferty on working with Imogene Coca on The Imogene Coca Show, and on what makes a performer a "top banana"

04:45

Jack Lord

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Perry Lafferty on Jack Lord

02:59

James Cagney

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Perry Lafferty on James Cagney appearing on Robert Montgomery Presents and on Cagney forgetting his lines

02:35

James L. Brooks

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Perry Lafferty on James L. Brooks

00:19

James T. Aubrey

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Perry Lafferty on James T. Aubrey and William S. Paley

02:50

John F. Kennedy

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Perry Lafferty on on having John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon on Person to Person

04:44

John Rich

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Perry Lafferty on John Rich

00:24

Judy Garland

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Perry Lafferty on the format of The Danny Kaye Show and on The Judy Garland Show

06:16

Larry Gelbart

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Perry Lafferty on Larry Gelbart

02:26

Mary Tyler Moore

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Perry Lafferty on Mary Tyler Moore

00:21

Michael Dann

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Perry Lafferty on CBS programmer Michael Dann being his mentor

04:52

Norman Corwin

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Perry Lafferty on going to work for Norman Corwin at CBS Radio

06:35

Norman Jewison

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Perry Lafferty on producing Your Hit Parade, directed by Norman Jewison

03:27

Norman Lear

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Perry Lafferty on Norman Lear

01:00

Richard M. Nixon

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Perry Lafferty on on having John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon on Person to Person

04:44

Robert D. Wood

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Perry Lafferty on Robert D. Wood, CBS's purge of rural programming in the early 1970s, and dealing with the line of succession of CBS Presidents

02:33

Robert Montgomery

View Person Page

Perry Lafferty on making the transition into directing drama with Tales of Tomorrow and Robert Montgomery Presents

07:29

Perry Lafferty on working with Norman Felton on Robert Montgomery Presents, and on some of the actors who appeared on the show

06:10

Rod Serling

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Perry Lafferty on directing The Twilight Zone and working with producer Rod Serling

03:25

Sherwood Schwartz

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Perry Lafferty on Sherwood Schwartz

00:34

Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver

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Perry Lafferty on Sylvester L. Weaver

00:52

Tallulah Bankhead

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Perry Lafferty on producing a special for Andy Williams, and on producing The Big Party with Tallulah Bankhead

05:57

Valerie Harper

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Perry Lafferty on Valerie Harper

00:26

Victor Borge

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Perry Lafferty on directing The Victor Borge Show

06:21

William S. Paley

View Person Page

Perry Lafferty on James T. Aubrey and William S. Paley

02:50