About
"Editing is just your opinion. Expressing what you see in the film. Like the director shots what he sees in the script. The worst that will happen is they change it. You seldom get a perfect cut."
In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Theodore "Ted" Rich (1929-2018) talks about his early years as an apprentice editor with Hal Roach and at MGM. He describes working at Desilu Studios (with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz) as head film librarian, supervising film editor, and eventually, as assistant editorial supervisor. He recounts, in depth, his work as an editor on shows such as The Bill Dana Show, My Favorite Martian, Wild, Wild West, and various commercials. Rich recalls his work at MTM Studios on such shows as Hill Street Blues, Newhart, St. Elsewhere, WKRP in Cincinnati, and Remington Steele. He concludes by outlining his position of vice president of post-production at Lorimar, then later, Warner Bros. Television. Kate Amend conducted the interview in a joint venture with American Cinema Editors (ACE), on July 17, 2001 in Universal City, CA.
Highlights
Ted Rich on editing drama as compared to editing comedy
Ted Rich on working for Desilu with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and on how early television sponsorship worked
Ted Rich on editing the pilot Living Doll, starring Bob Cummings and Julie Newmar
Ted Rich on working with directors as an editor
Ted Rich on the schedule of editing for Desilu
Ted Rich on working in a stock film library at Hal Roach studios
Full Interview
Chapter 1
On his early life and influences; on working in a stock film library at Hal Roach studios
On becoming an apprentice editor; on his early memories of television; on editing comedy; on what makes a good editor
Chapter 2
On working for Desilu with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and on how early television sponsorship worked; on editing various Desilu productions and the process of editing on film; on the schedule of editing for Desilu
On shooting a show with a studio audience and the invention of the laugh track; on editing drama as compared to editing comedy; on editing The Bill Dana Show, The Living Doll, and My Favorite Martian
Chapter 3
On editing He & She starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss; on the evolution of comedy and the evolution of editing from the '50s to the '60s; on editing Get Smart; on editing Kolchak: The Night Stalk e r and going to work for MTM Productions
On editing The Governor and J.J.; on editing various shows for MTM Productions including Bay City Blues; on working for Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker at MTM Productions; on editing ensembles and working with directors
Chapter 4
On editing The Bill Dana Show; on editing McMillian & Wife; on supervising the editing department at MTM Productions
On the style of MTM Productions; on the final The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode and Mary Tyler Moore's involvement with other productions; on editing emergencies
On supervising editing as opposed to hands-on editing; on editing Hill Street Blues and the new editing style it brought about; on Grant Tinker leaving MTM Productions
Chapter 5
On editing I Love Lucy; on editing WKRP in Cincinnati; on going to edit for Lorimar
On using stock footage; on then-current projects; on summing up his life experience editing
On b-roll pictures from his career- in an Eastman Kodak print ad; with Desi Arnaz
Shows
Bay City Blues
Ted Rich on editing various shows for MTM Productions including Bay City Blues
Bill Dana Show, The
Ted Rich on editing The Bill Dana Show
Ted Rich on editing The Bill Dana Show
Get Smart
Ted Rich on editing Get Smart
Governor and J.J., The
Ted Rich on editing The Governor and J.J.
He & She
Ted Rich on editing He & She starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss
Hill Street Blues
Ted Rich on editing Hill Street Blues and the new editing style it brought about
I Love Lucy
Ted Rich on editing I Love Lucy
Kolchak: The Night Stalker
Ted Rich on editing Kolchak: The Night Stalker and going to work for MTM Productions
Mary Tyler Moore Show, The
Ted Rich on the final The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode and Mary Tyler Moore's involvement with other productions
McMillan & Wife
Ted Rich on editing McMillian & Wife
My Favorite Martian
Ted Rich on editing My Favorite Martian, starring Ray Walston
WKRP in Cincinnati
Ted Rich on editing WKRP in Cincinnati
Topics
Technological Innovation
Ted Rich on shooting a show with a studio audience and the invention of the laugh track
Professions
Editor
Ted Rich on what makes a good editor
Ted Rich on editing various Desilu productions and the process of editing on film
Ted Rich on the schedule of editing for Desilu
Ted Rich on mixing the sound for shows
Ted Rich on editing drama as compared to editing comedy
Ted Rich on the evolution of comedy and the evolution of editing from the '50s to the '60s
Ted Rich on editing ensembles
Ted Rich on working with directors as an editor
Ted Rich on dealing with emergencies as an editor
Ted Rich on supervising editing as opposed to hands-on editing
Ted Rich on using stock footage
Ted Rich on summing up his life experience editing
Post-Production Professionals
Ted Rich on what makes a good editor
Ted Rich on editing various Desilu productions and the process of editing on film
Ted Rich on the schedule of editing for Desilu
Ted Rich on mixing the sound for shows
Ted Rich on editing drama as compared to editing comedy
Ted Rich on the evolution of comedy and the evolution of editing from the '50s to the '60s
Ted Rich on editing ensembles
Ted Rich on working with directors as an editor
Ted Rich on dealing with emergencies as an editor
Ted Rich on supervising editing as opposed to hands-on editing
Ted Rich on using stock footage
Ted Rich on advice to an aspiring editor
Genres
Comedy Series
Ted Rich on editing the pilot Living Doll, starring Bob Cummings and Julie Newmar
Ted Rich on editing The Bill Dana Show
Ted Rich on editing My Favorite Martian, starring Ray Walston
Ted Rich on editing He & She starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss
Ted Rich on editing Get Smart
Ted Rich on editing Kolchak: The Night Stalker and going to work for MTM Productions
Ted Rich on editing The Governor and J.J.
Ted Rich on editing The Bill Dana Show
Ted Rich on the final The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode
Ted Rich on editing I Love Lucy
Ted Rich on editing WKRP in Cincinnati
Cop/Detective/Mystery Series
Ted Rich on editing McMillian & Wife
Ted Rich on editing Hill Street Blues and the new editing style it brought about
Drama Series
Ted Rich on editing various shows for MTM Productions including Bay City Blues
People
Desi Arnaz
Ted Rich on working for Desilu with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and on how early television sponsorship worked
Lucille Ball
Ted Rich on working for Desilu with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and on how early television sponsorship worked
Richard Benjamin
Ted Rich on editing He & She starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss
Bill Dana
Ted Rich on editing The Bill Dana Show
Mary Tyler Moore
Ted Rich on working for Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker at MTM Productions
Ted Rich on the final The Mary Tyler Moore Show episode and Mary Tyler Moore's involvement with other productions
Grant Tinker
Ted Rich on working for Mary Tyler Moore and Grant Tinker at MTM Productions
Ted Rich on Grant Tinker leaving MTM Productions