Latest News from The Interviews

Ben Wolf

Remembering Ben Wolf

 Mon, 01/06/2014 We're sad to hear of the passing of cinematographer Ben Wolf , who died on Friday, November 8, 2013 at the age of 92. Wolf started his career as a cameraman on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show , The Ed Sullivan Show , Carson's Cellar , and Climax! . He also worked on classic programs The Jack Benny Show , The Red Skelton Show , The Judy Garland Show , CBS Playhouse , and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour . Additionally, Wolf served as a cameraman/cinematographer for several Norman Lear-...
Michael Jackson's "Thriller"

Michael Jackson's "Thriller" Still Thrills 30 years later

 Mon, 12/02/2013 It is largely considered to be THE best music video of all time. Michael Jackson's "Thriller" debuted to the masses 30 years ago today, on December 2, 1983. It was MTV's very first world premiere video and changed the way music videos were created. Budgets expanded, and airtime on MTV became more valuable. Producer Quincy Jones , makeup artist Rick Baker , and MTV Executive Tom Freston recall the making of "Thriller" and explore the impact the video had on the entertainment industry: And here's...
John F. Kennedy

The Four Dark Days: Television Covers The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy

 Thu, 11/21/2013 November 22, 1963. The mere mention of the date is enough for most Americans to recall the tragic events of that Friday, the day that turned out to be President John F. Kennedy's last. Many of the journalists we've interviewed for the Archive reported on the events surrounding Kennedy's death for their respective news outlets. NBC, CBS, and ABC, the only three television networks in existence in 1963, suspended regular programming and broadcast the developing story from the time of the...
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Veterans Day: Honoring Those Who Served

 Mon, 11/11/2013 "Television brought the war home in a way that had never been done before. I can remember the Korean War as a kid, and I didn’t see this [Vietnam War] on television that way. I mean there it was, every night in your living room. You are forced to confront the reality of what is going on there. When you would see Cronkite on Friday give the death toll for that week ... I think it certainly raised questions because it provided information in a way that had never been done before. And I think that...
Hal Needham

Remembering Hal Needham

Fri, 10/25/2013 We're sad to hear of the passing of stuntman Hal Needham , who died this morning at the age of 82. Needham worked on several Western series, including Have Gun, Will Travel (doubling star Richard Boone), Rawhide , The Virginian , and The Wild, Wild West . He also doubled for Burt Reynolds throughout most of Reynolds' career (including on Riverboat and on several feature films). Additionally, Needham served as a stunt coordinator and a director, and helped design and develop the Shotmaker Elite...
Vince Gilligan

A MUST SEE - The Writer's Cut: A Conversation With Vince Gilligan

 Fri, 10/25/2013 We were honored to be part of a fantastic event this past Friday, October 18, 2013. In collaboration with The Library Foundation of Los Angeles, our own Vice President, Karen Herman, moderated "The Writer's Cut: A Conversation with Vince Gilligan ." Gilligan created the Emmy-winning drama Breaking Bad , and we were thrilled to sit down with him last week for a second time (we interviewed Gilligan for the Archive back in 2011). There was a lot of new ground to cover in the past two years, and...
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5 Things You Didn't Know About Sheila Kuehl

 Tue, 10/08/2013 Yep, Sheila Kuehl played "Zelda Gilroy" on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis , making that adorable scrunched up face every time she greeted her true love. You may also know that Kuehl has enjoyed a successful political career, serving in the California State Assembly and the California Senate. But here are five things we learned about Sheila Kuehl from her Archive interview that you may not know: 1. She acted with James Dean. In 1954, Dean had a small guest role on The Stu Erwin Show (on which...
Imero Fiorentino

Remembering Imero Fiorentino

 Fri, 10/04/2013 We're sad to hear of the passing of lighting designer Imero Fiorentino , who died on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at the age of 85. Fiorentino was one of television's earliest lighting maestros. He lit the first televised appearance of the Bolshoi Ballet, lit all but the first of the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon presidential debates, and was present for the first Telstar satellite broadcast on July 10, 1962. Fiorentino also designed the lighting for World Showcase Pavilions at Disney's Epcot Center. He lost...
A.C. Lyles

Remembering A.C. Lyles

 Mon, 09/30/2013 We're sad to hear of the passing of Executive/Producer A.C. Lyles , who died on Friday, September 27, 2013 at the age of 95. Lyles held the record for the longest continuously-employed person at a motion picture studio (85 years with Paramount). His association with the studio began at age ten, when he started working at the Florida Theater in Jacksonville, part of the Paramount-Publix theater chain. He corresponded with Paramount studio head Adolph Zukor and in 1937 took the train to Hollywood...
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Sock it to Me???

 Mon, 09/16/2013 45 years later, it remains one of the most memorable TV appearances by a politician. On September 16, 1968, Republican presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon appeared on the popular comedy-variety show Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In . He uttered only one line on the program, but his delivery of those four words is forever etched into the American psyche. Producer George Schlatter recalls taping the segment: And here's the magical moment itself: If only television had been commonplace when "...