Latest News from The Interviews

Sid Caesar

Remembering Sid Caesar

 Wed, 02/12/2014 We're devastated to hear of the death of one of the all-time comedy greats, Sid Caesar , who passed away at age 91. He played the sax, he wrote comedy, and he entertained thousands of people with his performances on stages, on television, and in many successful movies. Caesar served in World War II, winning accolades for his role in the Coast Guard musical “Tars and Spars” where he caught the eye of producer Max Liebman. Liebman first put Caesar on TV on the show Admiral Broadway Revue (where...
Television Legends

When A TV Legend Signs Off For Good

 Wed, 02/12/2014 There are a lot of things that I love about my job here at the Archive of American Television. I get to watch, clip, and catalog our interviews with some of the greatest minds ever to work in television, people like Milton Berle , Dick Van Dyke , and Carol Burnett . I get to watch episodes of TV shows like The Mary Tyler Moore Show, All In The Family , and Sex and the City as part of research for news pieces I'm writing. And I get to read fantastic books like The Last Lone Inventor , Sit Ubu,...
The Beatles with Ed Sullivan

"Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Beatles!"

 Sun, 02/09/2014 The February 9, 1964 audience of The Ed Sullivan Show got the treat of a lifetime. On the stage that night, John, Paul, George and Ringo performed for the first time ever on live, American television. You've seen the footage - the matching dark suits, the screaming teenage fans, the coordinated bows at the end of each song ... It's still mesmerizing 50 years later: Several of our interviewees were present at the legendary performance. Director John Moffitt was the Assistant Director on The Ed...
Arthur Rankin, Jr.

Remembering Arthur Rankin, Jr.

 Fri, 01/31/2014 We're sad to hear of the passing of animation producer/director Arthur Rankin, Jr. , who died yesterday, January 30, 2014 in Harrington Sound, Bermuda. He was 89 years old. Rankin, along with Jules Bass, produced many of television's most beloved holiday specials, including Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer , Frosty the Snowman , and Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town . He also adapted J.R.R. Tolkein's The Hobbit and The Return of the King , and was well-known for his stop-motion "Animagic" process...
Bill Mumy

5 Things You Didn't Know About Bill Mumy

 Fri, 01/31/2014 You may know that actor Bill Mumy played "Will Robinson" on Lost in Space (Yes, of "Danger, Will Robinson!" fame) and also portrayed "Lennier" on Babylon 5 . But here are five facts we learned from his Archive interview that you may not know about Mr. Mumy: 1. He is one of THREE actors to play "Darrin Stephens" on Bewitched . Mumy appearaed on Bewitched twice: once on a Christmas episode, and once as the seven-year-old version of "Samantha's" beloved. (He was in heaven during the filming of the...
Stanford Tischler

Remembering Stanford Tischler

 Tue, 01/21/2014 We've just learned of the passing of editor Stanford Tischler , who died on Wednesday, January 15, 2014 at the age of 92. Tischler began his career at RKO studios, where he served as a sound effects editor on the Frank Capra classic "It's A Wonderful Life." He got his start in television with Revue Productions, editing TV Reader's Digest and Bachelor Father , and soon moved on to Ziv Productions, where he edited the action-adventure series Sea Hunt . Tischler also edited Peyton Place and Judd...
Ben Starr

Remembering Ben Starr

 Mon, 01/20/2014 We're sad to hear that writer/producer Ben Starr passed away on Sunday, January 19, 2014 from congestive heart failure at his home in Los Angeles, California. He was 92. Starr wrote that brilliant episode of The Brady Bunch in which "Peter Brady" states in his best Bogart impression what the gang will eat for dinner that evening: "pork chops and applesauce." Starr also came up with "Arnold Jackson's" familiar catchphrase, "Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?" on Diff'rent Strokes (the line was...
Russell Johnson

Remembering Russell Johnson

 Thu, 01/16/2014 We're sad to hear of the passing of actor Russell Johnson , who died this morning of kidney failure at his home in Washington state. Johnson was 89. He was best known for playing "The Professor" on Gilligan's Island , the genius who could somehow create impressive machinery from nothing but coconuts and twine. Johnson trained at the Actors Lab in Hollywood and guest-starred on many a series ( You Are There , The Twilight Zone , and The Outer Limits ) before his Gilligan's Island success. He...