Ret Turner

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Ret Turner (1929-2016) describes his two-decade-long association with NBC that began in the mid-1950s. He talks about several of the shows he worked on in the early years, including The Spike Jones Show (where he was a dresser), The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show, and The Andy Williams Show (where he was a costume designer). Turner recalls his work for other networks on many variety series and specials, describes the clothes he designed for the stars of Donny & Marie and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, and discusses some of the skits and guest stars from these shows. He remembers working with many other stars, including Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett, Barry Manilow, Neil Diamond, Shirley Booth, Jean Stapleton, and scores of others. Additionally, he outlines his work on Mama's Family, Make Your Own Kind of Music, the pilot of Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and numerous musical specials. Stephen J. Abramson conducted the interview on June 17, 2003 in West Hollywood, CA.