Sam Bobrick

In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, Sam Bobrick (1932-2019) talks about his early years, and his first job, working in the ABC mailroom, which eventually led to writing gags for The Ray Bolger Show. He describes his first official television writing jobs on Make Me Laugh and Captain Kangaroo, and his music career, which included writing songs for Elvis Presley and MAD Magazine. Bobrick recounts working on several sitcoms including The Andy Griffith Show, The Flintstones, Gomer Pyle - U.S.M.C., and for Allan Sherman’s special Funnyland. He recalls in depth writing for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, including his relationship with Tom and Dick Smothers, the controversial nature of the show, and meeting his writing partner, Ron Clark. He discusses writing for several other shows including Get Smart, The Kraft Music Hall, and The Tim Conway Comedy Hour, as well as various pilots and feature films. He concludes by speaking of his involvement in the Writers Guild, career achievements, and how he would like to be remembered. Amy Harrington conducted the interview in a joint venture with the Writers Guild Foundation on December 12, 2016 in Los Angeles, CA.