Collection American Comedy Archives at Emerson College Emerson College and the Television Academy Foundation’s The Interviews: An Oral History of Television formed a partnership in 2017 to catalog Emerson's collection of taped interviews with renowned comedians, writers, producers, and directors - making the American Comedy Archives at Emerson College...
Interview Ed McMahon In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Ed McMahon (1923-2009) talks about his early work in television on series including Who Do You Trust? He speaks in great detail about his long association with The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson . He then discusses working with Jerry Lewis on the MDA...
Interview Ellen Holly In her four-and-a-half hour interview, Ellen Holly (1931-2023) talks about her early life, and her paternal family tree going back to the 1700s. She discusses becoming interested in acting, and her big Broadway breakthrough in Too Late the Phalarope . She recalls attending the Actors Studio at the...
Interview Robert Smigel In his nine-hour interview, Robert Smigel talks about his early life and family and growing up in Manhattan. He recalls wanting to be a comedian from an early age but instead pursuing a career as a dentist (following in his father's footsteps). He details how he started doing stand-up after...
Interview James Arness In his two-and-a-half-hour interview, James Arness (1923-2011) speaks about his early years and experiences, which included serving in the army during World War II, and recalls his start in local radio in Minneapolis. He notes his break into acting in movies and lists several in which he appeared...
Interview Henry Colman In his three-and-a-half-hour interview, Henry Colman (1923-2012) talks of his start in television as an assistant to the director on Kraft Television Theater. He discusses his work on other programs, including Robert Montgomery Presents and Colgate Comedy Hour, and describes how he then became a...
