Al Schwartz (producer)

Last updated
Al Schwartz
Born
Allen Schwartz

(1932-01-03) January 3, 1932 (age 91)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Occupation(s)Television producer, director
Years active1953–present
SpouseJayne Boyd Knoerzer
ChildrenScott
Jill
Wendy

Allen "Al" Schwartz (born January 3, 1932) is an American television producer who has produced a variety of shows in association with Dick Clark. He is best known for producing award shows such as the American Music Awards and the Golden Globe Awards. [1] Shows that he co-produced were nominated for Daytime Emmy Awards three times and for a Primetime Emmy Award once.

Contents

Early life

Schwartz was born January 3, 1932, in Chicago, Illinois, where he attended Lowell Grammar School and Roosevelt High School. After graduating from Wright Junior College in 1951, he attended the University of Wisconsin. At the University of Wisconsin, Schwartz was a student in the first television class created at the university, president of the Entertainers Guild, served on the Executive Board of The Haresfoot Club, and appeared in Haresfoot show productions.

Career

After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1953 with a B.S. degree, Schwartz was hired in July by the then-new WKOW-TV, an ABC-affiliated television station in Madison, Wisconsin. At the station, he hosted two daily television shows: "Al's Pals," a children's show in the afternoon, and "Club 27," a late night show featuring University and professional talent.

From 1954 through 1956, Schwartz served in the United States Army and was assigned to special services Armed Forces Far East to variety shows for officer and non-commissioned officer clubs. In 1955, he was designated as a liaison to Ed Sullivan, an American entertainment writer and television host. Part of his service involved introducing Sullivan to military and Japanese talent on Sullivan's trip to Tokyo that year.

After his military tour of duty, Schwartz resumed his television career by joining WBBM-TV, a CBS owned-and-operated television station located in Chicago, Illinois. Initially hired in as a stage manager, Schwartz advanced through positions such as associate director, director, and producer. He was the stage manager for the historic first debate between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy in 1960. [2] For the station, Schwartz directed Cyrano D'Bergerac and International Hour - American Jazz as well as documentaries such as Women in Prison and The Unwed Mother. He was nominated for an Emmy for directing the 1963 The Ghost of Mr Kicks with Oscar Brown, Jr. [ citation needed ] While in Chicago, Schwartz studied at The Second City, an improvisational comedy enterprise that originated in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. He also appeared as a stand-up comic at The Chesterfield Supper Club, The Black Orchid, the Gate of Horn, and the Small World with Bill Daily and Ann Elder.

In October 1963, Schwartz married Jayne Boyd Knoerzer, one of the first two original Doublemint Twins. They went on to have three children.

In 1964 Schwartz partnered with Hal Wallace to form Schwartz Wallace Productions. Together they produced Emmy award documentaries such as The Many Moods of Ravinia, The Sound of Ravinia with Japanese conductor Seiji Ozawa, and The World of Andrew Wyeth hosted by American film and stage actor Henry Fonda. In 1968, Schwartz traveled to California to produce and direct The John Gary Show in Hollywood. The next year, he returned to Hollywood to direct the ABC television series "What's It All About World?" starring Dean Jones. From 1969 to 1973, Schwartz produced and directed shows for Allen Ludden, Sid & Marty Krofft's Far Out Space Nuts and Wonderbug , and Donny & Marie (1976 TV series) .

In 1973 he began working for American radio and television personality Dick Clark, an association that lasted more than 30 years until his retirement as a senior vice president at Dick Clark Productions. [3] Together they produced shows such as NBC's Dick Clark's Good Ol Days, My Three Sons , Thanksgiving Reunion with The Partridge Family (1977). Schwartz went on to create The Man in the Santa Claus Suit , a 1979 TV-Movie starring dancer Fred Astaire as Santa Claus. [4] Their productions of the Soap Opera Digest Awards were nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Program in 1988, 1989, and 1990. [5] Schwartz's production of the 64th Annual Golden Globe Awards was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Special Class Program in 2007. [6]

Through the Academy Awards, Schwartz traveled around the world producing special Academy Awards segments in Tokyo, Paris, London, New York, Calcutta, Sri Lanka, and at the NASA White Sands Test Facility in White Sands, New Mexico. In 2013, Schwartz produced Masters of Illusion, a magic-based television series for Associated Television International.

In 2004 he was named to the board of directors of the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmy Awards</span> American television production award

The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with their own set of rules and award categories. The two events that receive the most media coverage are the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Daytime Emmy Awards, which recognize outstanding work in American primetime and daytime entertainment programming, respectively. Other notable U.S. national Emmy events include the Children's & Family Emmy Awards for children's and family-oriented television programming, the Sports Emmy Awards for sports programming, News & Documentary Emmy Awards for news and documentary shows, and the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards for technological and engineering achievements. Regional Emmy Awards are also presented throughout the country at various times through the year, recognizing excellence in local and statewide television. In addition, the International Emmy Awards honor excellence in TV programming produced and initially aired outside the United States.

<i>Cybill</i> American comedy television series

Cybill is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre, which aired for four seasons and 87 episodes on CBS from January 2, 1995, to July 13, 1998. Starring Cybill Shepherd, the show revolves around the life of Cybill Sheridan, a twice-divorced single mother of two and struggling actress in her 40s who has never gotten her big break in show business. Alicia Witt and Dedee Pfeiffer co-starred as Sheridan's daughters, with Alan Rosenberg and Tom Wopat playing their respective fathers, while Christine Baranski appeared as Cybill's hard-drinking friend Maryann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gena Rowlands</span> American actress

Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands is an American retired actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned nearly seven decades. She is one of the last living actresses from the Golden Age of Hollywood. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations with her late actor-director husband John Cassavetes in ten films, including A Woman Under the Influence (1974) and Gloria (1980), both of which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress. She also won the Silver Bear for Best Actress for Opening Night (1977). She is also known for her performances in Woody Allen's Another Woman (1988), and her son Nick Cassavetes's film, The Notebook (2004). In 2021, Richard Brody of The New Yorker said, “The most important and original movie actor of the past half century-plus is Gena Rowlands.” In November 2015, Rowlands received an Honorary Academy Award in recognition of her unique screen performances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick Clark</span> American radio and television personality (1929–2012)

Richard Wagstaff Clark was an American television and radio personality, television producer and film actor, as well as a cultural icon who remains best known for hosting American Bandstand from 1956 to 1989. He also hosted five incarnations of the Pyramid game show from 1973 to 1988 and Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which transmitted New Year's Eve celebrations in New York City's Times Square.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean Hayes</span> American actor

Sean Patrick Hayes is an American actor, comedian, musician and producer. Known for his performances on stage and screen, he gained acclaim for his role as Jack McFarland on the NBC sitcom Will & Grace, for which he won a Primetime Emmy Award and four Screen Actors Guild Awards. He has also received nominations for six Golden Globe Awards and two Tony Awards, winning one of the latter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daytime Emmy Awards</span> American TV award

The Daytime Emmy Awards, or Daytime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Daytime Emmys are presented in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming. The first ceremony was held in 1974, expanding what was originally a prime time-themed Emmy Award. Ceremonies generally are held in May or June.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sherwood Schwartz</span> American TV writer, producer (1916–2011)

Sherwood Charles Schwartz was an American television screenwriter and producer. He worked on radio shows in the 1940s, but he now is best known for creating the 1960s television series Gilligan's Island on CBS and The Brady Bunch on ABC. On March 7, 2008, Schwartz, at the time still active in his 90s, was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That same year, Schwartz was also inducted into the Television Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amy Madigan</span> American actress

Amy Marie Madigan is an American actress. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the 1985 film Twice in a Lifetime. Her other film credits include Love Child (1982), Places in the Heart (1984), Field of Dreams (1989), Uncle Buck (1989), The Dark Half (1993), Pollock (2000), and Gone Baby Gone (2007).

Mitchell Donald "Mitch" Hurwitz is an American television writer, producer, and actor. He is best known as the creator of the television sitcom Arrested Development as well as the co-creator of The Ellen Show. He is also a contributor to The John Larroquette Show and The Golden Girls.

Loring Mandel was an American playwright and screenwriter whose notable works include the TV movie Conspiracy. He wrote for radio, television, film and the stage.

The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Bestowed by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the Primetime Emmys are presented in recognition of excellence in American primetime television programming. The award categories are divided into three classes: the regular Primetime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards to honor technical and other similar behind-the-scenes achievements, and the Primetime Engineering Emmy Awards for recognizing significant contributions to the engineering and technological aspects of television. First given out in 1949, the award was originally referred to as simply the "Emmy Award" until the International Emmy Award and the Daytime Emmy Award were created in the early 1970s to expand the Emmy to other sectors of the television industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kevin Burns</span> American television and film producer (1955–2020)

Kevin Burns, was an American television and film producer, director, and screenwriter. His work can be seen on A&E, National Geographic Channel, E!, Animal Planet, AMC, Bravo, WE tv, Travel Channel, Lifetime, and The History Channel. Burns created and executive-produced more than 800 hours of television programming.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Seacrest</span> American television and radio presenter (born 1974)

Ryan John Seacrest is an American media personality, game show host, and producer. Seacrest co-hosted and served as executive producer of Live with Kelly and Ryan, and has hosted other media shows including American Idol, American Top 40, and On Air with Ryan Seacrest. He became co-host and executive producer of Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve in 2006, and stayed on as host and executive producer following Clark's death in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World of Wonder (company)</span> American production company known for its LGBTQ programming

World of Wonder Productions is an American production company founded in 1991 by filmmakers Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey. Based in Los Angeles, California, the company specializes in documentary television and film productions with a key focus on LGBTQ topics. Together, Bailey and Barbato have produced programming through World of Wonder for HBO, Bravo, HGTV, Showtime, the BBC, Netflix, MTV and VH1, with credits including the Million Dollar Listing docuseries, RuPaul's Drag Race, and the documentary films Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures (2016) and The Eyes of Tammy Faye (2000).

Anita Mann is an American choreographer, dancer and actress. Mann has been honored by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as one of America's top five contemporary choreographers. She is also the recipient of five Emmy Awards and accolades from every corner of the industry.

Donald Roy King is an American television director, producer, writer, and actor. He served as the director for Saturday Night Live from 2006 until 2021. He has "directed more hours of live network television than anyone else in the history of television," according to Michael Chein.

Burton Field Brinckerhoff is an American actor, director, and producer. He was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as Igor in the play Cactus Flower (1965–1968), a Daytime Emmy Award for directing an episode of the television series The ABC Afternoon Playbreak (1973), and three Primetime Emmy Awards for directing episodes of the television series Lou Grant (1978–1982).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Steindorff</span> International television and film producer and writer (born 1960)

Robert Scott Steindorff is an American television and film producer, executive producer, writer, and autism advocate.

Arthur Smith is a Canadian television producer who is the Chairman of A. Smith & Co. and Chairman of Tinopolis USA. Best known for the multiple Emmy nominated American Ninja Warrior and FOX's longest-running competition show Hell's Kitchen, he was inducted into the Realscreen Hall of Fame in 2021, and was named Producer of the Year 2020 by Broadcasting & Cable. He previously worked for CBC Sports, Dick Clark Productions, MCA Television Group, and Fox Sports Net. He has won multiple NAACP awards for his series Unsung, Rose D'Or Awards for I Survived A Japanese Game Show, a Critics' Choice Real TV Award, a Realscreen Award and multiple Reality Television Awards. In addition, his shows have been nominated for Daytime Emmys, Nickelodeon Kid's Choice Awards, Producers' Guild Awards and People's Choice Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">74th Primetime Emmy Awards</span> 2022 American television programming awards

The 74th Primetime Emmy Awards honored the best in American prime time television programming from June 1, 2021, until May 31, 2022, as chosen by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. The awards ceremony was held live on September 12, 2022, and was preceded by the 74th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards on September 3 and 4, at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was broadcast in the United States on NBC and Peacock. During the ceremony, Emmy Awards were handed out in 25 categories. The event was produced through Done and Dusted and Hudlin Entertainment and was directed by Hamish Hamilton. Kenan Thompson was the ceremony's host.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ Golden Globes producer, UW alum lauds TV industry : Daily-cardinal
  2. ↑ Smith, Susan Lampert. "Al Schwartz Live". Wisconsin Alumni Association. Archived from the original on 14 November 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Schwartz makes museum cut". Hollywood Reporter. August 19, 2004.
  4. ↑ Puttin' On the Ritz: Fred Astaire and the Fine Art of Panache, A Biography - Peter Levinson. pp. 392-393
  5. ↑ "Daytime Emmy Awards, 1988". IMDb. Retrieved 14 November 2013.
  6. ↑ "Primetime Emmy Awards 2007". IMDb. Retrieved 14 November 2013.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.