Charles Dubin

Director Charles S. Dubin (1919 - 2011) was interviewed for three-and-a-half hours in Brentwood, CA.  Dubin described his lengthy career as a television director, which began in 1950 when he was hired at ABC as an associate director, and culminated in his long association with M*A*S*H, for which he directed more episodes than any other individual director.  Dubin detailed his early work in “live” television for such series as Pulitizer Prize Playhouse (1950-52) and Opera Vs. Jazz (1953).  He spoke in great detail about the over twenty segments of Omnibus (1955-58) that he directed, including celebrated pieces with choreographer Agnes DeMille and conductor/ composer Leonard Bernstein.  It was his association with Bernstein in this capacity which led to his directing of the first three of the “Young People’s Concerts” which Dubin then talked about.  Additionally, Dubin discussed his work as a director on the quiz show series Twenty-One, which became the center of the quiz show scandal, although Dubin was at the time unaware of the backstage practices that led to the show’s demise.  Dubin discussed his appearance before the House Un-American Activities Committee, in which he plead the Fifth and was blacklisted from the industry for five years.  He described his later work, directing multiple episodes of The Defenders, Kojak, Ironside, Hawaii Five-O, and the Father Dowling Mysteries.   The interview was conducted by Gary Rutkowski on September 9, 2003.