Henry Colman
Producer
About This Interview
In his three-and-a-half hour Archive interview, producer 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 television executive, overseeing the pilot of The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis. He recalls joining the CBS development department, working on programs such as Green Acres and Hawaii Five-0, and details the development of The Love Boat, where he became line producer. Colman also speaks of producing the series Hotel and shares tales of being an interviewer himself for the Archive of American Television. Karen Herman conducted the interview on March 16, 2001.
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Highlights
Henry Colman on working in live television, where an actor thought the dress rehearsal was the aired show
Clip begins at: 27:41, Duration: 00m 56s
Henry Colman on covering The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour for the network when Tom Smothers wouldn't relinquish a tape to CBS
Clip begins at: 19:17, Duration: 02m 53s
Henry Colman on producing the first Love Boat pilot; on the development and casting of The Love Boat series
Clip begins at: 20:26, Duration: 07m 58s- Henry Colman on a scene of a black man dancing with a white woman on one of Matthew Rapf's shows and the network's decision to cut the scene
Clip begins at: 10:56, Duration: 02m 30s 
Henry Colman on escorting Elizabeth Taylor to a party while he was a producer on Hotel (continued)
Clip begins at: 00:02, Duration: 01m 01s
Interview
- Part 1
- On his early years and education; on serving in the Air Force during World War II
Clip begins at: 0:16 - On attending Columbia University and training at NBC studios; on his early theater work; on his transition to television at NBC
Clip begins at: 12:54 - Part 2
- On working on early NBC shows including Kraft Television Theatre
Clip begins at: 0:9 - On working on Navy Log and Robert Montgomery Presents
Clip begins at: 07:09 - Part 3
- On leaving Robert Montgomery Presents; on doing program development at The Theatre Guild and pitching shows to ABC; on turning down the chance to produce The U.S. Steel Hour
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On working in as a commercial producer at an Emil Mogul Advertising agency; on producing Pillsbury commercials for Arthur Godfrey and His Friends
Clip begins at: 06:09 - On producing the soap opera Love of Life; on joining General Artists Corporation to head up program development; on developing The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis; on the Blacklist
Clip begins at: 14:35 - On moving to Los Angeles and working for a video production company; on becoming associate producer on Dr. Kildare
Clip begins at: 25:40 - Part 4
- On working as associate producer on Dr. Kildare
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On working as an associate producer on Peyton Place
Clip begins at: 05:40 - On joining the CBS-TV Program Department; on working with Filmways; on being a program executive for The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Hawaii Five-0, The Prisoner, and The Lucy Show
Clip begins at: 10:40 - On covering The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour for the network when Tom Smothers wouldn't relinquish a tape to CBS for approval
Clip begins at: 19:12 - On being an executive on Medical Center; on approving O.J. Simpson on his first TV acting role
Clip begins at: 22:15 - On becoming VP of Current Programs at Paramount Television in 1970 and working on such series as Mission: Impossible and Mannix
Clip begins at: 24:56 - Part 5
- On working as a Paramount production executive on Love, American Style and The Brady Bunch
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On working as VP of Current Programs at Screen Gems on such shows as He & She, The Partridge Family, Bewitched, and Bridget Loves Bernie
Clip begins at: 04:11 - On freelancing and producing the TV movies The Dead Don't Die and Who is the Black Dahlia?
Clip begins at: 18:32 - On producing the first Love Boat pilot; on the development and casting of The Love Boat series
Clip begins at: 20:26 - Part 6
- On producing The Love Boat
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On producing Hotel (starting in the second season)
Clip begins at: 21:49 - Part 7
- On escorting Elizabeth Taylor to a party while he was a producer on Hotel (continued)
Clip begins at: 0:0 - On producing Top of the Hill
Clip begins at: 01:03 - On producing TV movies including The Rape of Dr. Willis and Body of Evidence; on his then-current projects; on being an interviewer for the Archive of American Television
Clip begins at: 04:34 - On his advice to aspiring producers; on how he would like to be remembered
Clip begins at: 08:58 - On some photos from his collection
Clip begins at: 10:44
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Karen is a good interviewer!
RIP Mr. Colman. You did some great work.
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