JP Miller

Writer


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About
About this interview

In his over four-hour interview, JP Miller (1919-2001) talks extensively about writing teleplays for live television dramas and his relationships with Fred Coe, Tad Mosel, Horton Foote, Delbert Mann, John Frankenheimer, and Paddy Chayefsky. Miller discusses writing many acclaimed television dramas including Days of Wine and Roses, The Rabbit Trap, and Helter Skelter. He also recalls writing for Philco-Goodyear Playhouse. Jeff Kisseloff conducted the interview on April 17, 1997 in Stockton, NJ.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"We managed to get by. In 'The People Next Door' for instance, the young lady ran out of the house naked and ran around a tree. Of course, the censors would have none of that. Some chap said, 'you have to cut the scene.'  And producer Herb Brodkin says, 'look, she's in a body stocking. The scene is necessary to the show, and we're gonna do the scene. If you don't want us to do the scene, you're gonna have to come down and stop the show in the middle of it, because we're gonna do it.' And it was done."

People Talking About ...
Highlights
JP Miller on what was the key to the Golden Age of Television
28:54
JP Miller on writing "The Rabbit Trap" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
07:23
JP Miller on John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show
04:25
JP Miller on live television mishaps
02:43
Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On his early life and influences; on reading and books being an escape during his childhood; on learning he wanted to be a writer, and on selling his first story
On how the great depression and World War II impacted him; on his early writing; on his college education

Chapter 2

On listening to the radio early on, and on live theater he enjoyed; on plays he wrote early on; on attending Yale Drama School
On getting hurt while fighting in World War II; on the people he met at Yale Drama school, and on moving to New York City; on writing his first teleplay for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

Chapter 3

On his family life in New York City, and his first television job writing Man Against Crime; on seeing Kim Stanley in various productions on stage and on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; on writing "A Game of Hide and Seek" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse produced by Fred Coe
On what made great live television; on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse producer Fred Coe

Chapter 4

On drinking in live television; on ownership of his scripts, and on the production of “A Game of Hide and Seek" for Fred Coe's Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; on how New York City writers regarded Hollywood writers
On meeting the other television writers of his day, including Paddy Chayefsky; on great Golden Age television producers Fred Coe and Herbert Brodkin; on the writers of the classic anthology series in the '50s, including Paddy Chayefsky and Horton Foote

Chapter 5

On fellow television writers Tad Mosel and Sumner Locke Elliott, and on learning from other writers; on his experience being a writer during the Golden Age of Television; on writing "The Rabbit Trap" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
On working with directors Delbert Mann and Arthur Penn, and other directors of the era; on working with the actors and directors of TV's Golden Age; on the start of his writing "Days of Wine and Roses" for Playhouse 90

Chapter 6

On writing the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses"; on doing research for the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses"; on Cliff Robertson as "Joe Clay" in Days of Wine and Roses
On John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show; on making his acting debut on the Playhouse 90 episode "Days of Wine and Roses"; on the low expectations the network had for the show, and on the feature film version

Chapter 7

On the title of Playhouse 90's "Days of Wine and Roses"; on the importance of the writer during TV's Golden Age; on the end of TV's Golden Age, and how the advent of videotape changed television
On film's impact on expanding the scope and action of television; on writing "Yellow Jack" for Producers' Showcase
On the Playhouse 90 production "The Comedian"; on live television mishaps; on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on his friend Zero Mostel's experience with the Blacklist

Chapter 8

On what was the key to the Golden Age of Television; on writing Helter Skelter and Beulah Land; on ending his television career, and on his novel
On various people he encountered in his career

Chapter 9

On some of the people he worked with over his career; on dealing with censorship in his career
Shows

Beulah Land

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JP Miller on writing Beulah Land
02:28

Helter Skelter

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JP Miller on writing Helter Skelter
05:18

Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

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JP Miller on writing his first teleplay for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
02:46
JP Miller on his family life in New York City, and his first television job writing Man Against Crime
05:32
JP Miller on seeing Kim Stanley in various productions on stage and on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
04:35
JP Miller on writing "A Game of Hide and Seek" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse produced by Fred Coe
07:54
JP Miller on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse producer Fred Coe
07:42
JP Miller on ownership of his scripts, and on the production of “A Game of Hide and Seek" for Fred Coe's Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
06:53
JP Miller on writing "The Rabbit Trap" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
07:22

Playhouse 90

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JP Miller on writing "Days of Wine and Roses" for Playhouse 90
03:40
JP Miller on how the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses" came about
07:12
JP Miller on doing research for the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses"
02:06
JP Miller on Cliff Robertson as "Joe Clay" in Days of Wine and Roses
03:09
JP Miller on John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show
04:25
JP Miller on making his acting debut on the Playhouse 90 episode "Days of Wine and Roses"
03:09
JP Miller on the low expectations the network had for Playhouse 90's "Days of Wine and Roses"
03:54
JP Miller on comparing the Playhouse 90 version of "Days and Wine and Roses" with the feature film version
JP Miller on the title of Playhouse 90's "Days of Wine and Roses"
03:47
JP Miller on the Playhouse 90 production "The Comedian"
00:53

Playhouse 90: "Days of Wine and Roses"

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JP Miller on the situation that led to him writing "Days of Wine and Roses" for Playhouse 90
03:40
JP Miller on how the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses" came about
07:12
JP Miller on doing research for the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses"
02:06
JP Miller on Cliff Robertson as "Joe Clay" in Days of Wine and Roses
03:09
JP Miller on John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show
04:25
JP Miller on making his acting debut on the Playhouse 90 episode "Days of Wine and Roses"
03:09
JP Miller on the low expectations the network had for Playhouse 90's "Days of Wine and Roses"
03:54
JP Miller on comparing the Playhouse 90 version of "Days and Wine and Roses" with the feature film version
JP Miller on the title of Playhouse 90's "Days of Wine and Roses"
03:47

Playhouse 90: "The Comedian"

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JP Miller on the Playhouse 90 production "The Comedian"
00:53

Producers' Showcase

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JP Miller on writing "Yellow Jack" for Producers' Showcase
03:39
Topics

Anthology Drama

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JP Miller on what made great live television
03:04
JP Miller on drinking in live television
04:55
JP Miller on the writers of the classic anthology series in the '50s, including Paddy Chayefsky and Horton Foote
06:36
JP Miller on his experience being a writer during the Golden Age of Television
03:59
JP Miller on working with the actors of TV's Golden Age including Broderick Crawford
03:09
JP Miller on working with the directors of TV's Golden Age
01:03
JP Miller on the importance of the writer during TV's Golden Age
01:59

Bloopers

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JP Miller on live television mishaps
02:43

Censorship / Standards & Practices

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JP Miller on dealing with censorship in his career
03:51

Historic Events and Social Change

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JP Miller on how the great depression and World War II impacted him
05:06
JP Miller on getting hurt while fighting in World War II

Hollywood Blacklist

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JP Miller on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on his friend Zero Mostel's experience with the Blacklist
06:22

Industry Crossroads

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JP Miller on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on his friend Zero Mostel's experience with the Blacklist
06:22

TV's Golden Age (1940s & '50s)

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JP Miller on what made great live television
03:04
JP Miller on drinking in live television
04:55
JP Miller on the writers of the classic anthology series in the '50s, including Paddy Chayefsky and Horton Foote
06:36
JP Miller on his experience being a writer during the Golden Age of Television
03:59
JP Miller on working with the actors of TV's Golden Age including Broderick Crawford
03:09
JP Miller on working with the directors of TV's Golden Age
01:03
JP Miller on the importance of the writer during TV's Golden Age
01:59
JP Miller on the end of TV's Golden Age, and how the advent of videotape changed television
04:30
JP Miller on what was the key to the Golden Age of Television
04:04

Technological Innovation

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JP Miller on film's impact on expanding the scope and action of television
04:29

Television Industry

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JP Miller on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on his friend Zero Mostel's experience with the Blacklist
06:22
JP Miller on dealing with censorship in his career
03:51

War

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JP Miller on how the great depression and World War II impacted him
05:06
JP Miller on getting hurt while fighting in World War II

World War II

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JP Miller on how the great depression and World War II impacted him
05:06
JP Miller on getting hurt while fighting in World War II
06:23
Genres

Classic Anthology Series

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JP Miller on writing his first teleplay for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
02:46
JP Miller on writing Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
23:17
JP Miller on writing for classic anthology series' including Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
28:49
JP Miller on writing "The Rabbit Trap" for Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
07:23
JP Miller on the start of his writing "Days of Wine and Roses" for Playhouse 90
03:40
JP Miller on the title of Playhouse 90's "Days of Wine and Roses"
03:47
JP Miller on writing "Yellow Jack" for Producers' Showcase
03:39

Cop/Detective/Mystery Series

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JP Miller on his family life in New York City, and his first television job writing Man Against Crime
05:32
People

Herbert Brodkin

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JP Miller on great Golden Age television producers Fred Coe and Herbert Brodkin
02:30
JP Miller on Herbert Brodkin
03:08

Paddy Chayefsky

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JP Miller on meeting the other television writers of his day, including Paddy Chayefsky
04:00
JP Miller on the honesty of his, Paddy Chayefsky, and Horton Foote's plays
01:44
JP Miller on the writers of the classic anthology series in the '50s, including Paddy Chayefsky and Horton Foote
06:36
JP Miller on Paddy Chayefsky
00:55

Fred Coe

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JP Miller on writing for live television on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; working with producer Fred Coe
16:32
JP Miller on great Golden Age television producers Fred Coe and Herbert Brodkin
02:30

Sumner Locke Elliott

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JP Miller on fellow television writers Tad Mosel and Sumner Locke Elliott, and on learning from other writers
05:50

Horton Foote

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JP Miller on the honesty of his, Paddy Chayefsky, and Horton Foote's plays
01:44
JP Miller on the writers of the classic anthology series in the '50s, including Paddy Chayefsky and Horton Foote
06:36
JP Miller on Horton Foote
01:14

John Frankenheimer

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JP Miller on John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show
04:25
JP Miller on John Frankenheimer
00:52

Grace Kelly

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JP Miller on Grace Kelly and Eva Marie Saint
01:27

Piper Laurie

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JP Miller on John Frankenheimer directing his Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses," and on working with Piper Laurie on the show
04:25

Sidney Lumet

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JP Miller on Sidney Lumet
00:05

Delbert Mann

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JP Miller on working with directors Delbert Mann and Arthur Penn, and other directors of the era
02:52
JP Miller on Delbert Mann and Sylvester L. Weaver
01:56

Martin Manulis

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JP Miller on Martin Manulis and Albert McCleery

E. G. Marshall

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JP Miller on E. G. Marshall
03:47

Raymond Massey

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JP Miller on Raymond Massey
00:17

Tad Mosel

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JP Miller on fellow television writers Tad Mosel and Sumner Locke Elliott, and on learning from other writers
05:50
JP Miller on Tad Mosel
00:18

Zero Mostel

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JP Miller on the Hollywood Blacklist, and on his friend Zero Mostel's experience with the Blacklist
06:22

Arthur Penn

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JP Miller on working with directors Delbert Mann and Arthur Penn, and other directors of the era
02:52
JP Miller on Martin Manulis and Arthur Penn
02:50

Cliff Robertson

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JP Miller on Cliff Robertson as "Joe Clay" in Days of Wine and Roses
03:09

Reginald Rose

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JP Miller on Reginald Rose
02:07

Eva Marie Saint

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JP Miller on Grace Kelly and Eva Marie Saint
01:27

Rod Serling

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JP Miller on Rod Serling
01:31

Kim Stanley

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JP Miller on Kim Stanley
01:09

Rod Steiger

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JP Miller on Rod Steiger
01:32

Gore Vidal

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JP Miller on Gore Vidal
00:42

Sylvester L. "Pat" Weaver

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JP Miller on Delbert Mann and Sylvester L. Weaver
01:56

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