Skip to Navigation
TV Video Library: Interviews and Video Clips – Archive of American Television
  • A program of the Television Academy Foundation

Capturing Television History, One Voice At A Time

Home › People

JP Miller

Writer

"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."

About This Interview

Acclaimed writer JP Miller (1919-2001) was interviewed for four hours plus in Stockton, NJ.  Miller talked 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 wrote many acclaimed television dramas including: "Days of Wine and Roses," "The Rabbit Trap," and "Helter Skelter."  The interview was conducted by Jeff Kisseloff on April 17, 1997.

Related To This Video

  • Shows
  • People

Shows

  • Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
  • Playhouse 90
  • Playhouse 90: "The Days of Wine and Roses"

People

  • Horton Foote
You need Flash player 8+ and JavaScript enabled to view this video.
  • Chapters
  • Shows
  • People

Chapters

  • Chapter 1
  • On his early years, education, and intereset in writing
  • Chapter 2
  • On his college education; on writing plays; on writing his first teleplay tailored to Philco Playhouse
  • Chapter 3
  • On writing for live television; on writing for Philco-Goodyear Playhouse; on working with Fred Coe
  • Chapter 4
  • On working as a writer in live television with Fred Coe, Paddy Chayefsky, and Horton Foote
  • Chapter 5
  • On some other writers he worked with including Tad Mosel and Sumner Locke Elliot; on writing the teleplays "The Rabbit Trap" and "The Days of Wine and Roses"
  • Chapter 6
  • On writing the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses" (Airdate: October 2, 1958), which became a feature film
  • Chapter 7
  • On the title "Days of Wine and Roses"; on writing for television and the advent of videotape; on working on Playhouse 90
  • Chapter 8
  • On the "Golden Age" of television; on his other projects; on people he worked with
  • Chapter 9
  • On some of the people he worked with over his career; on summing up his thoughts on television

Shows

  • Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse
    • JP Miller on writing his first teleplay for Philco-Goodyear Televisoin Playhouse (02m 42s)
    • JP Miller on writing for live television on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; working with producer Fred Coe (16m 32s)
    • JP Miller on writing the Goodyear Television Playhouse teleplay "The Rabbit Trap" (08m 05s)
  • Playhouse 90
    • JP Miller on writing the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses" (Airdate: October 2, 1958) (03m 36s)
    • JP Miller on writing the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses" (Airdate: October 2, 1958) (27m 02s)
  • Playhouse 90: "The Days of Wine and Roses"
    • JP Miller on writing the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses" (Airdate: October 2, 1958) (03m 36s)
    • JP Miller on writing the Playhouse 90 teleplay "The Days of Wine and Roses" (Airdate: October 2, 1958) (27m 02s)

People

  • Paddy Chayefsky
    • JP Miller on working as a writer in live television with Fred Coe, Paddy Chayefsky, and Horton Foote
      (26m 59s)
  • Fred Coe
    • JP Miller on writing for live television on Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse; working with producer Fred Coe
      (16m 32s)
    • JP Miller on working as a writer in live television with Fred Coe, Paddy Chayefsky, and Horton Foote
      (26m 59s)
  • Horton Foote
    • JP Miller on working as a writer in live television with Fred Coe, Paddy Chayefsky, and Horton Foote
      (26m 59s)
SHARE THIS PAGE Bookmark and Share
Tweet

Be the first to comment!

Post new comment

  • Home
  • Interviews
    • People
    • Shows
    • Topics
    • Professions
    • All Interviewees
    • Featured Playlists
  • About The Archive
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Search
Academy of American Television
  • Home
  • The Interviews
  • Advanced Search
  • Blog
  • License Our Clips
  • Terms of Service
  • Transcripts
  • Copyright Policy
  • Emmys.com
  • Emmysfoundation.org
  • About The Archive
© 1995-2012 Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation All Rights Reserved Emmy and The Emmy Statuette are the trademark property of ATAS/NATAS
Site developed by FivePaths