Sol Saks
Writer
About This Interview
Sol Saks (1910-2011) learned early that “…with writing. When it ‘works’ you’re anonymous. When it doesn’t work you’re fired.” Sol Saks was a comedy writer during radio days (“Duffy’s Tavern”) and transitioned to TV ( My Favorite Husband), best-known as the creator of the long-running and popular series Bewitched.
In his Archive interview, Saks talks about his early years breaking into radio writing in Chicago and Los Angeles. He gives his impressions of such radio personalities as Dinah Shore, Ozzie Nelson, Fanny Brice and Hattie McDaniel. On “Duffy’s Tavern” he recalls the long workdays and his run-ins with head writer Abe Burrows and recites a memorable joke he wrote for the show.
He describes breaking into TV with My Favorite Husband, and how the series cast actors, as opposed to comics, in the lead roles. He humorously recounts writing for seven weeks for the Joan Davis series I Married Joan, for the expressed purpose of paying for his swimming pool. He discusses in detail his work on the sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, which starred Ida Lupino. Among the stories he tells are how he and Lupino would come up with show premises over martinis and when producer Fred De Cordova was hired, how he tried to throw out scripts Saks had written.
He notes how he came to write the Bewitched pilot and why he felt the show was popular. Lastly, he outlines his short tenure as a CBS executive (in comedy development) and reminiscences about socializing with Cary Grant during the shooting of the feature film Walk, Don’t Run. He humorously recalls: “my closet was in a dark corner and sometimes in the restaurant with Cary Grant I’d look down and I’d see I got the wrong pants with the wrong coat. And after I got to know him well, I said ‘Cary, do you notice that sometimes my coat doesn’t match my pants?’ He said, ‘Sol, on you, I only know notice when they do.’” Throughout the interview, Saks shared his thoughts on comedy writing, his disregard of writer’s block, and his belief in honesty in one’s writing and life in general.
Sol Saks was interviewed in North Hollywood, CA on May 21, 2009; Bill Freiberger conducted the two-and-a-half-hour interview.
In his Archive interview, Saks talks about his early years breaking into radio writing in Chicago and Los Angeles. He gives his impressions of such radio personalities as Dinah Shore, Ozzie Nelson, Fanny Brice and Hattie McDaniel. On “Duffy’s Tavern” he recalls the long workdays and his run-ins with head writer Abe Burrows and recites a memorable joke he wrote for the show.
He describes breaking into TV with My Favorite Husband, and how the series cast actors, as opposed to comics, in the lead roles. He humorously recounts writing for seven weeks for the Joan Davis series I Married Joan, for the expressed purpose of paying for his swimming pool. He discusses in detail his work on the sitcom Mr. Adams and Eve, which starred Ida Lupino. Among the stories he tells are how he and Lupino would come up with show premises over martinis and when producer Fred De Cordova was hired, how he tried to throw out scripts Saks had written.
He notes how he came to write the Bewitched pilot and why he felt the show was popular. Lastly, he outlines his short tenure as a CBS executive (in comedy development) and reminiscences about socializing with Cary Grant during the shooting of the feature film Walk, Don’t Run. He humorously recalls: “my closet was in a dark corner and sometimes in the restaurant with Cary Grant I’d look down and I’d see I got the wrong pants with the wrong coat. And after I got to know him well, I said ‘Cary, do you notice that sometimes my coat doesn’t match my pants?’ He said, ‘Sol, on you, I only know notice when they do.’” Throughout the interview, Saks shared his thoughts on comedy writing, his disregard of writer’s block, and his belief in honesty in one’s writing and life in general.
Sol Saks was interviewed in North Hollywood, CA on May 21, 2009; Bill Freiberger conducted the two-and-a-half-hour interview.
Related To This Video
Featured Content
Video: Bewitched: "I, Darrin, Take This Witch Samantha" (premiere episode, airdate: 9/17/64) from Hulu
Resources
Links:
Book: Funny Business: The Craft of Comedy Writing by Sol Saks
Book: The Laugh Crafters: Comedy Writing in Radio and TV's Golden Age by Jordan R. Young
Internet Archive: Duffy's Tavern radio shows
IMDb entry on Sol Saks
Wikipedia entry on Bewitched
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Highlights
Sol Saks on breaking into comedy writing, during the radio days (01m 38s)- Sol Saks on getting his first writing job in Los Angeles (01m 50s)
- Sol Saks on working with Fanny Brice during the radio days (00m 58s)
- Sol Saks on how he wrote for I Married Joan for 7 weeks to pay for his swimming pool (01m 49s)
- Sol Saks on coming up with episode premises with series star Ida Lupino for Mr. Adams and Eve (02m 11s)
- Sol Saks on quitting My Favorite Husband, and how this led, years later, to getting an offer to write a pilot that became Bewitched (03m 07s)
Writer Sol Saks on his philosophy of comedy writing and writing in general (02m 09s)- Sol Saks on discovering the effectiveness of using simple language in (comedy) writing (00m 50s)
- Writer Sol Saks on learning his first (amusing) lesson— in the 8th grade— on how writers are treated (01m 37s)
Writer Sol Saks on what was the most difficult part of writing for radio and TV comedy (and the arrival of the laugh machine) (01m 02s)- Writer Sol Saks on working and socializing with Cary Grant (and witnessing his celebrity) on location for the film Walk, Don't Run (04m 00s)
- Writer Sol Saks on using Cary Grant-like lines on women after having written Walk Don't Run, which starred Cary Grant (01m 15s)
- Writer Sol Saks on two favorite jokes, one he devised himself forradio's Duffy's Tavern (and the lesson her learned about deliveringgood material late in the workday) (02m 53s)
Chapters
- Chapter 1
- On his family background; on his early interest in writing; on breaking into radio comedy writing; on moving to Los Angeles and getting a job with Red Skelton; getting hired on radio's "Duffy's Tavern"
- On working on "The Dinah Shore Show" (radio); on Dinah Shore as he knew her from her '40s-'50s radio show; on working with Hattie McDaniel on the "Beulah" radio show; on his difficult workweek on the "Beulah" radio show and the issue that resulted from the lack of writing credits
- On the treatment of the writers while working on radio's "Duffy's Tavern"; on working on "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" radio show and Ozzie Nelson's view on giving writers credit; on writing the pilot for My Favorite Husband and his desire to do a sitcom with actors instead of comedians, and an experience he had being pulled away from rehersal
- On how he wrote for I Married Joan for 7 weeks to pay for his swimming pool; on coming up with episode premises with series star Ida Lupino for Mr. Adams and Eve; on the creation of Mr. Adams and Eve and working with co-star Howard Duff; on how the long hours on radio's "Duffy's Tavern" became too difficult for him (and his wife)
- On quitting My Favorite Husband, and how this led, years later, to getting an offer to write a pilot that became Bewitched; on why he was credited on the second episode of Bewitched
- Chapter 2
- On writing the pilot episode (and creating) Bewitched; on his philosophy of comedy writing and writing in general; on discovering the effectiveness of using simple language in (comedy) writing; on the Bewitched pilot's appeal
- On not believing in writer's block; on learning his first (amusing) lesson— in the 8th grade— on how writers are treated; on being offered to write the pilot for the Bewitched spin-off Tabitha, which he refused; on his suggestion that they play the real-lie pregnancy of Elizabeth Montgomery on the show in Bewitched;
- On his acceptance of Fred de Cordova as a producer of Mr. Adams and Eve, until de Cordova interfered with the scripts; serving as a CBS executive (in comedy programming); on how producer William Froug was considered to replace Sherwood Schwartz on Gilligan's Island, and how Saks himself didn't like the pilot script
- On "learning how to be an executive producer" while working on The Baileys of Balboa; on leaving Mr. Adams and Eve, but still thinking of premises for comedy shows
- Chapter 3
- On the casting of the feature film Walk Don't Run (which he wrote), and the role initially offered to Spencer Tracy but given to Cary Grant; on working and socializing with Cary Grant (and witnessing his celebrity) on location for the film Walk, Don't Run
- On using "Cary Grant" lines on women after having written Walk, Don't Run which starred Cary Grant; on two favorite jokes, one he devised himself for radio's "Duffy's Tavern" (and the lesson her learned about delivering good material late in the workday)
- On what was the most difficult part of writing for radio and TV comedy (and the arrival of the laugh machine); on his career achirvements and regrets
Shows
People
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