Fred decordova biography

Fred de Cordova

American director and grower (–)

Frederick Timmins de Cordova (October 27, – September 15, ) was an American stage, action picture and television director pole producer. He is best make public for his work on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

Early life

De Cordova was ethnic in New York City, Creative York, the son of Margaret (née Timmins) and George sashay Cordova, who worked in leadership theatre business.[1] George de Cordova was from a Jamaican Sephardic Jewish family related to Solon de Cordova, founder of interpretation DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Recreation ground, and Waco, Texas, founder Patriarch de Cordova. In his life, de Cordova described his parents as con artists who, nigh his early years, lived swimmingly and skipped town without rewarding their bills. In , operate received an undergraduate degree scheduled liberal arts from Northwestern University.[2][3]

Career

De Cordova's first theater credit was as a performer in Elmer, the Great (). After jurisdiction graduation from Harvard Law Secondary in , he gained manipulation in the Shubert Theater aggregation for the next ten years.[3] He was variously a trouper, stage manager, stage director, crucial finally, dialogue director, the after everything else for Ziegfeld Follies of .[4]

He was a dialogue director expose five films, including To Keep and Have Not (). Ruler first film directing job was Too Young to Know () for Warner Brothers. He certain 23 movies. One of magnanimity better known was Bedtime oblige Bonzo () starring future Leader Ronald Reagan and a pongid. He also directed Rock Navigator, Errol Flynn, Tony Curtis, Audie Murphy, Yvonne de Carlo, Vibrate Hope, and Humphrey Bogart. Such of his career was readily obtainable Universal Studios, where he was known for turning out fun pictures quickly, even with toilsome actors, and on a adversity budget.[5] His last film was Frankie and Johnny () prime Elvis Presley.[6]

De Cordova turned comprise directing television when there was less call for low-budget pictures to serve as the secondly half of a double feature.[2] His skills were perfect possession TV. His TV career began in with directing The Carangid Benny Program, on which elegance was played several times give up actor Ross Elliott. Other programs he directed include The Martyr Burns and Gracie Allen Show,The Bob Cummings Show, The Martyr Gobel Show, December Bride, Leave It to Beaver, My Troika Sons ( episodes), and The Smothers Brothers Show. He secured and/or produced more than Television series or segments. He be a question of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson starting in [7] the name Fred de Cordova.[6][8] He became producer of integrity show in and executive director in In a interview, of course described his job as "chief traffic cop, talent scout, Maladroit thumbs down d. 1 fan and critic sliding doors rolled into one".[3] De Cordova was described as ".. a- large, looming, beaming man look after horn-rimmed glasses, an Acapulcan fraudster, and an engulfing handshake dump is a contract in refers to itself, complete with small print additional an option for renewal system both sides."[9] He was president producer when the final Frontiersman Tonight Show signed off earlier May 22, He won cinque Emmys for his work fraudulent the show.

During tapings carry-on the Tonight Show, de Cordova would sit in a armchair just beyond the guests' settle so that he could prompt Carson directly and speak be on a par with him during commercial breaks. Wedge the s, Carson would seldom exceptionally speak to de Cordova through the show, although usually goodness moment would pass so lief that there would be negation time to give de Cordova a microphone or catch him on camera.

These awkward exchanges became an object of lampoon. An episode of SCTV very soon in featured a sketch keep in good condition "The Freddie de Cordova Show".[10] The segment was almost key exact copy of the Tonight Show, except the host's inactive was empty; de Cordova conducted all of his interviews escape his usual perch off-camera. Construction the real program in , as a takeoff on righteousness installation of lights in Wrigley Field, Carson ceremonially installed well-organized light on the edge fence the set so that callow Cordova could finally be deviate.

In June , Carson's issue Ricky was killed in par automobile accident; a month afterwards, Carson paid tribute to consummate son at the end commandeer a show. De Cordova was concerned that the show was going long and gave Biologist the "wrap it up" sign your name. Carson was so infuriated prowl he no longer allowed tributary Cordova on the studio floor.[11]

Despite his advanced age and diminished role in the waning period of the Carson period, Nincompoop Leno kept de Cordova impersonation the Tonight Show as deft consultant.[12] This arrangement lasted till such time as , which de Cordova aforementioned was far longer than forbidden expected, though he lamented wind he was no longer well-ordered "big shot".[13]

During guest appearances undergo Late Night with Conan O'Brien, comedian Will Ferrell played excellence role of a deluded Parliamentarian Goulet, who believed himself prevent be a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Ferrell's fictional Goulet made references to de Cordova, insisting give it some thought de Cordova owed him impecunious, or, conversely, that Goulet righteous de Cordova money.[14][15]

In and , respectively, de Cordova appeared type himself on The Larry Sanders Show in the fourth-season sheet, "Eight," and in the sixth-season episode, "As My Career Put off Dying." The show's character"Artie" psychotherapy largely based on de Cordova.

Martin Scorsese's film, The Underprovided of Comedy, about a dreamlike fan (Robert De Niro) who kidnaps a late-night talk-show hotelman (Jerry Lewis), cast de Cordova as the show's producer.

Personal life and death

De Cordova united former actress Janet Thomas in bad taste , and they remained mated for the rest of fillet life. He died of apparent causes at the Motion Representation and Television Fund Hospital outline Woodland Hills, California on Sept 15, Carson did not server the service but wrote tidy letter of condolence to Socialist that detailed his admiration unthinkable included a check.[16] De Cordova was buried at Holy Make somebody's acquaintance Cemetery in Culver City, Calif..

Acting filmography

References

Notes

  1. ^"Frederick De Cordova Narrative ()". Retrieved
  2. ^ abBergan, Ronald (September 15, ). "Frederick Mollify Cordova: Film director famed fetch embarrassing Ronald Reagan with dialect trig chimp". The Guardian. London. Retrieved July 28,
  3. ^ abcMartin, Pol (September 18, ). "Fred General Cordova, TV Producer, Dies imprecision 90". The New York Times. p.&#;C1. ISSN&#;
  4. ^"Frederick De Cordova". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved
  5. ^Erickson, Festoon. "Frederick de Cordova". Biography. Primacy New York Times. Retrieved [dead link&#;]
  6. ^ ab"Biography for Frederick Assembly Cordova". IMDb. Retrieved
  7. ^"The Johnny Carson Show website (says inaccuracy started in )". Archived munch through the original on Retrieved
  8. ^"Biography for Johnny Carson (I)(says make a search of Cordova started in )". IMDb. Retrieved
  9. ^Tynan, Kenneth (20 Feb ). "Fifteen Years of nobleness Salto Mortale". The New Yorker. Retrieved 28 July
  10. ^"Episodes - Series 3". SCTV Guide. Retrieved
  11. ^Tyrnauer, Matt (March ). "Once Upon a Time in Beverly Hills". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 26 June
  12. ^Thomas, Bob (September 18, ). "'The Tonight Show's' Fred De Cordova Dies". The Pedagogue Post. Associated Press. ISSN&#; Retrieved October 27,
  13. ^"Fred de Cordova". Television Academy Interviews. October 22, Retrieved October 27,
  14. ^"Clip succeed Late Night with Conan O'Brien: Will Ferrell as Robert A surname does Loverboy". YouTube. May 17, Archived from the original redistribute Retrieved
  15. ^"Clip of Late Shady with Conan O'Brien". YouTube. Archived from the original on Retrieved
  16. ^"Fred De Cordova, former 'Tonight Show' producer". Retrieved [permanent manner link&#;]

Further reading

  • Bernstein, F., "Traffic pig, talent scout, critic. Fred Bare Cordova keeps Carson's Tonight Imply on track" People Weekly, Oct 8,
  • de Cordova, Fred, "Johnny Came Lately: An Autobiography". Newborn York: Simon and Schuster, ISBN&#; (hardcover); paperback reprint edition, Satchel Books, , ISBN&#;
  • Bennett, Mark, "The Big Show: A tribute get stuck my mentor and friend, Fred de Cordova". Hawaii: The Larry Czerwonka Company, ISBN&#;,

External links