Fred de Cordova | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Frederick Timmins de Cordova (1910-10-27)October 27, 1910 |
| Died | September 15, 2001(2001-09-15) (aged 90) |
| Alma mater | Northwestern University,Harvard Law School |
| Occupation(s) | Director,producer |
Frederick Timmins de Cordova (October 27, 1910 – September 15, 2001) was an American stage, motion picture and television director and producer. He is best known for his work onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
De Cordova was born inNew York City, New York, the son of Margaret (née Timmins) and George de Cordova, who worked in the theatre business.[1] George de Cordova was from a Jamaican Sephardic Jewish family related to Julian de Cordova, founder of theDeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, and Waco, Texas, founderJacob de Cordova. In his 1988 autobiography, de Cordova described his parents as con artists who, during his early years, lived well and skipped town without paying their bills. In 1931, he received an undergraduate degree inliberal arts fromNorthwestern University.[2][3]
De Cordova's first theater credit was as a performer inElmer, the Great (1928). After his graduation fromHarvard Law School in 1933, he gained employment in theShubert Theater organization for the next ten years.[3] He was variously a performer, stage manager, stage director, and finally, dialogue director, the last forZiegfeld Follies of 1943.[4]
He was a dialogue director in five films, includingTo Have and Have Not (1944). His first film directing job wasToo Young to Know (1945) forWarner Brothers. He directed 23 movies. One of the better known wasBedtime for Bonzo (1951) starring future PresidentRonald Reagan and a chimpanzee. He also directedRock Hudson,Errol Flynn,Tony Curtis,Audie Murphy,Yvonne de Carlo,Bob Hope, andHumphrey Bogart. Much of his career was atUniversal Studios, where he was known for turning out entertaining pictures quickly, even with difficult actors, and on a low budget.[5] His last film wasFrankie and Johnny (1966) starringElvis Presley.[6]
De Cordova turned to directing television when there was less call for low-budget movies to serve as the second half of adouble feature.[2] His skills were perfect for TV. His TV career began in 1950 with directingThe Jack Benny Program, on which he was played several times by actorRoss Elliott. Other programs he directed includeThe George Burns and Gracie Allen Show,The Bob Cummings Show,The George Gobel Show,December Bride,Leave It to Beaver,My Three Sons (108 episodes), andThe Smothers Brothers Show. He directed and/or produced more than 500 TV series or segments. He producedThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson starting in 1970[7] using the name Fred de Cordova.[6][8] He became producer of the show in 1970 and executive producer in 1984. In a 1981 interview, he described his job as "chief traffic cop, talent scout, No. 1 fan and critic all rolled into one".[3] De Cordova was described as ".. a large, looming, beaming man with horn-rimmed glasses, an Acapulcan tan, and an engulfing handshake that is a contract in itself, complete with small print and an option for renewal on both sides."[9] He was executive producer when the final CarsonTonight Show signed off on May 22, 1992. He won fiveEmmys for his work on the show.
During tapings of theTonight Show, de Cordova would sit in a chair just beyond the guests' couch so that he could cue Carson directly and speak with him during commercial breaks. By the 1980s, Carson would occasionally speak to de Cordova during the show, although usually the moment would pass so quickly that there would be no time to give de Cordova a microphone or catch him on camera.
These awkward exchanges became an object of parody. An episode ofSCTV aired in 1981 featured a sketch of "The Freddie de Cordova Show".[10] The segment was almost an exact copy of theTonight Show, except the host's desk was empty; de Cordova conducted all of his interviews from his usual perch off-camera. On the real program in 1988, as a takeoff on the installation oflights in Wrigley Field, Carson ceremonially installed a light on the edge of the set so that de Cordova could finally be seen.
In June 1991, Carson's son Ricky was killed in an automobile accident; a month later, Carson paid tribute to his son at the end of a show. De Cordova was concerned that the show was going long and gave Carson the "wrap it up" sign. Carson was so infuriated that he no longer allowed de Cordova on the studio floor.[11]
Despite his advanced age and lessened role in the waning days of the Carson period,Jay Leno kept de Cordova on theTonight Show as a consultant.[12] This arrangement lasted until 1997, which de Cordova said was far longer than he expected, though he lamented that he was no longer a "big shot".[13]
During guest appearances onLate Night with Conan O'Brien, comedianWill Ferrell played the role of a deludedRobert Goulet, who believed himself to be a guest onThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Ferrell's fictional Goulet made references to de Cordova, insisting that de Cordova owed him money, or, conversely, that Goulet owed de Cordova money.[14][15]
In 1995 and 1998, respectively, de Cordova appeared as himself onThe Larry Sanders Show in the fourth-season episode, "Eight," and in the sixth-season episode, "As My Career Lay Dying." The show's character "Artie", a talk show executive producer played byRip Torn, is largely based on de Cordova.
Martin Scorsese's 1982 film,The King of Comedy, about a delusional fan (Robert De Niro) who kidnaps a late-night talk-show host (Jerry Lewis), cast de Cordova as the show's producer.
De Cordova married former actress Janet Thomas in 1963, and they remained married for the rest of his life. He died of natural causes at theMotion Picture and Television Fund Hospital inWoodland Hills, California on September 15, 2001. Carson did not attend the service but wrote a letter of condolence to Thomas that detailed his admiration and included a check.[16] De Cordova was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery inCulver City, California.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | The Jack Benny Program | (uncredited) Stage manager | TV |
| 1968 | My Three Sons | First Director | TV |
| 1982 | The King of Comedy | Bert Thomas | |
| 1997 | Mad About You | Hugh Moss | TV |
| 1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Himself | TV |
Notes
Author Bill Zehme, who is at work on a book titledCarson the Magnificent, says, 'It was when Johnny returned to the air after his son Ricky died. I've studied that tape like theZapruder film, where Carson did this tribute at the end of the show, talking about his son, a nature photographer, who had died when he was shooting on a mountain and his car rolled over him and took him down the mountain. So Carson goes through a normal show with no mention until the very end. He's clearly going a little bit long with the tribute, but there are all these majestic nature shots, and Carson is talking about his son—heart-wrenching. Carson was never so naked on the air. And then his eyes start darting over to where Freddie is, and you can see a little register of annoyance. I learned later that Fred was over there actually giving him the "Wrap it up" sign [to indicate that the show was running over]. That was July 1991, so what happened next was Johnny exploded in the after-show meeting in his office. He took Freddie off the floor, and he was never allowed back on. That was the deathblow.'
Further reading
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