An award-winning director whose roots date to the days of live TV, Paul Bogart went on to direct the bulk of the episodes of the CBS sitcom "All in the Family" as well as numerous TV dramas and several feature films. He has proven particularly adept at recreating stage productions for the small screen, and has been trusted by actors that the Actors Studio tagged him to direct an adaptation of "The Three Sisters" (1964) performed at the famed center of method acting. After World War II military service, Bogart began his show business career working as a puppeteer and actor with the Berkeley Marionettes. By 1950, he was a stage manager and associate director on live TV programs for NBC, and in 1952 went freelance, working as a director for many of the anthology shows of the period, including "The U.S. Steel Hour" and "Kraft Theatre". By 1963, Bogart was directing episodes of the famed CBS drama series, "The Defenders" and won his first Emmy for a 1964 installment. He subsequently also won Emmys during the 60s for two "CBS Playhouse" dramas, "Dear Friends" (1967) and "Shadow Game" (1969). He joined "All in the Family" as director in 1971 and stayed with the series through its end in 1978, winning an Emmy for directing the 1977 episode in which Edith Bunker turned 50 years old. He remained with the Archie Bunker character for one season of "Archie Bunker's Place", the CBS sequel series, from 1979-80, then moved to the CBS sitcom "Alice". In 1984, Bogart was executive producer and director of "Mama Malone", (CBS, 1984), a short-lived yet vibrant series in which Lila Kaye played a woman hosting a cooking show out of her turbulent home. From 1985-86, Bogart worked as director and supervising producer on NBC's "The Golden Girls" during its first season (1985-86). Subsequently, he was executive producer of (and directed the pilot for) "Bagdad Cafe" (CBS, 1990-91), starring Whoopi Goldberg and Jean Stapleton, based on the Percy Adlon's feature film.
Bogart has excelled in adapting stage productions for TV, as evidenced by "You Can't Take It With You" (CBS, 1979), "Neil Simon's 'Broadway Bound'" (ABC, 1992), and "The Heidi Chronicles" (TNT, 1995). His TV longform output has been limited by his ongoing work in series, but Bogart directed "Nutcracker: Money, Madness, and Murder" (NBC, 1987), which told the story of a woman who manipulated her sons into killing her father so she could inherit his money, and "The Gift of Love" (CBS, 1994), in which Andy Griffith is a man who receives his deceased grandson's heart.
Bogart did not begin directing features until 1969 with "Marlowe", about a private investigator who searches for a girl's missing brother. Despite a heavy schedule with sitcoms in the 70s, he managed to direct a feature during hiatuses, including "Cancel My Reservations" (1972) and "Class of '44" (1973), the unsuccessful sequel to 1971's "Summer of '42". In 1984, he directed George Burns and Ted Wass in the sequel "Oh God! You Devil" and he helmed the big screen adaptation of Harvey Fierstein's Broadway success, "Torch Song Trilogy" (1988).
Profession(s):
director, Actor, stage manager, puppeteer
Sometimes Credited As:
Alan Smithee
Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series "California, Here We Are" episode of "All in the Family" 1978
Directors Guild of America Award Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy Series "Edith's 50th Birthday" episode of "All in the Family" 1977
Emmy Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series "Edith's 50th Birthday" episode of "All in the Family" 1977 - 1978
Emmy Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama "Shadow Game" 1969 - 1970
Emmy Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Drama "Dear Friends" 1967 - 1968
Emmy Outstanding Individual Achievement in Entertainment--Directors "The 700-Year Old Gang" episode of "The Defenders" 1964 - 1965
1995 Directed TNT adaptation of "The Heidi Chronicles"
1988 Directed screen adaptation of "Torch Song Trilogy"
1984 Executive produced and directed the CBS sitcom "Mama Malone"
1969 Directed first feature, "Marlowe"
1952 Began working as a freelance director in TV
1944 - 1946 Served in US Army Air Force
Was actor and puppeteer with Berkely Marionettes
Was stage manager and associate director with NBC TV
Directed episodes of "The Defenders" (CBS)
Directed episodes of "All in the Family" (CBS)
Directed episodes of "Archie Bunker's Place" (CBS)
Directed episodes of "Alice" (CBS)
Directed and served as supervising producer of "The Golden Girls" (NBC)
Was executive producer and directed pilot of the CBS sitcom "Bagdad Cafe"
