Norman Lear, born July 27, 1922, is a celebrated figure in the world of American television and film. His groundbreaking work in the 1970s and beyond has left an indelible mark on the industry, influencing generations of creators and audiences.
He was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and grew up in a Jewish family. His father, Herman Lear, worked in the construction business, and his mother, Jeanette Lear, was a homemaker. Lear’s early life was marked by the challenges of the Great Depression, but his experiences during this time would later influence the social and political themes present in his work. Lear attended Weaver High School in Hartford, Connecticut, and later enrolled at Emerson College in Boston. His passion for performing arts and storytelling became evident during his college years, foreshadowing his future success in the entertainment industry. During World War II, Lear served in the United States Army Air Forces as a radio operator and gunner.
His time in the military significantly impacted his worldview and contributed to the development of his socially conscious perspective, later reflected in his television and film productions. After World War II Lear had a career in public relations. He decided to move to California to restart his career in publicity, driving with his toddler daughter across the country. To make ends meet, he sold home furnishings door-to-door and later sold family photos door-to-door.
His partner at the time, Ed Simmons, and teamed with him to write comedy sketches for television appearances of Martin and Lewis, Rowan and Martin, and others. They frequently wrote for Martin and Lewis when they appeared on the Colgate Comedy Hour,
and a 1953 article from Billboard magazine stated that Lear and Simmons were guaranteed a record-breaking $52,000 (equivalent to $600,000 in 2023) each to write for five additional Martin and Lewis appearances on the Colgate Comedy Hour that year.
We all [Ed Simmons,Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis] started together, so there were no rules – anything we wrote became television.
Norman Lear
His first producer job was for NBC’s short-lived (26 episodes) sitcom The Martha Raye Show, after Nat Hiken left as the series director. Lear also wrote some of the opening monologs for The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show which aired from 1956 to 1961.
In 1959, Lear created his first television series, a half-hour western for Revue Studios called The Deputy, starring Henry Fonda. Lear wrote and produced the 1967 film Divorce American Style and directed the 1971 film Cold Turkey, both starring Dick Van Dyke. He tried to sell a concept for a sitcom about a blue-collar American family to ABC.
After two rejected pilots CBS picked up the show on the third. All in the Family premiered January 12, 1971, to disappointing ratings, but it took home several Emmy Awards that year, including Outstanding Comedy Series. The show did very well in summer reruns, and it flourished in the 1971–72 season, becoming the top-rated show on TV for the next five years. Before this huge success, he produced about 15 tv series, tv movies and films.
Some of these included the TV specials Bobby Darin and Friends (1961), The Danny Kaye Special (1961), Henry Fonda and Family (1962), and The Andy Williams Special (1962). Made for TV movies Barnaby (1965), Steptoe and Son (Pilot 1965), and Justice for All (Pilot 1968).
Theatrical movies Come Blow Your Horn (1963) starring Frank Sinatra, Never Too Late (1965) starring Maureen O’Sullivan, Connie Stevens and Paul Ford, Divorce American Style (1967) starring Dick Van Dyke, Jason Robards and Debbie Reynolds, The Night They Raided Minsky’s (1968) starring Jason Robards, Britt Ekland and Norman Wisdom, Start the Revolution Without Me (1970) starring Gene Wilder, Donald Sutherland and Hugh Griffith, and Cold Turkey (1971) starring Dick Van Dyke.
While All in the Family was high on the charts airing 207 episodes, Lear didn’t slow down. Hot L Baltimore (13 ep. 1975) was a somewhat steamy/racy (for the time) carryings-on in a ruined old hotel; the “E” burned out some time ago and was never repaired, Sanford and Son (135 ep. 1972-1977) was the misadventures of a cantankerous junk dealer and his frustrated son starring Redd Foxx, Grady (10 ep. 1975-1976) was the solo adventures of Fred Sanford’s pal Grady, who has moved on up to Los Angeles,
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman (325 ep, 1976-1977) was a small-town housewife who struggles to cope with the increasingly bizarre and violent events unfolding around her, The Nancy Walker Show (13 ep. 1976) She runs her own talent agency. This kept her busy while her husband Ken was on Naval duty, but things have changed since his retirement. Nearby are daughter Lorraine, son-in-law Glen, and gay housemate Terry,
Maude (141 ep. 1972-1978) an All In The Family spin-off centered around Edith’s cousin, Maude Findlay, a liberal, independent woman living in Tuckahoe, New York, starring Bea Arthur, Good Times (133 ep. 1974-1979) about a poor family make the best of things in the Chicago housing projects, starring Ja’net DuBois and Ralph Carter.
Lear was also executive producer for Palmerstown, U.S.A. (17 ep. 1980-1981) a show where in Depression-era South, Booker T. Freeman and David Hall become best friends, despite different racial backgrounds. Booker’s dad Luther is the local blacksmith, W.D. Hall the grocer, with the families becoming close, due to the boys, Square Pegs (one of my favorite sit-coms – 20 ep. 1982-1983) where Patty Greene and Lauren Hutchinson, two awkward teenage girls, are desperate to fit in at Weemawee High School. starring Sarah Jessica Parker,
Archie Bunker’s Place (97 ep. 1979-1983) a spin-off of All In The Family and the the further misadventures of Archie Bunker, now the owner of a local pub, and his regulars, starring Carroll O’Connor, Gloria (22 Ep. 1982-1983) another spin-off of All in the Family features the further adventures of Gloria Stivic and her son Joey. She and Mike are separated and she’s gotten a job in a veterinarian’s office, One Day at a Time (209 ep. 1975-1984) the misadventures of a divorced mother, her family and their building superintendent in Indianapolis, starring Bonnie Franklin, Pat Harrington Jr. and Valerie Bertinelli,
I think for television generally, the question that often arises is, “Does television lead, or does it follow?” You know, does it lead the conversation, or culture, or does it follow what’s going on? And I think it does both.
Norman Lear
The Jeffersons (253 ep. 1975-1985) a nouveau riche, African-American family who move into a luxury apartment building develop close, if occasionally fractious, relationships with other tenants, starring Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley, Silver Spoons (116 ep. 1982-1987) where Ricky Stratton is a spoiled rich kid who lives the life that many kids dream of, but he still suffers from the problems that many teens do, starring Ricky Schroder, Erin Gray and Joel Higgins,
The Facts of Life (201 ep. 1979-1988) where Mrs. Edna Garrett, housemother and dietitian at the Eastland School, teaches a group of girls in her charge how to solve those problems that every teenager has to face, starring Lisa Whelchel, Kim Fields and Mindy Cohn, 227 (116 ep. 1985-1990) This series took place in an apartment building numbered 227. The cast would frequently be sitting outside on a large set of stone stairs, involved in some discussion that would unfold into the weekly plotline, Helen Martin, Marla Gibbs and Hal Williams,
The Powers That Be (21 ep. 1992-1993) the exploits of a clueless American senator and the eccentric, morally corrupt people who are closest to him, starring John Forsythe, and One Day At A Time (46 ep. 2017-2020) this remake follows three generations of the same Cuban-American family living in the same house: a newly divorced former military mother, her teenage daughter and tween son, and her old-school mother.
Norman Lear founded People for the American Way (PFAW) in 1981, reflecting his commitment to defending constitutional liberties and advocating for social justice. PFAW is a nonprofit organization dedicated to safeguarding the principles of democracy, individual freedoms, and equal rights. Lear established the organization in response to what he perceived as an increasing threat to civil liberties and democratic values in the United States. PFAW engages in various advocacy efforts, including promoting education, civic participation, and public policy initiatives. Lear’s vision for PFAW aligns with his lifelong dedication to social activism and the pursuit of a more just and inclusive society.
More of his movies included The Princess Bride (1987) where a bedridden boy’s grandfather reads him the story of a farmboy-turned-pirate who encounters numerous obstacles, enemies and allies in his quest to be reunited with his true love, starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin and Robin Wright, Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) a housewife who is unhappy with her life befriends an old lady at a nursing home and is enthralled by the tales she tells of people she used to know,
starring Kathy Bates, Jessica Tandy and Mary Stuart Masterson, Way Past Cool (2000) based on the award-winning best seller by Jess Mowry, is a coming-of-age story told in reverse, for it is the story of a group of young black kids and their fight to reclaim their childhood, starring Wayne Collins, Pete Seeger: The Power of Song (2007) interviews, archival footage and home movies are used to illustrate a social history of folk artist and activist Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Johnny Cash and Bill Clinton,
Guess Who Died (2018) starring Holland Tayor and Christopher Lloyd, I Carry You with Me (2020) ambition and societal pressure propel an aspiring chef to leave his soulmate in Mexico and make the treacherous journey to New York, where life will never be the same, starring Armando Espitia, and I Got a Monster (2023) the explosive story of America’s most corrupt police unit, the Gun Trace Task Force, which terrorized the city of Baltimore.
In 2001, Norman Lear and his wife, Lyn, made headlines when they acquired a rare piece of American history: a Dunlap broadside, one of the first published copies of the United States Declaration of Independence. The couple purchased this historic document for a staggering $8.1 million, underscoring their commitment to preserving and celebrating the nation’s foundational principles. The Dunlap broadside is an iconic artifact, printed by John Dunlap on the night of July 4, 1776, and it played a pivotal role in disseminating the Declaration of Independence to the public. By acquiring and safeguarding such a significant historical document, the Lears demonstrated their dedication to promoting an understanding of America’s democratic ideals and the importance of preserving the country’s heritage.
Lear’s memoir, Even This I Get to Experience, provides a captivating and insightful journey through his remarkable life and influential career. Published in 2014, the book offers a candid and reflective account of Lear’s experiences as a television producer, writer, and social activist. Lear shares personal anecdotes, detailing his early struggles, creative triumphs, and the cultural impact of his groundbreaking television shows.
The memoir also delves into Lear’s philanthropic efforts, including his role in founding People for the American Way. “Even This I Get to Experience” is praised for its wit, wisdom, and the intimate perspective it provides on Lear’s multifaceted life. The book serves as a testament to Lear’s enduring impact on American entertainment and his commitment to social change.
Some of the accolades he has received
- Six Emmy Awards for “All in the Family,” “Maude,” and “The Jeffersons.”
- Two Peabody Awards for his outstanding contribution to television.
- Humanist Arts Award 1977
- Academy of Achievement Golden Plate Award 1980
- Television Academy: Hall of Fame 1984
- The National Medal of Arts, awarded by President Bill Clinton in 1999
- Britannia Awards Excellence in Television 2007
- National Hispanic Media Coalition Media Icon 2017
- Golden Globe Carol Burnett Award in 2021
Norman Lear’s impact on American television and film is immeasurable. His groundbreaking approach to storytelling, infused with social and political commentary, revolutionized the medium and continues to inspire contemporary creators.
Lear’s ability to entertain and provoke thought has left an enduring legacy in the world of entertainment. Norman Lear died of natural causes, Tuesday December 5, 2023, at his home in Los Angeles, he was 101. is survived by his wife, Lyn, a filmmaker. He had a total of six children from his three marriages. He was a godparent to actress and singer Katey Sagal.
Further Reading
Sources
- “Norman Lear, iconic TV sitcom and movie producer, dies at 101” (December 7, 2023) https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/06/entertainment/norman-lear-death/index.html
- “Norman Lear, legendary TV producer, dies at age 101” (DECEMBER 6, 2023) https://www.cbsnews.com/news/norman-lear-dies-age-101-legendary-tv-producer/
- “Norman Lear, TV Legend, Dies at 101” (Dec 6, 2023) https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/norman-lear-dead-dies-tv-legend-all-in-the-family-1235823995/
- “Norman Lear” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Lear
- “Norman Lear” https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005131/
- People for the American Way. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from https://www.pfaw.org/about-us/
- Norman Lear Center. (n.d.). Norman Lear: Biography. Retrieved from https://www.uscannenberg.org/research/norman-lear-biography
- Vankin, J. (2001, September 27). Norman Lear Acquires Copy of Declaration. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-sep-27-me-50129-story.html
- Norman Lear Center. (n.d.). Norman Lear: Biography. Retrieved from https://www.uscannenberg.org/research/norman-lear-biography
- Norman Lear Center. (n.d.). Norman Lear: Biography. Retrieved from https://www.uscannenberg.org/research/norman-lear-biography.
