How I Escaped from Gilligan's Island: And Other Misadventures of a Hollywood Writer-Producer (A Ray and Pat Browne Book)

In the early 1950s writers were leaving radio en masse to try their hand at another promising medium—television. William Froug was in the thick of that exodus, a young man full of ideas in a Hollywood bursting with opportunities. In his forty-year career Froug would write and/or produce many of the shows that America has grown up with. From the drama of Playhouse 90 and the mind-bending premises of The Twilight Zone to the escapist scenarios of Adventures in Paradise , Gilligan’s Island , Bewitched , and Charlie’s Angels , Froug played a role in shaping his trade. He crossed paths with some of the memorable personalities in the industry, including Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Agnes Moorehead, Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert Blake, Rod Serling, Gene Roddenberry, Aaron Spelling, and Sherwood Schwartz. Froug reveals a post-WWII America giddy with the success of its newest medium—yet sobered at moments by strikes and union politics, McCarthyism and anti-Semitism. It was a world of hastily written scripts, sudden firings, thwarted creativity, and fickle tastes. And yet, while clearly exasperated with many aspects of Hollywood, Froug was a man utterly in his element, his frustration with the industry ultimately eclipsed by his dedication to his craft. In the early 1950s writers were leaving radio en masse to try their hand at another promising medium-television. William Froug was in the thick of that exodus, a young man full of ideas in a Hollywood bursting with opportunities. In his forty-year career Froug would write and/or produce many of the shows that America has grown up with. From the drama of Playhouse 90 and the mind-bending premises of The Twilight Zone to the escapist scenarios of Adventures in Paradise, Gilligan's Island, Bewitched, and Charlie's Angels, Froug played a role in shaping his trade. He crossed paths with some of the memorable personalities in the industry, including Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, Agnes Moorehead, Elizabeth Montgomery, Robert Blake, Rod Serling, Gene Roddenberry, Aaron Spelling, and Sherwood Schwartz.Froug reveals a post-WWII America giddy with the success of its newest medium-yet sobered at moments by strikes and union politics, McCarthyism and anti-Semitism. It was a world of hastily written scripts, sudden firings, thwarted creativity, and fickle tastes. And yet, while clearly exasperated with many aspects of Hollywood, Froug was a man utterly in his element, his frustration with the industry ultimately eclipsed by his dedication to his craft.Emmy-winning William Froug is professor emeritus and former chair of the School of Theater Arts, Film, and Television at the University of California, Los Angeles Contents......Page 8 Illustrations......Page 10 Acknowledgements......Page 12 Introduction......Page 16 1. Welcome to Hollywood......Page 23 2. Hello, I Must Be Going......Page 29 3. Going, Going, Gone......Page 50 4. Volcano Man......Page 85 5. The King of Game Shows or “Shoot Her in the Stomach”......Page 109 6. Paradise Found, Paradise Lost......Page 121 7. Skinny Knows......Page 131 8. Bombs on the Left, Cannon on the Right......Page 143 9. Chew Vass Hexpectin Mebbe Too Loose Latrek?......Page 176 10. The Sunset of The Twilight Zone......Page 190 11. Banished to Gilligan’s Island......Page 211 12. Bewitched . . . Plenty Bothered and Bewildered......Page 242 13. One Subchaser Missing in Action......Page 258 14. So You Want to Be in Pictures?......Page 267 15. One Last Fling......Page 275 16. Free at Last......Page 287 17. Hollywood, UCLA......Page 294 18. Fun and Games in TV Land......Page 313 19. Only Sometimes a Happy Ending......Page 325 20. Scenes from the Life of a Teacher......Page 341 Index......Page 348 William Froug was the writer and/or producer of ""Drama of Playhouse 90"", ""The Twilight Zone"", ""Adventures in Paradise"", ""Gilligan's Island"", ""Bewitched"", and ""Charlie's Angels"". He reveals a post-WWII America, giddy with the success of its newest medium, yet sobered at moments by strikes and union politics, McCarthyism and anti-Semitism.