Ira Skutch

Ira Skutch
Born	Ira Skutch Jr. (1921-09-12)September 12, 1921 New York City,U.S.
Died	March 16, 2010(2010-03-16)(aged 88) Silver Lake,California, U.S.
Alma mater	Dartmouth College
Occupation(s)	Director, producer
Years active	1942–2008
Children	2

Ira Skutch(September 12, 1921 – March 16, 2010) was an American television director, producer, and, in his later years, an author. In the early days of television he produced and directed episodes ofKraft Television TheatreandThe Philco Television Playhouse.Skutch also worked as an executive forGoodson-Todman Productionsand produced or directed the game showsPlay Your Hunch,I've Got a Secret,Match Game,Concentrationand many others.

Early life and education

Ira Skutch Jr. was born on September 12, 1921, inNew York City.Skutch was the oldest of three children born to parents Ira (1888–1945) and Ethel Skutch. He attendedDartmouth Collegewhere he graduated in 1941.Skutch had a younger brother, Robert Skutch, who also graduated from Dartmouth in 1946,and a younger sister Nancy.

Career

Start in television

Skutch started as a page in New York for theNational Broadcasting Company.After a few years at NBC, Skutch became the stage manager on some of NBC's and network television's first regularly scheduled programs beginning withHour Glassin 1946.Hour Glasswas the first regularly scheduled variety series shown on network television.

After the end ofHour Glassin 1947, Skutch went on to become the stage manager ofThe Philco Television Playhouse.Skutch also worked as stage manager for the NBC showsNBC Television Theater,You Are an ArtistandKraft Television Theatre.Skutch also directed, produced and wrote several episodes ofThe Philco Television Playhouse.

Goodson-Todman Productions

In 1957, producerMark Goodsonhired Skutch to be on staff forGoodson-Todman Productions.One of Skutch's earliest work forMark GoodsonandBill Todmanwas as a producer on the game showI've Got a Secret.Skutch also was one of several directors onthe original NBC versionofMatch Gamefrom 1962 to 1969 and became most notably the producer and judge ofthe more memorable CBS versionofMatch Gamefrom 1973 to 1979, as well asMatch Game PM(1975–1981), and the daily syndicated version from 1979 to 1982.

While at Goodson-Todman, Skutch also worked on the set of the game showsBeat the Clock,What's My Line?,Password,Concentration,TattletalesandBlockbusters.

Skutch left Goodson-Todman in 1983, shortly after Mark Goodson formed his own production company, Mark Goodson Productions, after the death of his partnerBill Todman.

Personal life and death

In his later years, Skutch was the author and co-author of several books published between 1990 and 2008 includingI Remember Television,The Days of LiveandThe DuMont Television Network: What Happened?(co-written with Ted Bergmann).

Skutch died on March 16, 2010, after a several year battle withlymphomaat the age of 88. Skutch died at the home of his daughter Lindsay in the neighborhood ofSilver Lake,California.

Filmography

Director

Year	Title	Notes
1950	Beat the Clock	Game show
1951	The Philco Television Playhouse	1 episode
1957	I've Got a Secret	Game show
	Two for the Money	1 episode
1971-1975	Password	ABCversion
1973-1978	Concentration	Syndicated version
1962-1964	What's My Line?	2 episodes
1963-1969	Match Game	974 episodes
1969-1970	He Said, She Said	All 265 episodes
1970	Beat the Clock	1 episode
1979	Mindreaders	1 episode
1980	Blockbusters	1 episode
1982	Child's Play	All 258 episodes

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Work	Result
1976	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show	Match Game	Nominated
1977	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show	Tattletales	Nominated
	Daytime Emmy Award	Outstanding Game/Audience Participation Show	Match Game	Nominated

Bibliography

• Ira Skutch and Delbert Mann (1990).I Remember Television.Scarecrow Press.ISBN978-0-8108-2271-9.
• Joseph C. Youngerman, David Shepard and Ira Skutch (1996).My Seventy Years at Paramount Studios and the Directors Guild of America(First ed.). Hardcover.ISBN978-1-8827-6602-4.
• Ira Skutch (1998).Five Directors: The Golden Years of Radio: Based on Interviews with Himan Brown, Axel Gruenberg, Fletcher Markle, Arch Oboler, Robert Lewis Shayon.Scarecrow Press.ISBN978-0-8108-3483-5.
• Ira Skutch (editor) and Delbert Mann (1998).Looking Back... At Live Television & Other Matters.Directors Guild of America.ISBN978-1-8827-6606-2.{{cite book}}:|author=has generic name (help)
• Ira Skutch (1998).The Days of Live.Scarecrow Press.ISBN978-0-8108-3492-7.
• Ira Skutch (1999).Making It.Malvern Publishing Company.ISBN978-0-9479-9384-9.
• Ira Skutch and Joe Harnell (2001).Counterpoint: The Journey of a Music Man.Xlibris Corporation.ISBN978-0-7388-4989-8.
• Ted Bergmann and Ira Skutch (2002).The DuMont Television Network: What Happened?.Scarecrow Press.ISBN0-8108-4270-X.
• Richard Edward Wormser, Ira Skutch (Editor) (2006).How to Become a Complete Nonentity: A Memoir.iUniverse.ISBN978-0-5953-8467-9.{{cite book}}:|author=has generic name (help)

External links

• Ira SkutchatIMDb